How to Get the Best out of Personal Training
One of the aspects of personal training that we take very seriously at Physical Wellbeing is safety. Whilst getting our clients fit and healthy is our long-term goal – we lean on our extensive experience and sports science background to ensure this is delivered in the safest possible way.
Someone I bumped into recently told me a real horror story about their experience with a personal trainer. In fact, they had been almost crippled as a result of lack of knowledge of their personal trainer. I was astonished at the fact that there are some trainers out there seriously putting their clients at risk, how could they get away with this? This lady actually had to go for an MRI scan, which indicated that she had almost slipped a disc in her back, as well as damaging her pelvis and both of her tibia (shin bone). Now I’m sure I don’t have to explain how serious slipping a disc can be!
Personal training is such a specialist job because every single client is completely different. People have different capabilities, strengths, weaknesses, goals and lifestyles. My job is to carefully analyse each aspect of this and craft a bespoke programme to suit them. I could write an essay on each of my clients and their physical differences and training capabilities.
Changing your body shape is a massive task and takes so much thought, preparation, knowledge and skill. Not only do I have to completely realign the body and reprogram poor form and muscle imbalances, I also have to address emotional attachments to food, confidence and self-image. This is a huge task and it does take time to reach each stepping stone of the journey. Unfortunately there are many programs out there that claim to do all of this in 6 weeks or so. I can promise you, you get what you pay for in life and there are certainly no shortcuts in personal training. People want results and fast, without taking into consideration the dedication required and the physical and psychological changes that accompany those results.
The first thing I recommend to all of my clients is our InBody Scan. The InBody Scan analyses changes in your metabolic rate, muscle mass and protein consumption and gives us a clear indication of exactly where we’re starting. The results of this scan can sometimes come as a shock as people realise they’re not as healthy as they originally thought! The importance of segmental analysis is muscle balance, which I strive for with my training, thus reducing chance of injury.
We use the results of the scan to accurately draw up a diet and training plan that suits that particular individual and believe me, everybody is different. The InBody also lets me know how the metabolic rate is changing, which is an indication as to how the food plan is working and what changes need to be made in the programme. This scan is so important so we can measure your progress moving forward too. Can you imagine a joiner starting to build something without measuring first? It would be catastrophic! You have to know where you’re starting from and we must continue to measure your progress to make sure you can hit your targets.
Ultimately, your health is the cornerstone of your life, it’s with you every step of the way. It’s quite worrying that people happily spend a fortune on clothes or a new car and neglect their own body. What’s more, you cannot simply spend an hour a week with a second rate personal trainer with limited experience – it can be detrimental to your health and unbelievably dangerous. The foundations of Physical Wellbeing are built on sports science, helping you achieve your goals safely and effectively.