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Step 1
Be honest with yourself about your workout habits. You work out for a month, take two months off, work out for a month, and so on. Does this type of workout “routine” describe you? If so, then you’re suffering from a lack of consistency, which is the absolute number one key to reaching and maintaining fitness goals. By scheduling appointments with a trainer, you can essentially force yourself into consistency.
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Step 2
Assess your attitude toward fitness. Not everyone can be a fitness fanatic, and it’s okay if you aren’t one of those people who absolutely adores spending two hours on an elliptical machine. A trainer can help show you ways to make working out more palatable, even enjoyable. Being active should help eliminate stress from your life, not contribute to it.
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Step 3
Make a list of what you actually accomplish when you go to the gym. I see it all the time at my gym--the “workout socialite.” You know who these people are, the ones who arrive at 8 a.m., drink a coffee, read the paper, take a steam, do 10 minutes of cardio, chat with a friend, get a chair massage, do another 10 minutes of cardio, then shower and leave at 11 a.m. That’s three hours in the gym with only 20 minutes of legitimate exercise! If your visits to the gym have started looking more like an art gallery tour than a workout, then you definitely need a trainer to keep you focused and on track.
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Step 4
Recognize if you’re failing to make progress with your workouts. If you’ve been spinning your wheels in the same workout for the past six months (I once trained a man who had done the same routine for 12 years!), then it’s time to push through your plateau and get some results. Sometimes doing more of the same routine is not the answer. If you can’t seem to get results no matter what you do, then a trainer is the right choice for you.
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Step 5
Ask yourself what’s missing from your picture of total health. If you have a tendency to gravitate toward one specific aspect of your fitness routine (for example, hours and hours of cardio but no weights), then you might need a trainer to help you round out your perspective on health. I firmly believe that any good workout routine consists of weights, cardio and nutrition. I call it the “fitness triangle” and if you neglect any one aspect, then the triangle is incomplete.
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Step 6
Consider using a trainer to help you prepare for a specific event. If you have a specific sporting event such as a race or team competition on the horizon, a trainer can really help you prepare your body in a systematic, progressive way. Find someone with experience in your specific sport and then make sure that person has actually competed in the sport as well. Another incentive for hiring a trainer is if you have a big event coming up such as a wedding or class reunion. It never hurts to make your former classmates jealous of how fit you look!
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Step 7
Talk to the training director at your gym or health club if you’ve decided that working with a trainer is something you’d like to pursue. If you don’t have a gym membership, check out the local rec center and see if they have punch passes to come work with a trainer. The other option is to have a trainer come to your home, and some trainers even provide the equipment. Many trainers and gyms are listed in the phone book or online, but the best referrals are always word of mouth, so start asking your friends and you’ll inevitably find someone who will be a perfect match for you.
