Something that quickly comes to mind when you start working out is
“Should I get a personal trainer? If so, for how long?”
Well, as with all things … it depends. Generally, it’s a very good idea to have a personal trainer when you start working out. This person should have the necessary experience, skill and knowledge in order for you to properly learn the correct techniques for each exercise. Kind of like when you learn to ride a bike and you have those helper wheels at the back.
It’s also a good idea to start with a personal trainer so that, if you are working out alone, there is someone to help you out with some lifts when it really matters (e.g. you don’t get stuck under a barbell because you don’t know yet how much you can bench press) and prevent DI - dumb injuries 😀
However, I strongly encourage you to do your own research as well. Why? Well, it’s always nice when you just listen and execute what the trainer tells you, but what if there are better exercises that you could do? For example, as a beginner, your personal trainer will probably recommend two or three exercises per muscle group. And that’s fine, but you should at least be aware of other exercises, and how to combine them in the future.
Your personal trainer should be your buddy in the gym, helping you out, as mentioned above, but should also be someone you can exchange ideas with when it comes to fitness / lifting weights.
This brings me to the second point; how long should you have a personal trainer?
Not an easy question to answer. It depends a lot on how much you like this sport. Some of us, gym rats 😀, could have a personal trainer for 3 to 6 months (even less, in some occasions).
Other people, who want to stay fit but don’t have the time to invest in research and putting the extra effort in the gym (e.g. always paying attention to your form and correcting yourself when you see yourself slip), might want to hang on to the personal trainer for longer; at least until the exercises become second nature and you can do them with 0 assistance.
Some of you might say … “that all sounds great, but I have to PAY for a personal trainer and money is very tight 🙁”
I feel you - really, I do. I was in the exact situation when I started working out. I could barely afford the basics - gym membership, buying some extra clothes to wear at the gym, the costs to get to and back from the gym, and some decent protein supplements.
That’s why I said that “generally, it’s a very good idea to have a personal trainer”. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t do it on your own. I did it and a lot of other people did it too.
You just have to put in the extra effort - research in your spare time and extra attention at the gym - use the gym mirrors the way they should be used - seeing and correcting your form should you catch yourself slipping.
Be very careful when doing your research - there are sooo many channels and sources of information when it comes to weight lifting.
“With so much information, how do I know who’s real and who’s fake?! Who’s giving good advice and who’s just trying to sell stuff?!”
Well, at the beginning you just don’t know who’s right and who’s wrong, so, that’s why I would recommend learning about the same exercise from multiple sources.
At least when it comes to the basics, you should determine relatively quickly (I’d say by watching/reading from about 3 to 5 sources) the correct technique and form.
You should also pay attention to the people at your gym that are seriously lifting - trust me, you’ll easily recognize them 😀
“What do I do if I need someone to spot me?!”
That’s easy - politely ask someone, a trainer or just someone in the gym, to help you out. I can guarantee that the serious weight lifters - a.k.a the gym rats 😀 - will always help.
How do I know this? Well, as I said in previous posts, weight-lifting is great for both your physical and mental health. A serious lifter will never laugh at a physically weaker colleague because they remember that they were also weak at some point.
Also, the gym rat does not have an ego, at least not when he/she is in the gym. We learn to leave our egos at the door pretty quick in this sport; you will get “punished” quickly if you are ego-lifting 😀
Don’t be afraid to ask for help from someone stronger than you - they will generally help you out!
So, to recap, if you are just starting to lift weights and you can afford a personal trainer, go for it. At the end of the day, that extra money that you pay is an investment in yourself.
If you don’t have the money, don’t despair. You can do it on your own but you need to pay really close attention to your lifts and spend extra time to educate yourself.
Believe in yourself and I am sure that you will achieve your goals!
Comments
Post a Comment