Hiring a personal trainer is a working relationship that is supposed to end at some point. But how do we know you have reached that point?
I am very happy and proud to say that I have great client retention. I have worked with the same clients time and time again as I get results and form positive relationships with my clients, so there are times when clients leave and return to work with me again. Some clients stay on for the motivation and accountability aspect of training, when you are with a PT you have to show up and you have to perform, questions will be asked about diet and nutrition. Accountability is necessary for some and that is just fine as we all operate differently. That being said, some do want to move along and train themselves.
So here are the indicators that will tell you when you are ready to move forward alone.
- Can you demonstrate an exercise confidently and describe what the benefits of the exercise are and what muscles this will have a positive effect on.
- Do you understand what progressive overload is and how to implement this into your training plan?
- Do you understand the difference between type 1 and type 2 muscle fibres and understand how to work each fibre type correctly.
- An understanding of muscle contractions and how to use each one so your workouts are as effective as possible.
- Awareness of the messages your body is sending you, by this I mean do you know when to pull back and allow your body to recover rather than forcing a session that will have a negative outcome as opposed to positive.
- An understanding of nutrition that will facilitate your muscle growth and continued good health.
If you are confident that you have an understanding of all of the above this is an indicator that you might be ready to move away from PT sessions.
A final note that I would strongly recommend is that you find a training partner. I love exercise , it’s not a chore or hard for me, I enjoy it but I will take a workout with a good training partner rather than training alone every single time. Competition with ego is not healthy, however competition in terms of constantly showing up, motivating your training partner and supporting their achievements is what a good training partner does. If you can find a training partner who will do this for you and vice versa your training will be enjoyable and productive.
If you are not yet ready to go it alone, or are just getting started on your fitness journey, please do contact me for a no obligation consultation