It’s so easy to avoid working out. You don’t have time. Your knee hurts. It’s too hot. It’s too cold. The gym is too far. You don’t want to go alone. The machines are too complicated. The regulars will laugh when they see how little you lift.
Excuses are endless, easy and free. That’s why 9 out of 10 Americans don’t exercise enough, says the American College of Sports Medicine.
One way to jump-start an exercise program is to hire a professional nag–a personal trainer who will make sure you work out, and work out properly. That’s what Chicagoan Tom McLeary did. “I was always postponing exercising,” says the middle-aged insurance broker. “Tomorrow, next week. There was no accountability. But now, when the personal trainer arrives, I have no choice. We get it done.”
Even if you’re already working out regularly, you can benefit from a trainer, says Karen Goodman, owner of Home Bodies, a personal training company in Lincoln Park. “Many people who exercise have a routine that they’re comfortable with, and they never change it. A trainer makes sure their routine is constantly updated, so they’re seeing results all the way.”
Most people who exercise alone don’t do it properly, believes Roy Alfonso, co-owner of Bodywise Personal Training in River North. People don’t make goals or measure their progress regularly, he says, or they select a popular workout program that’s tailored to bodies much more fit than theirs.
A good personal trainer can help you avoid strain or injury by creating an exercise program that is completely tailored to your body and by changing the program as your progress, says Alfonso. “Personal trainers know the physiology of your body,” he explains. “They will test your strength, endurance and fitness, then select exercises based on your goals, whether it’s losing weight or building muscles.” If you do have an injury, a personal trainer can show you exercises to strengthen a weak area. McLeary says his recently injured shoulder is feeling a lot better after working out with his trainer.
“A doctor could have given him a workout program to fix it,” says McLeary’s wife, Bunnie, “but the doctor couldn’t have made sure that he stuck to it, like the personal trainer can.”
A good trainer can also counsel you on your diet and lifestyle.
So how much are you going to shell out for all this TLC? Nationwide, personal trainers charge between $25 and $50 per hour, says the American Council on Exercise (ACE). In Chicago, prices range from $30 to $100, but the average is about $50, trainers say. If you decide to take the leap, here’s advice from ACE and trainers on getting the most buff for your buck:
Ask for a free consultation to discuss your health and your goals and to interview the trainer.
Ideally, says Goodman, you should meet with a trainer several times a week for at least five weeks, to establish a workout regimen that you can carry on on your own.
Before the first session, get the trainer’s billing policies in writing. Once you’re comfortable with a trainer, package deals can save you money.
It costs less to go to a trainer instead of having her come to you. Trainers who come to your house or office have their travel time built into their premium.
If you belong to a health club, it’s usually cheaper to hire one of their on-site personal trainers, instead of hiring an independent trainer. At the Lakeshore Athletic Club, for example, members pay $35 for an hour with a trainer. At the New City YMCA, even non-members can hire one of the on-site trainers, for $40 per hour; members pay $30.
Another way to cut costs without cutting corners is to share a personal trainer with a friend, says Goodman. But don’t get too excited and invite the whole neighborhood, she says, because beyond two or three people, you lose the personal part of the training, and it just becomes a class.
There’s no regulatory or licensing agency governing this industry. So be sure the trainer you select has a college degree in a fitness-related field, or several years of experience and certification from a reputable certifying agency, such as ACE, the American College of Sports Medicine, the Association for Fitness Professionals or the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America.
Certification doesn’t guarantee how good the trainer will be, says Alfonso, but it does ensure that he’s aware of industry standards and safe exercise practices. ACE, for example, requires trainers to pass a 3 1/2-hour, 175-question exam about exercise science, anatomy, kinesiology, health screening, basic nutrition and instructional methods.
Pick a trainer who has liability insurance, the ACE advises. Even if he’s operating out of a health club, don’t assume that he shares the club’s policy. Before you sign any forms, read them carefully to see if you’re signing away your right to sue if you’re injured during a workout.
Because your personal trainer is someone you’ll be spending a lot of time with, and someone you are entrusting your body to, it’s important to select one whose personality and exercise philosophy you’re comfortable with. Do they want to whip you into shape or gradually condition you? Are they barking out orders, or chatting casually while they demonstrate exercises? “Trainers from a body-building orientation work out very hard, and sacrifice and struggle,” says Alfonso. “They may want you to do that right off the bat. If that’s what you want, you’ve got a match.”
Ask if the trainer has an area of expertise, says Alfonso. Some specialize in weight loss, muscle building or training for an athletic event. Determine exactly what you’ll be doing in the sessions–strength training, muscle toning, cardiovascular exercise or a combination. If you’re the kind of person who’ll run on your own, don’t pay the trainer to stand there while you do it. On the other hand, says Bunnie McLeary, if you’re like her husband, who will find a way to squirm out of running on his own, it’s worth paying the trainer to be your guard dog.
Insist on getting your money’s worth. Good trainers are respectful of you and your time, says Goodman. They show up when they say they will. They dress neatly. They focus on you during the session.
A good trainer will listen to you and be sensitive to your physical limitations. “If you tell him an exercise hurts, `You’ll get used to it,’ is not a good enough answer,” says Alfonso.
Make sure you’re doing your part, too, says Goodman. If the trainer tells you to keep a food journal, do it. If he tells you to work out one day a week on your own, do it. “Realize that the best trainers in the world cannot lose the weight for you,” she says. “You need to meet them halfway.”
