How to Work With a Trainer to Learn Proper Techniques

Exercises will only help you if you do them properly. Too many people toil day after day with repetitive exercises that they don't really want to do in the belief they are burning calories or strengthening their muscles. In many cases these exercises are doing them no good because no one ever showed them the proper way to perform them. In order to get the most out of your workout, you should work with a trainer to learn proper exercise techniques. Follow these steps to learn more.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Put Some Work Into Learning Proper Techniques for Exercise

1. Set up a practice session with your trainer. At this session, you and your trainer will work your new exercise routine together, step by step.
2. Allow your trainer to place you in the proper positions. Often, physically moving your arms, legs and torso into the proper positioning for each exercise is the best way for your trainer to show you how the exercise is done.
3. Watch your trainer perform the exercises. Pay close attention to where and how your trainer moves during each exercise. Learn your trainer's movements and try to copy them as precisely as possible.
4. Listen carefully to any instructions your trainer gives. She will be watching you as you perform the exercises and will be offering useful advice on movement and breathing. Following these instructions will help you learn the proper techniques and get the most out of your workout.
5. Ask for clarification if you do not understand certain techniques.
6. Be open to feedback. After (and during) your initial workout session, your trainer will tell you what you did right and what you did wrong. Do not take this negatively. This is positive feedback for your own benefit.
7. Incorporate your trainer's feedback into your workout routine.
8. Continue to ask questions. Even after you are performing the workout on your own, you can always ask your trainer for help if you aren't sure you are doing something correctly.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure you give yourself ample time to warm up and cool down before and after a workout. This will usually involve some slow stretching and deep breathing. The warm up and cool down period will help keep your muscles from cramping up and minimize soreness after a workout.
• If something hurts or does not feel right about a new exercise, stop doing it immediately and tell your trainer. It could be that you are not doing the exercise correctly and need to adjust your technique. However, you could legitimately be hurting yourself if you have an injury or other undiagnosed problem.

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