Posted on August 27, 2013 by Jenny Cromack

It never fails to surprise me that when I go to a commercial gym, some gym goers just don’t have a clue about how to exercise effectively to gain optimal results from their workouts.

Now, you might be thinking….hang on….you’re a personal trainer you should know what you’re doing so I have an advantage over Joe Bloggs. But there are some many opportunities out there now to find out what you should be doing to get the best of your workouts that people should be a little more educated.

I was away last weekend and on Sunday morning I had a workout in the hotel gym. Whilst I was training there were 6 other people working out and not one of them seemed to be working out effectively. I know I didn’t know the goals of these individuals, nor do I know their medical background but everyone was practically doing steady state aerobic training…..as a personal trainer all I hear about is how beneficial interval training is not only for fat loss but also cardiovascular fitness. So why were all of these people just plodding away on the cardio machines….yes some of them may have been training for an endurance event but surely not all of them!?

There was one person performing resistance training (Hallelujah!) but he was using one of the machines completely wrong! And watching the TV whilst performing bicep curls!

I don’t think these people are all to blame, often it is the gym and fitness instructors’ fault for not educating or instructing their members about how to optimise their workouts. This is one of the reasons why in our personal training studio in Leeds we make sure that all of our gym members receive a personalised gym induction so that they know how to use the equipment properly and also perform exercises with the right technique.

It saddens me, that in a lifestyle where we are so pushed for time, people do not get the most of their workouts. Most people have to really motivate themselves to workout, so why waste their valuable time doing things ineffectively and not getting the results they want. In fact, I’d bet that some people could half their workout times and get better results if they were just educated more.

I know some people view personal training as an extravagance, and that for many it is a luxury, however in my opinion for our personal training clients it is money well spent. We educate our personal training clients about what they should be doing and why, and guess what….it gets results! Yes, it might be the equivalent of the money they would spend on a night out…..but I know what I’d rather have…..a body I’m proud of and a healthy heart instead of a beer belly and increasing my risk of heart disease.

Jenny