1. Trainers provide accountability and motivation
Do you want to face your trainer and tell her that you didn’t work out yesterday? Sure, you can get this accountability from a dedicated friend who works out with you, but this is the trainer’s job. He or she has a vested interest in seeing that you complete your workouts.
Also, if you’re paying a trainer, do you really want to slack off and feel like you aren’t getting the most for your money? Money spent is good motivation to work out.
2. Trainers provide expertise
A good personal trainer will watch closely to ensure that you are doing the exercises properly to maximize your result and target the intended muscle group.
My trainer carefully watches me and corrects minor mistakes in form as I make them. She assures me that sometimes the smallest tweak of an exercise will change the muscle that is targeted, and I can tell the difference when I follow her instructions.
This is something I could never do on my own, or even from watching a video. Usually, I’m not even aware of a mistake in form. Consistently doing an exercise incorrectly can lead to injury.
3. A trainer will push you just enough
A trainer will push you harder than you will push yourself but keep you from rushing ahead too quickly.
If you are like me, you work out until you feel uncomfortable, and then you modify the movement or stop altogether. A good trainer knows how to push you beyond your comfort zone and when to stop before pain or injury sets in.
Expert trainers know alternative exercises if you have difficulty with one or if you have an injury to work around. Sometimes a modified version of an exercise is necessary, depending on your fitness level. A good trainer will expertly shape an exercise for you.
4. A trainer helps you identify and reach goals
As I set my goals, she helps me to attain them. She encourages me by noticing improvements that I wouldn’t even think about. This is helpful when discouragement tries to set in.
5. A trainer will personalize your workout
Quality trainers know how to customize a workout based on your individual strengths, weaknesses and goals.
Mine helps me to increase my cardio endurance with a running interval plan. Since one of my short-term goals is to do more mens push-ups, my trainer is including several types of difficult push-ups in my sessions that are quickly enabling me to build my strength and move toward more mens push-ups.
6. Trainers can reduce the possibility of injury
An injury can derail a workout program and cause so much discouragement that you could lose momentum and determination to continue. A good trainer will help you to do exercises properly so that you won’t injure yourself.
When my knee began to act up, my trainer had me cut back on my running intervals and ride an exercise bike on some days. She also pointed out that I may be developing an imbalance between my quadriceps and hamstring muscles, which can lead to knee injuries. Since my quads are stronger than my hamstrings, she began targeting hamstring strength. These are things I would not have known to do.
