Should You Hire A Trainer?
Have you ever wondered if it’s worth it to hire a trainer to help you lose weight or get in shape?
The truth is, not everyone needs to hire a trainer. On top of that, there are many trainers who should never be hired.
My goal is to help you decide if you need one, and if so, how to find a good one. I may even convince you not to hire anyone at all.
Fitness & French?
Getting in shape and losing weight is easy. (Stay with me.)
It’s easy like learning another language is easy.
I’m not bilingual. I know a few words in several languages, like most people. And I have a friend who teaches me some choice words in French from time to time.
I do know enough Spanish that when I went to Mexico I did fine asking for a beer, a burrito, and a bathroom (usually in that order). But I wouldn’t be able to hold a conversation unless I spent a lot more time learning and practicing the language. In other words… I don’t speak Spanish.
But I could, because it’s just a skill. A skill that compared to, say, performing brain surgery, can be picked up in relatively little time.
Losing weight and getting in shape is more comparable to learning another language than it is brain surgery. It takes time and practice, but anyone can do it.
To Do It Yourself…
If you haven’t spent a good amount of time studying fitness and nutrition, the little bit you know is not enough to get you very far. It might even hold you back.
Before you go about getting fit on your own, you need to accept the hard truth… you don’t know fitness.
When you learn another language, you don’t read a few blogs about the language and expect to be fluent. You spend years studying the language, practicing the accent, and conversing with native speakers of that language.
It’s the same for fitness. It’ll take years of avid reading on the subject, practicing different training styles, and a lot of trial and error. Mostly error for awhile, trust me.
I know that sounds like a lot, but if this subject interests you, here’s some encouragement: This is a lifelong endeavor, so the first couple years of getting on track is nothing in the long run. You’ll be “conversational” before you know it.
To Not Do It Yourself…
If investing that much time learning this doesn’t appeal to you, you need to hire someone to tell you what to do. And it needs to be the right person.
There are plenty of good trainers out there, but there are many bad ones, too. Here’s my recommendation on finding a good one.
You get what you pay for.
A good trainer costs $50-100 for a 30-60 minute session, minimum. Do not pay less than that and expect to get a good trainer.
Some gyms offer trainers for very cheap. Their job mainly consists of walking you around showing you how to use the machines. Their programs normally consist of working your way through those machines, with little to no attention to details that will help you improve and meet your goals.
If a good trainer does get hired at a place like that, they won’t be there long.
Find one who knows nutrition.
Getting in shape, losing weight, and any other fitness goal cannot be done without a proper nutrition plan. I won’t go so far as to say nutrition is more important than working out, but it is foolish to do one without the other.
Any trainer can give you food advice. You want one who didn’t learn nutrition exclusively through Google. Ideally, find one with a certification. A certification doesn’t guarantee a good coach, but it raises the odds a bit. If you want a specific recommendation, Precision Nutrition is who my wife is certified through, and I would trust most any coach with their certification.
Get results.
This should go without saying… but make sure your trainer gets you results.
Obviously, if you don’t follow their plan, you shouldn’t expect to see any changes. But if the plan they give you is too difficult to follow, that’s not your fault. Don’t automatically assume you’re not a good enough client. You might just have a lousy trainer.
Why Us
Because we rock the hardest. Just kidding. Kinda.
One benefit to hiring us is you’re getting two people, each with their own expertise. One in fitness, and one in nutrition.
Briefly, here’s what we do differently from most trainers:
Uncomplicated
We know you don’t speak the language. So we communicate in a way that makes sense.
We know you don’t want your life to revolve around fitness, so we make things work around your lifestyle.
Individualized
We build your plans for your goals. No cookie cutter plans here.
We know not everyone has the same resources, schedule, or likes and dislike. We work with you on all of it.
Personal Support
We’re not just there for you an hour a week. We’ll be in touch regularly, making adjustments as needed.
We’ll provide continual accountability. No guilt trips. Just encouragement and support.
If you’re interested in this, you can find out more here about our 1-on-1 coaching and how it can help you.
You Can Do This!
Whether you decide to do it on your own, or hire us or someone else, know that it can be easy. There’s no magic formula, just like there’s no potion that can make you fluent in French. All it takes is time. But if there’s any way we can make it easier for you, email us and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours.
