Posted on January 10, 2023 by Jenny Cromack

It’s that time of year when, post-Christmas, everyone feels like they should be getting fitter, improving their diet, achieving 10,000 steps per day etc, etc. But sometimes thinking about where to start can be confusing. What should you be eating? How many times per week should you be training? How many macros should you be eating? In fact, what on earth are macros?! Everything can seem so overwhelming that the easy option might be to not start at all, another year of wishing you had achieved your goals. But don’t despair, that is what we, as personal trainers, as here for!

If someone asked me what my job role as a personal trainer was, I would say it was first and foremost to educate my personal training clients, followed by to inspire, motivate and support with accountability to keep clients focused and on track. Here are some other benefits of having a personal trainer.

Educate & Empower

I find that educated clients are more empowered to make the correct choices in their lives which means they are more likely not only to achieve their goals, but maintain their new, healthier, lifestyle for the long term. A good personal trainer should educate their clients, not only about exercise but about the correct nutritional and lifestyle choices made outside of their PT sessions. 

Correct Form

Education doesn’t stop there. Your personal trainer should educate you during your session about perfecting your form when lifting. Using the correct form will keep injuries at bay, target the right muscles and improve your strength and endurance. Without a good knowledge of how the body works, trying to teach yourself the correct form could lead to injuries.

Expert Advice

We know search engines can be a wealth of information, but you wouldn’t ‘google’ how to fix your car so don’t rely on what you have read on the t’internet in your quest for a healthier, stronger body. A personal trainer has the expertise to advise on:

  • Creating a bespoke programme for your goals (rather than any old programme you have downloaded from a website a friend recommended). Your personal trainer will devise a plan personal for you taking into account lifestyle commitments, your medical history and any injuries.
  • Form and technique
  • Nutrition – again based around your lifestyle and preferences
  • Other lifestyle factors such as sleep patterns, how to plan your exercise and nutrition around work and family commitments

Accountability & Support

Accountability isn’t just about check-ins with your personal trainer during your weekly (or however frequent) PT sessions, but it’s about the accountability throughout the week. One of the things I’m immensely proud about the motive8 North personal training team is the level of support they provide their clients, not only during their PT sessions but outside of their PT sessions too.

This is often in the form of:

  • Additional training programmes to complete outside of their PT sessions
  • Nutritional support – many clients WhatsApp their food for instant feedback, others use online trackers or send over a weekly food diary.
  • Lifestyle support – are there any other factors such as sleep, hydration levels, alcohol intake that we can provide support with so that you can achieve your goals.
  • Just a simple ‘Hello, how are you doing’ by message may be all it takes to keep a client on track for the week.

Sharing Your Fitness Journey

It’s good to have someone to share your fitness journey with. Often this is your partner, a good friend, your family and whilst these people are super important to supporting you with your goals, it’s also good to have someone who can be objective with their advice and also share your wins and keep you motivated when the going might get tough.

Stops Boredom Setting In

How often have you started your new fitness regime full of gusto, only for the boredom to kick in after 4 weeks and lose motivation. That’s where our job as personal trainers come in! We provide variety with your workouts, change your programme on a frequent basis, analyse your goals and progress on a regular basis….what is working? what isn’t working? what do we need to be doing to keep you motivated and on track?

If you’re interested in finding out more about how the motive8 North team can help you with your goals then drop us a line at [email protected] or call 0113 2430161, we’d be happy to help.