I have been asked many times why I go to a private gym and have a personal trainer. To answer them simply, it’s because I care for my body. I didn’t go to school for physiology, nor do I understand the inner workings of the human body the way that a certified personal trainer does. I used to be one of those people who would walk in the gym, go straight to the weights in front of the mirror and start lifting. I had no method or reason for my gym routine. Once I got a certified personal trainer in New York, I immediately understood the benefits. That being said, I also immediately noticed some of the negatives of having a personal trainer.
I am going to discuss some of the pro’s and con’s of having a personal trainer so that you may be able to glean some useful information before signing up with a private gym and getting a personal trainer for yourself.
PRO #1 – EDUCATION
I am not a physiology major. I didn’t go to school to understand personal fitness. I work at a technology company. On my first day working with a personal trainer, I learned a ton of useful information. I learned how to perform the exercises with good posture and correct form so that I don’t injure myself. I learned what the exercises were doing to my body. I learned about the benefits of having a workout plan. I learned a lot about my body specifically and what it will take to achieve the goals that I want. Knowledge is power. It motivated me even more to continue to go because I was able to tangibly assess where I am in my process because I was informed.
CON #1 – YOU’RE GOING TO GET PUSHED
If you’re not used to someone pushing you to be your best, I suppose this can be a con to having a personal trainer. A good personal trainer will push you to be better. A good personal trainer won’t let you give up when you’re tired. A good personal trainer won’t let you quit because your body hurts a little bit. So if you’re looking for an easy workout or go to the gym to socialize, then having a personal trainer is the absolute worst.
PRO #2 – GAME PLAN
Putting a practical game plan together with a personal trainer changed the game for me. As I mentioned already, I would go to the gym with no plan other than I was going to lift to failure. Not having a plan is technically the worst plan of all time. Having a professional trainer helping me formulate a game plan to achieve my goals is extremely important and beneficial. Similarly, to any successful business, ownership (execs) needs to build a plan for the company to achieve the desired goals. Same principle, but even more impactful because this is your body.
CON #2 – ONCE YOU START YOU WON’T WANT TO STOP
Once you work with a certified personal trainer in New York, you won’t want to go back to the normalcy of going to the gym and doing your own thing. So, if you’re happy being complacent and stagnant in your workout sessions and personal fitness, then having a personal trainer is not for you.
PRO #3 – CUSTOMIZED HEALTH PLAN
My body is different than anyone else’s body. Pretty easy conclusion, right? Well, then why would I want a workout plan that everyone else is doing? I used to mimic the really buff guys at the gym. Whatever machine or weights they were using, I would go and use the same thing when they were done. Over time, that proved to be very unsuccessful. But a personal trainer builds a custom plan especially for your body. Your plan is different than my plan. Based on your exact physiology, a good personal trainer will know exactly what you need to do in order to reach your goals.
CON #3 – YOU’LL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE
Accountability is the worst right? Having someone call you and push you to be a better version of yourself is the worst kind of hell. A good personal trainer is going to stay in contact with you and will be able to tell if you’re actively pursuing your goals based on if you show up to your scheduled sessions. They’ll also hold you accountable to the results that you’re getting. Obviously, working out and healthy eating go hand-in-hand, so you’ll also be held accountable to improve in your eating habits. If you don’t want accountability, then don’t get a personal trainer.
PRO #4 – REDUCE WASTED TIME
A big issue for me is time management. I don’t like wasting time. My most valuable asset is time. I used to tell myself: ‘I don’t have time to go to the gym.’ But that was because I would go in and not have a game plan or workout routine that gave me the results I was looking for. A BIG pro for having a personal trainer is that they will get you through your workout with absolutely no wasted time. You’ll be surprised how quickly a personal trainer can get you through a strategic workout plan that’s custom built for you.
CON #4 – YOU MIGHT GET PRIDEFUL
A lot of people mistake confidence for pride. But it’s a 100% guarantee that you’ll gain confidence after working with a personal trainer. If you don’t want to be confident because you’re worried that people will mistake your confidence for being prideful, then working with a personal trainer may not be for you. After about 3 weeks of working with a personal trainer, my confidence shot through the roof because I could see the results and realized that the custom plan that we had been executing was actually working. So be careful when you work with a personal trainer that you don’t become too prideful.
I hope that these pro’s and con’s help you decide whether or not working with a certified personal trainer is right for you. It has absolutely changed my life, but you also have to take into account the con’s. I was being a little facetious, but hey, these can be real negatives for some folks. You need to be informed. If you live in SOHO or Union Square, there’s two really great options. You can check them out here.
Stay Safe! Stay Healthy! Stay Fit! Let’s Go!