Buddy System or Fly Solo?

I got engaged on Christmas Eve, 2006 to my sweetheart of three years, FINALLY! I’d been hoping and hinting and wishing and praying and hoping some more for months. My brand new engagement coincided almost exactly with that time of year when we all make New Year’s resolutions. I had already decided that my #1 resolution was to lose some weight, and the added incentive of an upcoming wedding gave me steely resolve. I started going back to the gym more often, joined SparkPeople, and asked my family for personal training sessions for my birthday gift. (By the way, I cannot possibly recommend SparkPeople highly enough if you’re serious about committing to a healthier lifestyle. It’s 100% free and has awesome resources like calorie tracking, personalized meal plans, personalized fitness plans, recipes, message boards and more. If you join, please use my username SMARTL as a referrer! No, I don’t work for them)

Anyway, my parents actually bought me the personal trainer sessions. I was shocked and super stoked. Since the second week of February, I have been working out with my new personal trainer Guy every Wednesday evening. It’s been interesting to see the differences in my workouts from when I work out on my own and when I work out with a trainer, and I thought I’d give you the lowdown on the pros and cons of using a trainer to help you meet your goals.

BENEFITS OF WORKING OUT WITH A PERSONAL TRAINER:

• You have to make an appointment. This means you have to show up, you can’t just go home because you’re too tired. You won’t bail out and regret it later.
• You no longer have to worry about motivation. You just have to show up. Once you’re there, your trainer has your workout planned for you and part of their job is to encourage you and keep you pumped. You don’t have to push yourself, they’ll do that for you.
• You will get faster results. This is partly because they are more qualified to select the exercises that will best isolate the muscle groups you need to activate to achieve your goals, and partly because they will push you harder than you will push yourself.
• If you’re anything like me, they’ll get you using weights that you might have been intimidated or nervous to try by yourself. For example, I’m quite accustomed to lifting 5-10 lb weights for chest press. Guy brought out the 20 lb dumbbells for me on Wednesday, and I gingerly asked, “this won’t make me bulk up too much will it?” (The answer is no). I was surprised that I was able to complete the set with double the weight that I’m used to.
• They’ll give you the written copies of your workouts afterward, so you can take them and do them on your own later if you choose
• It’s more fun to have someone work out with you!

CONS OF USING A PERSONAL TRAINER:

• Can you say expensive? Shop around first - get prices from at least 3 different trainers and if you can, find references or ask what their reputation is so you’re getting the best value for your money.
• Some trainers work as freelancers, so to speak, rather than employees of a specific gym. That means they pay by the hour for a gym they don’t belong to that they can use with their clients. I’ve worked out at a couple of these types of gyms, and they have all the equipment they need but in my experience, they are definitely not as well-maintained as a regular fitness club.
• You need to remember that you still know your body better than anyone, regardless of your trainer’s credentials. If something hurts, don’t let them push you too hard. Sometimes it can be hard to tell the difference between giving up unnecessarily because it’s hard, and when you SHOULD give up because it’s so hard it could injure you. Make sure you can make this distinction.
• You have to make an appointment. This is also a pro, because you can’t back out just because you don’t feel like going to the gym, but it can be a con - if something legitimate comes up, like your child is sick and you have to cancel, then your trainer is well within his rights to charge you for the appointment anyway.
• If you like to workout to music, you’ll need to get used to trading the background iPod tracks for the sound of “COME ON! Give me ten more! You can do it! DON’T GIVE UP! Nine more! PUSH!!!! Come on, eight more!” Just doesn’t have that same je ne sais quoi as the groovy beat of Gwen Stefani.

Ultimately, it depends on your personality, workout style and preferences, but for me, a personal trainer has been a great addition to my schedule. It’s been the one workout each week that I definitely won’t flake on, and I’ve been surprised to learn some of the things my body can do that I thought it couldn’t. That knowledge gives me more power and confidence to continue on my own the rest of the week. Besides, Guy is an awesome, fun person to hang out with.

Contributing editor Laura also blogs about wedding planning in Vancouver at From Sparkly to Spouse.