Personal trainers are generally a controversial topic amongst gym goers. There are some who swear by them and others who do not want anything to do with them. Do personal trainers make a difference? Let me tell you my thoughts on the topic.
The Right Way to Train
I have been training on my own for about 5 years. I have OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) when it comes to things I am interested in. I own 2 shelves of books on training and nutrition. I've spent alot of time learning the right way to train. I thought that I was doing things the right way until I met Chris Albert from Metroflex Gym Long Beach. It was then that I learned more than I had in the entire previous 5 years combined.
Through working with Chris I have learned the importance of the synergy between diet and training. He has taught me how to train for specific goals. He has shown me how important it is to activate all the muscle groups. It isn't about just blasting the muscles with alot of weight, it is about hitting the muscles the right way each and every time. It is about not losing your form even as you get tired from your training. These are things that a good trainer will teach you.
Dig Deeper
I am a strong believer in leaving everything on the gym floor. I always give it everything I have. At times, however, I knew (in my heart) that I could have given just a little bit more and it would bother me. Sometimes I would be so bothered that I would wind up having a series of very bad workouts as a result. I would be obsessed with getting that last ounce of effort, so much so that I would not do well during my workout.
Once again, Chris has solved that problem for me. For some reason I don't want to fail in front of Chris. Just yesterday he was training me and said those fateful words “take this set to complete failure”. I immediately thought “crap, I don't like failing in front of him.” The first time I went as far as I could and had to drop the weight. I started to feel like a failure until Chris immediately said “that's how to work” and I realized something very important. Going to failure has always been part of my training regimen. Failing in front of Chris on a set that is supposed to go to failure is not a bad thing. I am doing exactly what he instructed me to do.
At the same time, he got me to dig deep and pull out some repetitions I would not have gotten on my own. I tend to just push that much harder when Chris is training me. I am also learning the right and wrong things to do. Thus, when I have a session on my own, I am going to be just fine.
Expert Advice
Chris has given me advice on how to merge my training and diet into one program that accomplishes my goals. He has shown me the importance of timing my before and after workout meals so that I maximize the benefits of my training. He has shown me how important the synergy between my training and diet is. I have had results in just 2 weeks with Chris that I've never seen before. I have concluded that personal trainers make a difference.
