The desire to achieve a goal puts you in a position of determining priority of your actions. What I mean by this is depending on how strongly you feel about achieving your goal, sacrifices are made in order to make accomplishment possible. For example, if someone wants to go on vacation next summer, they may work more hours in order to save up money to go. This may mean not going out for drinks every other night with friends or buying those cool new shoes in the store. The point is that because you want to travel, you prioritize your rituals and spending to do it. Sacrifices are made that are worth it to you for your reasons. You invest your hard earned dollars into something worthwhile to you.
The same concept for one’s vacation plan can be applied to fitness or performance. For some reason, people have no problem dropping vast quantities of money on items or desires with little return knowing that what they are doing will have little to no benefit to them. Some may be detrimental to health, such as consuming lots of booze every weekend or sugary treats every night. Now, I totally understand the occasional splurge to let loose but what I am talking about is consistent spending. With some perspective, the costs of service can be viewed as an investment.
Just like with a bank or private project, you examine the cost to you and your rate of return. If positive, it would be a wise investment, if not then it would be considered a bad investment. You spend $500 to get a plumber to fix your leaking faucet, it saves you $1000 in water damage and expense. Simple economics. When it comes to training, the majority of people look at hiring a professional as a money grab. They tend to always huff and moan about the cost of having someone go with them to the gym when they feel they can do that themselves. But just like the plumber example, it is an investment. It’s not simply throwing away money, but instead investing it for the greater good to come.
Whether it be a healthier look or a record breaking performance, if it is meaningful to you it will be worth an investment and top priority. Keeping this in mind, I’ve put together the 5 reasons I feel you may not be performing at your best. When I say perform, I am not focusing just on the athlete. It is for anyone attempting to change or improve an area of focus important to them, whether it be speed, muscle gain or fat loss. Anyone who’s struggled with the gym or being healthy can relate to at least one or two of the following points. They are not listed in any particular order.
We all have those days when going to the gym becomes the last thing on your mind. Unfortunately, dismal workouts add up and could lead to minimal progressions and high frustration. By investing your hard earned dollars on a professional, you are more inclined to show up ready to work. If not, you’ve spent money without any hope of return. It’s YOU investing in YOU. If you get better, your investment pays dividends. If you slack off, it diminishes. A strength coach will not only hold you accountable for your training but will be there to support you during those questionable days. If you show up ready to go, they will be sure to make it pay off.
Training is specialization of exercise to prepare for performance. This is invaluable for the elite athlete but also the general exerciser. We all have different strengths and weaknesses that need a personalized touch. Utilizing the knowledge and skills of a strength coach will lead to variety in your training to prevent boredom and plateau. They will design a personalized exercise program to build your strengths and improve your weaknesses. Too many people suffer from boredom during their workout and this leads to decreases in intensity or motivation. Variety is just as important in training as anything else as it helps avoid the flat line. If you just want a workout, go open a magazine. If you want training, call us.
We understand the fear of heavy lifting. The possibility of failure is hard enough without the additional worry of having no spotter. You desperately want to give it your all, but that looming “what if” stays strong in your mind. In order to make progress of strength and hypertrophy, certain aspects may involve heavy lifting and that will in turn force you to attempt near maximal weight. For optimal results it should be done within reason. You could always ask the guy with his Beats headphones on to spot you but for some introverts that may be just as scary as the lift itself. With a personal trainer by your side, you will never be left hanging. You can relax knowing that if failure happens, it’ll be ok. You have enough to focus on, we’ll take care of the spotting.
You may think you’ve mastered the latest lift on YouTube, but strength coaches rely on proven bio-mechanics to maximize training. Like learning anything else, it takes practice with proper knowledge. Before doing any sort of exercise you should know exactly what it is and how it benefits you. You should be aware of what movements are involved and how it is assisting you in achieving your goals. I guarantee the majority of gym goers simply lack basic knowledge and rely on something their friend told them to do or what they saw the latest crossfitter butchering. If you lift with poor fundamentals, naturally you will achieve poor results (or worse, you may get hurt). We all want the results in the shortest amount of time so why do things improperly? Think about this: If you are lifting wrong, who will be there to tell you? Better yet, who will be there to educate you?
As a former athlete turned strength coach, I’ve experienced both ends of the spectrum. I need someone to take me past my comfort zone just like anyone else. I don’t care how intense you think you are, science has proven the majority of athletes train better with a partner and even better with a strength coach. Look at any professional or world class athlete. They all have a professional strength & conditioning coach guiding them through their training. If even the pros use help, what makes you so different? Everyone could use a trainer and coach. Why? Because when that little voice in your head tells you to quit, we hush it up and push you further.
I truly believe anyone can relate to at least a couple of the above points. I consider myself a very picky person when it comes to training. You think you are doing your best? That’s fine, and it may be true. But what if you started craving more? What if you want better? You noticed some muscle definition? Nice, so how do you get more of it. You lost some fat mass? Awesome, how do you keep that up. It’s that attitude that will take you from good to great and great to elite. The “what’s next” question. Again, this just isn’t for athletes as anyone should want more from themselves. I see it in my clients all the time. Their goals vary, but their ambition to achieve is the same. Passion and discipline are key. They don’t look at the dollar value because that’s not what’s at stake. There won’t be any big jackpot payout, but something greater will be rewarded. YOU are the investment, therefore YOU are the payout. Want the most from your money? Talk to the bank. Want the most from yourself? We got your back.
