Your Workout Isn’t Working? It’s Time to Get Personal

You are not a couch potato. You go to the gym dutifully, regularly, religiously. Usually. So, maybe you slack off a bit when things get hectic, especially during the holidays. But for the most part, you suit up, stuff in the ear buds and do your routine—some cardio, a little bit of weights, the usual ab work, some stretching at the end.

And yet. And yet.

Lately, it’s dawning on you you’re not making progress. At all. The pants are still a bit too snug around the waist. And the muscle definition in abs and upper arms? Still waiting for that to materialize. Despite your commitment to your exercise routine, you have the sense that, rather than improving your fitness level, you’re merely staving off the inevitable decline that comes with age. In the words of the inimitable Peggy Lee, “Is that all there is?”

Part of the answer is ‘no,’ there is more that can be done. The rest of the answer is that it may be time to call in the professionals. Yes, it just might be time to get yourself to a personal trainer.

“What?” you say, “In this economy? Are you insane?” 

Maybe so, but someone clever once defined Insanity as doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results. If you think about it, it is kind of nutty to spend money on the same gym membership year after year without getting results. (If your dry cleaner kept returning your clothes to you stained and wrinkled, wouldn’t you switch dry cleaners?) While a personal trainer may seem an extravagant expense, think of it as maximizing your investment in your health.

After all, you’re probably doing the same-old, same-old because you don’t know how to do things any differently. A really good personal trainer will not only help you design a new and more efficient routine, he or she will help you retool your lifestyle.  

Here’s what a good, one-on-one personal trainer will help you do:

1. Along with your doctor, evaluate your current physical fitness level, body composition and discuss any injuries or concerns. 
2. Help you set, and meet realistic goals that fit into your real life.
3. Design a customized program that will continue to challenge you as your fitness level improves.
4. Make sure you show up. Accountability is a key component. Unless you enjoy wasting money, chances are you’ll show up for a program you’ve made a financial commitment to.
5. Prevent you from injuring yourself. A certified personal trainer will see to it that you are using the appropriate weight, the proper form and the correct number of sets and repetitions to achieve results.
6. Motivate you, inspire you and keep it fun so that you will look forward to your next workout.

Ideally, your personal trainer should be certified by the American College of Sports Medicine and/or the National Strength Conditioning Association or they should be working under the guidance of one with these certifications. Such a trainer will have extensive knowledge of exercise physiology and anatomy and they will know how to build the ideal program to suit your needs.

Norwell Certified Personal Trainer Joe Caruso says your program should represent a triangle, with 3 key elements: Strength Training, Cardio and Nutrition. “If one side of the triangle is out of balance, the whole system can sadly fail, but when all three are in line, it’s very likely you will obtain your goals. “ Joe says the ideal program will include a good cardio workout three to five times a week, combining resistance training into two to three of those sessions. You should also have a nutrition consultation and keep a food journal.

Joe and his fellow trainers at the Fitness Together studio he manages in Norwell use a lot of toys that normal gyms don’t have, like ropes and tractor tires. They also act as a partner when working with their clients, so they can do things with you like toss a medicine ball, or use boxing gloves and pads for further strength training and agility.

Additionally, the third key element, nutrition, means doing your best to eat a balanced diet every day of the week. Having a trainer to keep you on track is the best way of doing this; they’ll know when you’re cheating. Caruso stresses that a balanced diet does not mean starvation. “Individuals believe that cutting calories means to stop eating altogether, but this has a complete opposite effect on your body and what you really are doing is making your body go into ‘starvation’ mode which actually stores body fat and shuts down your metabolism because there is no flow of constant energy.”

Hingham Certified Personal Trainer Ken Fischer says, “Nutrition is not an optional piece of your fitness regimen, it’s a requirement!” He makes it easy for his clients to understand the importance of nutrition, whether the goal is weight reduction or training for a marathon. His favorite quote is, “You can’t out-train bad nutrition.”  Knowing what types of foods to eat and when to eat them is paramount to seeing results over the long term.  “It’s not about ‘going on a diet,” he says. “Diets will inevitably lead to weight fluctuation and unsustainable results.  The key to reaching and maintaining your fitness goals is to develop a healthy eating lifestyle.”

Caruso agrees. He says a “healthy eating lifestyle” means eating six small meals per day (emphasis on the word “small.”) “Each meal should contain a protein (egg, fish, chicken, nuts) for muscular growth and amino acid requirements, and a beneficial carbohydrate (brown rice, green veggies, berries, fruits) for energy and to be used as body’s primary fuel source. “

How do you find the right trainer for you? In the past, if you wanted to enlist the help of a personal trainer had two choices, either to pay a full gym membership and then add on the cost of the in-house personal trainer, or to pay someone to come to your house. In the former scenario you may be paying for services you won’t be using such as babysitting, sauna, racquetball court, or swimming pool. In the latter, the problem becomes where to get the equipment and the space to workout in—either you’re laying out the money for your own in-house gym or travelling to your trainer’s home, (though some trainers will schlep equipment to your home, but you’ll still need a suitable space in which to workout.) An alternative in recent years has been a trend of small, boutique specialty gyms that are tailored specifically for private personal training. There is usually no membership fee, and you sign up for a series of sessions over a specific period of time, say 48 sessions over a period of six months.

Now let’s talk about cost.  As with gym memberships, there’s a wide range in going rates for a good personal trainer.  Some of it depends on geographical location and some of it depends on the trainer’s experience and popularity.  A Yahoo search showed some trainers were charging as much as $700 per hour, which is completely absurd, unless you’re a Hollywood movie mogul. Around these parts a new trainer trying to build a client base may start as low as $35 an hour, but they may not have much for you in the way of equipment and if they’re any good they won’t stay at that rate for long.  Around Massachusetts the going rate more commonly ranges from $60-$80 per session. Since you’re putting your heath and safety in this person’s hands, you want to be sure you’re using a qualified, reliable and experienced trainer. The best way to do that is to go through a licensed studio.

If expenses are a consideration, some studios also offer small group training that allows you to share your training session with a couple of friends or family members, a mini boot camp of sorts. You’re still getting a customized workout with the accountability, but you also have the added benefit of spending some quality time with your pals while you work out.

In our last post we interviewed Cohasset native Bill Coleman, who, at the age of 52 qualified to compete in a World Power Lifting Association competition, but only after enlisting the help of personal trainer Saul Shocket to whip him into shape. Even though Bill is himself a personal trainer and he knows how to workout efficiently, he still has his regular workouts with his trainer to keep him on point. But, even if your goals don’t include being able to clean and jerk the equivalent of a large barn animal, you still might do well to have a personal trainer help you retool your routine. No matter what your goals are, consider using a personal trainer to maximize your fitness regimen.

To find a trainer in your area, enter your zip code at http://www.findmytrainer.com.  Or, in Hingham you can contact Ken Fischer at Fitness together by calling 781-749-2511 or emailing him at kenfischer@fitnesstogether.com.  In Cohasset contact Bill Coleman ftcohassetmgr@fitnesstogether.com or call 781-383-8004. In Norwell call 781-659-0034 or email norwell@fitnesstogether.com.