Use A Training Technique That Works For You, The Client

A great personal trainer defines training not by the equipment or tools, but by the results the trainer and client are chasing. That means that the latest smartphone app, watch or device so loved by these clients may be a total flop with those clients. Understanding the importance of smoothing the clients’ individual paths to fitness is key. After all, you, as the client, is the one doing all the work. It’s up to the trainer to make the training methods, tools and technology work for you. If you find that the reverse scenario is happening with your trainer, it may be time to re-evaluate what you’re paying for.

Focus On Training Movement First

With an aging population and a large segment of people who fall into the overweight and obese category, it’s a trainer’s job to help people feel better now. Why? Feeling better after a workout is what many people need to see the value of consistent fitness. Focusing training efforts on developing better movement creates a paradigm shift for many people, and that can have amazing repercussions. If you aren’t feeling any sort of excitement or motivation in relation to your workout, take a good look at your trainer.

Be Intelligent About Intensity

Vomiting after working out. Soreness that lasts days. Bleeding callouses. These are hallmarks of fitness intensity for some, but why? The goal isn’t to injure the body, but to find the appropriate level of intensity for you. Sweat output isn’t a reliable indicator of the value of a workout – that’s something you can find in a magazine. A trainer who has the ability to guide you as you develop the confidence to train effectively and efficiently is something special. Think about how your body responds to your trainer’s workouts – during and after – and how you’re both defining intensity.

And here’s a bonus tip. Successful trainers aren’t simply cheerleaders. Instead, they’re leading you to fitness by tapping into the things that matter to you and using them for motivation. The best personal trainers teach – they don’t really train. Changing attitudes toward fitness is the first step to making lasting physical changes.

The Takeaway

If you’re spending money on a trainer now, or considering doing so, think carefully about your definition of a successful personal trainer. If it aligns with what I offer, let’s schedule a consultation.

Trainers Hold You Accountable

If you’ve ever had a workout buddy who dragged you to the gym instead of letting you blow off your workout, you understand accountability. Meeting with a professional to plan your fitness involves scheduling workouts and investing money—two big motivators.

It’s a small shift to prioritize your workouts just like you would other appointments on your calendar, but it can have a big impact. Your friend may insist you both get to the gym, but it’s a personal trainer who has a vested interest in making sure you get a good workout.

The transactional part of the client/trainer relationship is also key. You’re spending money for these sessions—don’t you want to get your money’s worth? That means showing up and working hard.

You’ll Benefit From Their Expertise And Knowledge

Certified personal trainers understand things like functional anatomy, effective exercises, proper technique, and how to maximize results. Even minor mistakes in form can be detrimental to your goals and even to your physical health, and a good personal trainer will make sure you’re doing things right.

You may be able to watch online videos and tutorials, but a trainer isn’t just there to correct your technique. A personal trainer will develop a customized workout program designed to fit your goals and your lifestyle, based on proven methodology.

You’ll Hit The Right Intensity—Every Time

There’s a happy, efficient medium between pushing yourself so hard that you can’t walk properly a week after leg day and not even breaking a set with your one round of squats. A good personal trainer knows how to push you past your comfort zone, without causing injury. And, if you have physical limitations, they’ll be able to easily modify your workouts to work around them.

You’ll Be Training Efficiently And Effectively

When a trainer creates a fitness plan specifically for you, it’s based on your individual goals, strengths and weaknesses. We tend to focus on our strengths, and avoid the things that are difficult. A personal trainer will help you balance your strengths and weaknesses.

Working out without seeing results is an exercise in frustration. But when we see progress from all our hard work, it’s motivating and gratifying. Having a personal trainer guide you along a planned path is a smarter, faster way to making real progress than just wandering around the gym a few times a week, trying random machines, or going for a jog once a week.

The Bottom Line

Hiring a personal trainer is an investment in your health, no question. And while you could certainly research and compare different workout routines, review studies related to efficiency and efficacy for specific exercises, compile it all into a program designed to help you meet your fitness goals, and be responsible for prioritizing your own workouts consistently, not everyone does. That’s where the value of a personal trainer comes into play.

The first step? A free consultation with Paul Fischer at Performance EDU.

Cardio Vs Weight Training

A weight training session is a form of strength training that involves resistance. This stresses the muscles, which causes them to adapt and become stronger. Cardio training is any type of activity that elevates your heart rate for an extended amount of time. The benefits of this exercise are greater stamina, improved fitness and high calorie burn.

So which is better? It’s tough to answer that without a clear understanding of someone’s personal health and fitness goals. If you’re trying to shift the numbers on your scale, a cardio workout will burn more calories than strength training. But if you’re looking to improve your health overall, you can’t ignore your muscles. Strength training is the best way to build muscle, and for every three pounds of muscle gained, you’ll burn an extra 120 calories a day—without doing a thing.

Regular cardio sessions–jogging, hitting the elliptical or rowing machines, biking, playing sports or swimming, for example–are great for your heart and lungs. But the repeated impact of some of these movements can actually create muscle imbalances over time, leading to join problems. Ideally, your cardio workouts should supplement a consistent strength training regime. As a general rule, shoot for three to four lifting days and two to three cardio days a week.

If you’re really pressed for time and you have to pick one or the other, hit the weights. If you perform an intense circuit–moving from one exercise to the next with challenging weights and minimal rest between sets–you’ll enjoy what’s known as EPOC, or “excess post exercise oxygen consumption.” This is the after burn that keeps your body in an elevated metabolic state long after you finish lifting.

Next Steps

If you’re having issues fitting weights and cardio into your schedule, and you find yourself regularly sacrificing one for the other, you might be interested in the expertise of a professional personal trainer. And good news—a customized plan tailored to your ability and your goals is as easy as a free consultation with Paul.

The Role of Nutrition in Overall Fitness

How important is diet in the fitness game? It’s the game-changer. It’s the lynchpin. It’s the make-it-or-break-it component. One a scale of one to ten in importance, diet is an eight or a nine. Diet and nutrition should be one of the very first items discussed in any meeting with any personal trainer if your goal is fat loss and improved health. Period.

Think of it like this–nutrition is the gross motor control of the fitness puzzle, and exercise (and specifically resistance training) is the fine control. You’ve likely heard the expression, “Abs are made in the kitchen,” and it’s true. You can devote an hour a day to your core, and unless you’re just as focused on what you consume, you’re wasting your time.

Let’s say we have two different clients with the same goal of improving health through weight loss and exercise. The first client decides to commit to four one-hour sessions per week. The second decides to commit to two one-half hour sessions per week. Our first client still believes “a little bit of this food won’t hurt,” and continues to hit the local wine shop of choice on a regular basis. Our second client focuses on cleaning up the dietary choices, makes sacrifices in terms of immediate taste bud gratification,and develops the focus and organization required for success in any endeavor. Guess who is going to be far successful? Not only has our second client achieved much better results, he or she has also saved more in the cash department!

The eighth grade P.E. mentality of “ I will burn it off” continues to creep into our belief system. Unfortunately, this doesn’t apply across the board and it’s certainly not going to happen as we mature. The fitness industry has really sold the public on the Biggest Loser/boot camp mentality and the idea that pain equals progress. For with the exception of the very lucky few, this focus on painful workouts just leads to frustration when our weight refuses to budge and a greater risk of injury.

The Bottom Line

Let’s be very clear–one of the biggest changes you can make is to your diet. Pair it with consistent, effective exercise, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the changes to your physique, along with the other positive side effects (improved sleep, more energy, reduced stress, improved brain power, better memory, boosted immune system, etc.).

Do yourself the service of commitment to dietary modifications before, and during your decision to spend your hard-earned money on a personal trainer. Do not get taken by the “We can beat the fat off you” industry standard. And if you’re looking for nutrition coaching, you’ll find it with Paul Fischer at Performance EDU. Get started with a free consultation today.

What’s a Postural Analysis?

Since your body functions best when it’s in alignment – by moving evenly and distributing your weight properly, allowing your muscles, joins and spine to work together without pain – it’s important to check for any imbalances before you start training. That’s what a postural analysis does.

Far too many people hit the gym on their own or take group classes in which they perform advanced exercises with terrible technique. Unfortunately, the body remembers form–good and bad–and performing reps with the same bad form will have a lasting impact, leading to posture problems, persistent pain and possible injuries

A postural analysis is one of the many benefits of working with an experienced trainer, and it’s something Paul offers every trainer.

The analysis is performed by measuring curves for the thoracic and lumbar spine. Measurements in the normal range for both are 30 to 35 degrees. We also measure pelvic tilt. For women, this should be 7 to 10 degrees, and for men, it should be between 4 and 7 degrees. Length and tension measurements are also needed for musculature as it relates to structure. All tests are performed at Performance EDU, and with the results, Paul is able to develop a customized training program with appropriate exercises and stretches.

The Bottom Line

Ultimately, the real benefit of a postural analysis is information. Having specific information about muscle groups that are tight, inhibited or weak is the first step to identifying a plan to remedy things, moving you closer to your personal fitness goals. Ask Paul about a postural analysis today.

The Motivation

To understand Paul’s motivation to move, it’s important to understand the past. When he opened Framework, Paul envisioned a different platform for training his clients, one that would grant him the ability to work and to take care of people without the limitations inherent to a corporate environment. Between his professional background and his own years of training and experience, Paul had a unique perspective. Opening Framework gave him the freedom to do what he does best, minus the corporate agenda.

For 26 years, that’s exactly what Paul has done. With a small team of highly qualified trainers, Paul has worked with clients experiencing all sorts of orthopedic situations in the most competent and effective manner possible. Now, he’s taking his expertise to Performance EDU.

For Paul, it’s simple. He’s simply interested in improving his own skill set and approach, and he believes that EDU provides a learning platform for him to do exactly that. As for his clients, old and new, Paul knows they’ll benefit from the movement-based philosophy and inspired environment that is evident the moment you step foot in the EDU gym. Bonus services, like on-site physical therapy, as well as a training group invested in continuing education, also appeal to Paul because of what they mean for his clients.

The Bottom Line

Personal training has and continues to be a booming industry, with trends and fads that come and go. But simply because someone works in a gym, it’s a mistake to assume that makes them uniquely qualified to help you reach your goals or to understand things like functional anatomy. We’ve also preached that choosing a personal trainer shouldn’t be taken lightly, and if you, like many, have physical limitations, old injuries, or specific goals, you have even more reason to research your options carefully.

While Paul’s location may be changing, his approach to fitness remains rooted in functional training. There are no shortcuts, no gimmicks, no questionable tactics. His focus is as it has ever been—moving his clients safety and effectively toward their personal fitness goals. Most importantly, he can help you if you’re interested in helpful yourself. If you’re looking for a personal trainer, Paul’s new client consultations are complimentary. Consider it an opportunity to meet, ask questions, and share information. If you’re considering the value of a personal trainer, take advantage of his experience. Contact Paul today to learn more about what you can expect from his services and Performance EDU.