Why Hiring a Personal Trainer is like Using GPS for Roadtrips
What do you think the most important part of a road trip is? Some might say snacks, those with kids might say having in-car entertainment options, and others might say a great playlist. My answer would be having GPS because being able to navigate without thinking helps you get to your destination faster while also avoiding road closures, traffic, speed traps, and helping you make detours for gas, food, and potty stops. In the 1980’s we would plan a road trip by taking out the road atlas book and write out detailed directions but it couldn’t tell us how many McDonald’s we would find on the route to get a Happy Meal to quiet down the kids. In the late 1990’s and 2000’s we upgraded to printing off turn-by-turn directions from Mapquest, but that didn’t offer us the opportunity to make any impromptu stops along the way without fear we could make a wrong turn and get lost. Then came the GPS units which gave us in-car freedom to choose a new destination, but if you didn’t think you could sometimes be like Michael Scott and drive into a pond.
Now virtually EVERYONE carries the most powerful GPS in their pocket and most of us rarely travel without using it.
If you lived in Chicago, IL and wanted to take a road trip to Seattle, WA for a professional conference with a pit stop to visit a friend in Vancouver, Canada and then travel home but not on the same route you’d probably put those places into Google Maps or Waze and follow their guidance, but if you wanted to “get in shape” would you hire someone to help you get there or just walk into the local gym?
What if I told you hiring a personal trainer (or coach) for your health/fitness goals is the same as using GPS for travel?
In the late summer of 2022, I took that road trip, Google Maps and my dogs (Ace and Vixen) were my co-pilots. Google Maps helped me stay on track, told me how long it would take me to the next stop, allowed me to find places to stop to eat, hike, see something cool, and relieve myself. Google Maps helped me enjoy the trip more than if I just got in my car and started driving northwest toward Seattle and it ensured I actually made it to my exact location without previous knowledge of the area or asking strangers for help. If I pulled off on an exit to make a pit stop, it reminded me how to get back on the main route so I could get to the conference.
To me, hiring a personal trainer (or coach) is the same if you are looking for some type of objective result from going to the gym. I know you’re probably saying “of course, Michelle, you’re a coach so you’re going to try to convince me to hire you” but did you also know I have my own coach (and that the majority of fitness professionals have someone else coach them?). Early in my fitness journey, I had all the class and book knowledge and thought I could do it myself, but I found that I’d start out strong then something would interrupt me and I’d stop being consistent. Sometimes it was just that I wasn’t seeing the results I wanted quick enough (but I also wasn’t being objective enough with myself). My consistency and results improved when I hired someone else to guide me toward my goals.
What does hiring a personal trainer (or coach) give you?
A good personal trainer (or coach) gives you a road map to your goals, help picking the exercises that fit your goals and checking form to make sure you’re getting the results you want without causing injury.
A good personal trainer (or coach) keeps you on track when you take a detour … what’s a detour? It could be an injury, sickness, major (or minor) life event that temporarily impedes your progress. Just like when you pick the wrong turn on GPS and it reminds you how to make a u-turn, a good coach helps you get back on track with your fitness goals if something gets in the way.
A good personal trainer (or coach) knows a variety of methods to help clients get to their goals. Just like every fastener isn’t a nail, we can’t only use a hammer when building.
A good personal trainer (or coach) is objective in picking your exercises to help you achieve goals, not just doing the things you like in the gym (Yes, biceps curls are fun and make your arms look nice, but occasionally doing squats will definitely improve your leg strength).
A good personal trainer (or coach) reminds you of the goals you set when you feel like the progress isn’t happening as fast as you want. Unfortunately a lot of media shows “quick fixes” but that’s not how lasting change occurs and a good coach can remind you of how far you’ve come and why continuing is important.
And probably the best things a good personal trainer (or coach) gives you is the ability to not need to think about what you’re going to do when you walk into the gym because they did the mental load for you. Being able to just do the work without plannign the work, definitely helps get it done in the gym.
Am I saying EVERY SINGLE PERSON needs a personal trainer (or coach) to achieve their goals in the gym, no but I am saying it makes it go quicker, with less thinking, and a level of personal support you might not get on your own. You can hire one in person or online but remember they’re not all created equally so do your research first.
Leave a comment if you have any questions on how to find a good (or GREAT) personal trainer (or coach).