"What's the point of personal training?.."

I often explain to people that having a job such as a personal trainer can be difficult. You don't have any tangible products as such to sell; instead your offering a concept, your time and a new way of life.

The customer pays their hard earned money and doesn't receive a nice piece of clothing or electrical goods; more often than not after that first transaction, they get nothing!

Once that barrier is crossed, there are still some people who aren't quite sure what it's all about.

So...

"What's the point of personal training?.."

Well, there's no one-size-fits-all answer; just like the training, it's personal. Here are just a few of the things that working with a personal trainer can offer:

KNOWLEDGE...
Despite what you may think from visiting some of your gyms, you can't just be a personal trainer without some study. Sure, some trainers are better than others, and some are very average to say the least. But they have one thing in common - knowledge.

I'm forever telling people that when I first joined a gym, I probably wasted 2 years of training incorrectly. I did a bit of this, some of that, some of what I read somewhere, some of what my friends were doing and tried to copy big guys in the gym.

You wouldn't buy a car and "just figure it out" without having lessons. So why join a gym with no experience and go it alone?..

If you can find a well educated and knowledgeable PT, train with them for a little while, take notes, get a program out of it and release yourself into the world of fitness with a bag full of knowledge. Don't be afraid to have tastes and ask questions to get a feel for their knowledge.

BUILDING GOOD HABITS...
When you've always done something one way, it's very difficult to correct or amend this. They say, "to form a habit you have to do it the same way 21 times consecutively". Imagine you've done something incorrectly for years, the issue is probably much bigger!

It's hard to put into words the importance of good technique in the gym. Good technique reduces the risk of injury, offers greater benefit from the exercise, will allow you to progress and lift more in the long term, isolates muscles and doesn't allow for compensation from other muscle groups. In short, with the correct technique you'll improve faster an won't hurt yourself at the same time. Training alone or with friends often leads to less focus on tidy technique and instead emphasis on lifting larger weights. A personal trainer can get you on track, improve your technique and offer you timeless pointers to use in the future and set you on the right path for a successful gym career.

These guys could really do with a technique check or two:
- Home gym amusing video
- Deadlift fails and funnies

MAKING THINGS REGIMENTED...
Some people work best to a timetable. They aim for three gym visits a week, then someone asks them out for a drink one night after work, one day they work late and one day their too tired to go. As a result, they're lucky if they get one visit a week to the gym. For these people PT can be ideal. Making appointments which they need to stick to, with, or without enthusiasm. It's a great way to add structure to your week and make sure you get the exercise you need and want.

Some people will even go further than this and say things to their trainers such as "I need an ass kicking". They have an old school idea of PT's shouting at them in a militant fashion and the think that's the kick they need in order to make them work hard. If that's what you want and need, most trainers will be happy to help. But don't worry, that's not the way most personal training sessions work!

MOTIVATION OR FEAR OF FAILURE...
There are certain mind sets which, without anyone watching, will cut corners. We've probably all done it at some point. If this happens in the gym, you do 10 repetitions when you'd set out to do 12. Ten minutes into your 15 minute run you decide "that's probably enough", or when you look at the biscuit jar you think "one or two can't hurt - I've earned them!" Then PT can really help you.

Knowing that you're going to be measuring your success by gains or losses and will be re-tested/measured/weighed on a regular basis can be a great deterrent from cutting corners. More often than not we know the difference between right and wrong, good and bad, it just helps if someone points it out every once in a while.

VARIETY...
The gym can be a boring place. But it really doesn't have to be! Doing the same thing over and over is not only boring, but it's also ineffective. The body adapts to demands over time and if you keep up the same gym program, exercises, weights, tempo etc, your body will figure this out, no longer be tested or shocked and no longer forced to evolve.

There can be ENDLESS exercises and variations on exercises that can be performed to help avoid boredom and maintain progression. But, if you don't know them or don't know which ones work best then you need to ask.

Make sure when you approach a PT, you let them know from day one exactly what it is you want to get out of it (they should ask to be fair). If it's some more variety and new moves you need then tell them what you do and what you're looking to gain - why not book a taster and see just how much they know?..

A TRAINING BOOST...
So you've been training on your own for "X" number of years and you've done well; shed some weight and built some muscle, but it all seems to have slowed down a little.

Progression isn't coming as fast as it did and your body doesn't seem to be changing. Working with a personal trainer with new ideas, moves, structure to sessions and weekly workout can really shock your system and offer a great boost to your usual regime.

"PERSONAL" TRAINING...
Personal training is exactly that - "personal". If you train with someone, or you've been taken under the arm of your more experienced gym buddy then the likelihood is, you do the exercises just because that's what they do and advise you to do.

Personal training should be specialised to everyone dependent on their current level of activity, previous history and knowledge, capabilities and end goals. Your training might be getting you somewhere, but is it exactly where you want to be heading, do you struggle with specific areas of your body, knowledge of how to improve certain aspects, organise your workout schedule and what and when to eat? A good PT can advise you through all of this and even offer information on how to adjust and improve your other sessions during the week.

SO... 
In short, there's a heap of reasons why personal training can work for you. Whether you're taking your first steps into a gym, you've trained for 20 years in a gym, or you're a competitive athlete, that individual attention and "personal" approach can be applied to you in order for you to increase the benefits of your training and keep you motivated.

Perhaps ask yourself: Are you 100% confident that your training schedule, exercises, techniques and intensity mean you're getting the most from your training?...

As I will continue to say, "No one knows everything" so why not bend the ear of one of a personal trainer, see what they have to offer and see if you think they could help you improve your training?
This isn't a sales pitch, it's just fact...

DON'T FORGET, YOU CAN FOLLOW ME ON: www.twitter.com/MichaelD_PT

Healthy eating tips - a realistic guide

When it comes to nutrition and specifically, nutrition advice,I ALWAYS say,

"It needs to be sustainable."

By this I mean people's approach to dieting. It's unrealistic to ask the average person to know the exact content of every meal, weigh out each ingredient for home cooked meals and avoid completely some of the naughty things they enjoy eating. Unless you have a nutritionist, a chef and don't keep a regular job then for many, this isn't a realistic way of life.

For the average person, nutrition management can be significantly improved at your diet issues in much more general terms and taking the following measures to control any poor eating habits...

Portion control...
We've grown up hearing "finish what's on your plate" and "Don't let that go to waste!" and had this conditioned into us from an early age. It's a hard habit to break but an easy one to control - don't put it on the plate. It's often said that the body takes 20 minutes to realise that it's full so inevitably we often eat too much and feel over-full shortly after.

My advice to my clients that struggle with portion control is:
Plate up what you'd usually eat, then, take a third of everything and take it off the plate. If you're GENUINELY hungry 20 minutes after dinner you can have some more. If you find yourself cutting this third from every meal then you've cut your daily calories by a third (aside from snacks) How easy was that!?!..

If lunchtime sandwiches are your downfall, make yourself some wraps, less carbs and there's no way you can stuff all the same filling into that, simple, but it works!

Cheat days ( I prefer "treat" days)...
If you're told "Never do this..", "avoid this at all costs..", "You're not allowed this.." then you'll soon resent your diet and fall off the wagon.
So dangle yourself a carrot. Tell yourself that if you can control your eating habits for just 5 days then you can have a "cheat/treat day" where you eat something a little naughty. This means no mid-week drinking, takeaways, sweets and other naughty bits, knowing that Friday or Saturday is going to be your day.

You'd be surprised how much better things taste when you have them less often. And if you can't control yourself for just 5 days then you have to take a serious look at your will power and commitment to be healthy.

Food preparation...
If you decide to "just pick something up" for lunch or while you're on the go then you'll be hard pushed to find anything that you can classify as mildly "healthy". Seriously, take a walk around your local BP petrol station and try to piece together a worthwhile on-the-go meal. Don't be fooled by pasta "salads". Using the word "salad" doesn't make it healthy!

For this reason, food preparation is essential! Preparing fresh food for the day ahead or tomorrow's lunch will have huge repercussions on your health. It might mean a few less minutes in bed but it's well worth it.

If you seriously can't bring yourself to do it the cook too much at meal times. Cook too much for dinner and use it for lunches later in the week.

Hunger scale...
If at times you find yourself eating for eating's sake then try using a hunger scale. Before you eat, stop and think, "Out of 10, how hungry am I?.." If the answer is 1-5: You don't get to eat, 6-8: it's meal time, 9 or 10: you've left it too late; sure you gota eat but be aware that you've gone too long without food.

By using this scale, this will firstly stop you eating just "because you wanted to" and also make you more aware of your hunger, eating patterns and habits. Often people eat through habit and not hunger.

Drink, drink, drink...
The brain can, at times, have difficulty differentiating between being hungry and being thirsty. When you feel hungry make sure your first reaction is get a drink of water. Have a drink and wait a while if you're still really hungry then go for it, if not, stick with the water for a little.

Most people don't drink enough during the day as it is and this can seriously slow down your metabolism. So, even if you do decide to eat after, adding to your daily water intake will do you some good.

Eat more...
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I just said eat less, BUT, there's a large proportion of people who need to eat more, or at leats more often. It's imperative to NOT skip meals, specifically breakfast! The body likes things to be regulated. It likes to know when it's going to get fed, how much is going to be expected of it in terms of activity and how much rest it can have each day. If you're eating sparadically and skipping meals at times then the body will panic and begin to store fuel and insulation... fat! If you don't want your body to store fat you need to feed it on a regular basis.

Snack with food, not with "snacks"...
When people say "snack" they generally think crisps, biscuit, bits and pieces basically. The actual nutritional value in most of these foods is usually pretty poor and as a result won't fuel you sufficiently and will inevitably, leave you feeling hungry soon after and eating again.

Try to snack on real food. This leads on nicely from the idea of cooking too much, if it's there in the fridge it's easy and tastes decent too. What about the thirds you've taken from dinners now you're all about portion control? Use them for snacks later in the week.

Don't fight fat with Fad's!...
There seems to be endless "Fad diets", often popularised by celebrities, from the Atkins diet, to Special K diet or cabbage soup diet. Whatever it is, avoid it. They have their time and place, if you want to do a last minute reduction for a special event, night out or holiday, go for it. But know that any weight loss is likely to be temporary. If diets worked there wouldn't be a diet industry... there would just be A diet and we'd all stick to it. As I said in the opener, what you eat must be sustainable; these diets are too extreme and too hard to follow. Can you say you'll never drink alcohol, never treat yourself to something sweet, never eat a takeaway or meal out?.. NO?.. then ultimately, the diet will fail.

Summary...
In short, there's LOADS you can do to help control eating habits and improve the quality of what you're feeding on. You don't have to be militant about it, and you should let yourself enjoy food, alcohol, treats and whatever floats your boat... but in moderation. Most people use the 70/30 rule (70% good Vs 30% bad food) and that's not a bad approach.

Often it's just a case of being more aware of what you're sticking in and thinking before doing. It may feel alien at first but it can soon become an easy and sustainable habit.

Don't forget to follow me on (that's not me below): www.twitter.com/MichaelD_PT