Los Angeles is known for it’s sunny skies, gorgeous weather, laid-back vibes, awful traffic (ugh), and the emphasis on healthy living. On almost every corner, you’ll find at least one business that caters to a healthier lifestyle. You’ll be hard-pressed to drive down the street without seeing at least a few people taking their exercise outdoors. It’s no secret that fitness is a big priority in many people’s lives here, whether they’re a beginner looking to get healthier and feel better or an advanced athlete who’s looking to take their skills to the next level.
There is truly something for everyone in Los Angeles, so why is it that many people are still struggling to get into a workout routine that they can stick to? Why are they hitting plateaus that they can’t seem to get past? And unfortunately, why are they getting injured or living in pain?
THERE ARE MANY REASONS FOR THE PROBLEMS ABOVE, INCLUDING:
- Busy schedules
- Overtraining
- Training without enough intensity
- Poor workout programming
- Past injuries
- Lack of motivation
- Confusion on where to start
- Confusion on how to continue
- And the list goes on and on……
It can make your head spin if you start thinking about it for too long.
While there are different solutions for different people and their individual situations, one of the most effective ways to ensure that you’re addressing ALL of the above mentioned issues (and more) is with the help of a personal trainer.
Personal Trainers are also not created equal, and so it’s important to know that quality does matter, which is why we vet our Personal Trainers so strictly.
It’s quite easy to get a personal training certification, but it’s not easy to have knowledge, experience, and expertise. IRON prides itself on seeking out only the best, and our community can always rely on our Personal Trainers to be the real deal when it comes to helping individuals achieve their health and fitness goals. Whether someone wants to become stronger, lose weight, fix muscular imbalances, relieve pain, recover from an injury, or just feel better and blow off some steam, our personal trainers are equipped to handle the vast majority of the people in our great city of Los Angeles. And if we’re not? We are smart enough to know when to point someone in the direction of another professional that would be better suited to address the issues at hand.
With all of that said, many people aren’t clear on how having a personal trainer can actually benefit them not only now, but in the long run as well.
HERE ARE 7 WAYS A PERSONAL TRAINER WILL ELEVATE AND EXPEDITE YOUR PROGRESS IN WAYS YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO DO ON YOUR OWN.
1. Accountability: For many, this is the #1 reason a Personal Trainer is helpful for them. While a personal trainer is there to teach you, challenge you, and encourage you, knowing that you have an appointment with someone does a great job of getting you in the gym, even on the days you reallllllllly don’t want to. They’ll help you to stay on a schedule, make good choices at home, work, and in social situations, and be a sounding board for the struggles you’re facing. A personal trainer can be the rock to lean on in order to get you to your goals.
2. Proper Form: Learning and knowing how to perform exercises correctly can quite literally make or break your body. Lifting weights and working out in general has it’s risks, but these risks can be greatly minimized when you move in a proper motion. This is probably one of the most important reasons to have a personal trainer. They say that the best way to keep moving as you age is to never stop, but if you get injured, you may be forced to. Make sure you’re working out in a safe and effective manner with the help of a personal trainer.
3. Strategic Programming: Working out for the sake of working out can be effective for beginners who have gone from doing nothing to doing something, but that will only take you so far. The body adapts and adjusts to what we task it with, and in order to continue making progress, it takes a high level of understanding of how the body, muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, and even your brain work in order to see the results you’re looking for. Learning how to program a workout routine takes a combination of knowledge of the human body, knowledge of training protocols, and many years of experience in order to be highly effective and optimal to the individual. It’s not one size fits all and learning how to work out in a way that allows you to not only progress, but is something you enjoy is an art form. In addition to this, our IRON personal trainers use several tools to measure progress to always ensure that you’re on the right track.
4. Outside Looking In: There’s a reason that even personal trainers have personal trainers. The best of the best have someone helping them through. When was the last time you saw a professional boxer or an NBA Basketball team go at it alone with no coaching? Aren’t they the BEST in their sport? Of course they are, but they all have one thing in common (and you have it to). You are you. Life and this journey are seen through your lens, which is also fueled by emotions and feelings. You may see yourself differently than others see you. Because of this, having someone who knows your struggles and goals and is there to guide you to those goals is essential. Your trainer will also be able to help you identify imbalances and problems you’re currently experienced (sometimes unknowingly) and help you overcome them. They’ll be able to see what you don’t want to see. They’ll be able to push you when you don’t think you can. When you are feeling the urge to zig, they may see it best for you to zag. While it is still important to be in tune with your body and to listen to your body much of the time, having a third party help you determine whether or not you should be doing (or not doing) something is priceless in the success of your journey.
5. What You Need & What You Want: This goes hand in hand with the above point. We all do the exercises we like, and avoid the exercises we don’t like. Burpees anyone? I don’t see too many people doing those on their own. And while burpees might not be the right prescription for you, a personal trainer will know what IS right and they’ll work with you to ensure that you’re enjoying your training, while still doing the things that you may not always want to do.
6. Push You to Levels You Didn’t Know You Had: We all tend to have a threshold for what we can or can’t do. Sometimes that threshold is real, but more times than not, that threshold is set by us. Thinking we can’t lift a heavier weight. Convinced we couldn’t possibly do any more reps. We think we can’t do that exercise that looks so difficult. A personal trainer knows you and can see your potential further than you can. They know when to tell you to push out a few more reps, and conversely, they know when to tell you it’s time to stop. This goes for anyone from a beginner to a professional athlete. Our bodies want to be comfortable and so sometimes our minds will try to trick us into thinking we are “done”. Sometimes we are, but other times, it just takes a little outside force to help us push past those mental barriers and break through to new heights. THIS is where the magic starts to happen. Both physically, and mentally.
7. Nutrition: Arguably the MOST impactful piece of your fitness journey and overall health, it can be extremely confusing to know what’s best for an individual when it comes to eating for your goals. While most of us have a general idea about nutrition, the research is constantly being update and the “old rules” sometimes do not apply. You’d be surprised at what actually works to help you lose weight/build muscle/etc. vs. what you read on the internet from the “gurus”. Things like “carbs are bad, eat less to lose weight, and magical detox teas/cleanses”. These are gimmicks by in large, but can be pretty convincing, especially when we’re desperate to achieve a goal. A personal trainer can be the voice of reason to help you sift through the garbage and create a sound nutritional plan that allows you to enjoy your life while still making progress towards your goals. As professionals, we are constantly reading the real research to ensure that we know what’s been studied upon, proven, and actually works in the real world.
As you can see, a workout journey goes much further than just the physical aspect. It takes both physical and mental strength to set a fitness-related goal and accomplish it. This is a difficult task and while it can be done alone, it’s typically a better experience when it’s done with the help of a seasoned coach who can make sure you’re on the right track and feeling good along the way.
