benefits of personal training

As I have mentioned in a previous post, PT has helped me tremendously during my weight loss journey.  I see a lovely young girl called Alice Jackson at Les Mills in Howick for an hour every week.  I was reluctant to retain a trainer as I’ve always preferred to train myself when I used to be in shape, but I was determined to lose a very large amount of weight and desperately needed support.  As my weight crept up towards 100 kg, my diabetes was spiralling out of control and I was worried that I’d end up on insulin.  I was – and still am – determined to control my condition without meds for the rest of my life which Stephen Farrell, the head coach of the North Harbour Triathlon Club, assured me was possible when he rang me to answer my questions about the Takapuna Beach Swim and Run event which I’d like to enter next week .  Returning to the subject of PT, I also wanted to complete the YMCA 10k Summer Series, which started in October and you can read about in my earlier blog post.  I was very lucky to do a couple of training sessions with Alice’s brother Dan Jackson, who is also a trainer at the same gym.   Dan stepped in to train me while Alice was on holiday for three weeks in August last year.  By complete fluke, he competed in the YMCA 10k Series while he was a student at the prestigious Auckland Grammar School, so he knew what was required to get me into shape so I would be ready to start the series at the beginning of October.  Les mills isn’t just like a family.  As I discovered, some of the staff members actually are family, like Alice and Dan.  If you put a foot wrong, you’ll soon have to find yourself another gym. 

Over the past six months, I lost a total of 25 kg and completed the first half of the YMCA 10k Series, which I wouldn’t have been able to achieve training on my own.  I think of PT as the grease which makes my training flow.  You can read the thank you letter I wrote Les Mills Howick here.

Benefits of personal training include:

•          Regular check-ins with an exercise professional
•          Extra motivation and support
•          Training programmes tailored to your goals
•          Assistance to address injuries and a rehabilitation plan

If you’re thinking about hiring a trainer, here are some of my tips:

•          Think of PT as an investment in your health rather than an expense
•          While some trainers may be a better fit than others (personality, specialisation etc), everyone at a gym like Les Mills is highly qualified so it probably doesn’t matter too much who you train with.  I made a decision fairly quickly based on the recommendation of an instructor on the gym floor because I didn’t want to waste time getting started.  Besides, Alice is a nice person and I really liked her
•          Your PT is willing to help you, but first you have to want to be helped and you have to be prepared to help yourself.  A lot of it is up to you!
•          Don’t have unrealistic expectations of your trainer.  They are highly educated but you can’t expect them to know the answer to all of your personal problems.  In my case, I had to do a lot of thinking on my own beforehand to come up with a strategy to address the impact that medication for schizophrenia was having on my weight, which I wouldn’t expect anyone at the gym to be able to help me with because not even the doctors I have seen over the past eight years were able to assist with this. 
•          Don’t get distracted by what other people at the gym are doing or what they look like.  Focus on yourself as this is your special time
•          While PT has helped me tremendously what matters most is what you’re doing and eating outside that time.  You must be prepared to make a lifestyle change and be committed to training and eating well. Unfortunately, you can’t pay a trainer to exercise for you! If you’re not making progress, you can’t blame someone you see for only an hour every week
•          In my experience, for PT to work, you need to get on well with your trainer but at the same time maintain a professional distance so you listen to them and do what they tell you.  If you’re too chummy, it simply won’t work.  It’s a bit like getting your parents to teach you how to drive, which is never a good idea.  That’s why I don’t train with my best friend Miriam Ismail, who is a PT at the gym in Drury.  Alice and I are close but I don’t go around to her house for dinner
•        Finally, a little note for the lawyers out there.  If you want to talk shop or find someone who understands your lifestyle, you can always try and find a PT who is an ex-lawyer. They do exist!  An example is Sankha Peiris who also works out of Les Mills in Howick.