There
has been many studies on this question none more famous than the Ball
State University study in Indiana. Researchers put two groups of 10 men
through identical 12-week strength-training programs. The groups were
evenly matched when they started, and they did the same combination of
exercises, the same number of times, with the same amount of rest. At
the end of the experiment, one group had gained 32 per cent more
upper-body strength and 47 per cent more lower-body strength than the
other. No performance-enhancing pills were involved - the only
difference was that the more successful group had a personal trainer
watching over their workouts.
A
good trainer will help you assess your fitness goals, design a safe and
effective program to meet those goals and motivate you to put in the
necessary work. That said, it is important for a client and trainer to
have good communication and trust with goals. A good trainer not only
provides assistance with achieving goals they hold themselves
accountable for physical reviews. A great trainer checks in with the
client on occasion. Asking questions like, "Are we meeting your goals?"
"Are you enjoying and satisfied with our training?" "Are the workouts
and programs working for you, or should we try something else?" I have
found this brings the partnership together as a mutual working
relationship. I also think keeping this open line of communication
allows clients to participate in their own development.
Sounds
like a solid functioning relationship, right? Then why don't we see a
lot of trainers practice a client/trainer spot review? I think for 3
reasons.
Fear:
What if the trainer asks an open ended question i.e. "Are you enjoying
and satisfied with our training?" and the clients comes back with, "No,
this is not going well. What are we even doing here?" Yikes. I have
advise for the fear doctors out there. Keep small problems small. A
consistent practice of spot reviews will treat issues before they blow
up into an aggressive response. If you're reading this as a trainer
monitor your own reviews. If you are reading this as a client, be
upfront if something is uncomfortable, or you are not enjoying the
exercise program. I believe a good trainer will adjust.
Time:
Most sessions only last an hour, and most trainers want to try and pack
all they can into that hour. Take 10 minutes while warming a client up
and check in to some feedback.
Interest:
Sad to think there are some trainers out there that do not invest
interest in their clients. These trainers should be striped of their
certifications. If your trainer is not checking in on a regular basis it
begs the question; "What are we doing here?" You want a trainer
invested in improving themselves as an instructor to provide the most
educated and comprehensive training service. You have a choice in who
you train with, where, and how. Take advantage.
A
spot review with the client is a great way to maintain peak interest
for the client, but there are other, less obvious ingredients that
successful trainers provide - and a series of recent studies offer some
hints about how we can tap into these benefits. The crucial difference
between the training of the two groups at Ball State was very simple: By
the halfway point of the program, the supervised group was choosing to
lift heavier weights. Since both groups started with the same motivation
level, it was likely the trainer's presence leading that group to set
more ambitious targets. Other studies have consistently found that, left
to their own devices, novice weightlifters tend to work out with
weights that are less than 50 per cent of their one-repetition maximum,
which is too low to stimulate significant gains in strength and muscle
size. Even experienced strength trainers often fall into this trap,
according to a 2008 study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning
Research. The latest attempt to address this question comes from
researchers at the University of Brasilia in Brazil. They compared two
groups of 100 volunteers who undertook a 12-week strength-training
program, supervised either by one trainer for every five athletes, or
one trainer for every 25 athletes.
The
results, display a familiar pattern. The highly supervised group
improved their bench press by 16 per cent, while the less supervised
group chose lighter weights and improved by only 10 per cent. This is
another argument for getting a personal trainer. But the differences
from the study in Brazil are more subtle, since both groups had access
to a trainer who could provide guidance on proper form and choosing
appropriate weights. Instead, motivation and the willingness to tackle
ambitious goals seem to be the differentiating factors.
As
the studies show, obtaining a personal trainer will help you get where
you want go in health and fitness. I would say the number one deterrent
for people not to hire a personal trainer is the cost. Most people tend
to look at a trainer as a luxury. I believe trainers are quite necessary
for proper health, and money should never be a deterrent. Here's why.
Look at the money we spend to life our lives, the cost of living. What
we pay in gas, junk food, coffee, medical bills, cable bills, car
insurance, apple-care (sorry Mac) and hundreds more places our money
goes. See if you find $300/month in there somewhere and do what's right
for you buy hiring a trainer. You will sell that car, cancel cable, eat
the junk, and buy more coffee-But, you are going to be in your body for
the rest of your life. Invest in your life.
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article courtesy of trimapper.com
