Would you build your house with your own two hands—no contractors included? Why not? Perhaps because you don’t really know what you’re doing, and any advice you could acquire online might send you in the wrong—possibly even damaging—direction?
The same holds true for building your strong, healthy, functional dream body. If you don’t really know what you’re doing, and you’re relying on random advice collected from random sources, you could end up with very little to show for your efforts. Or, worse, you might even end up achieving exactly the opposite of what you set out to accomplish.
At Envision Fitness, we’re committed to empowering you, regardless of where you’re at in your fitness journey. And to do that, we truly believe the guidance and expertise of a professional coach are integral to your success. How does working with a personal trainer benefit your fitness and overall well-being? Let’s take a look at what investing in yourself can yield:
Getting Your Head in the Game: The Mental Benefits of Personal Training
If you’re under the impression that working out is simply physical, we urge you to reconsider that notion. Physical training might be well, physical—but it’s where your head is at that determines your overall success. Whether that means setting realistic goals or mentally monitoring each movement you perform, a coach can guide you toward developing the mental habits that cultivate success. Here’s how:
● Goal Setting. There’s nothing wrong with having lofty goals for yourself, but know this: Setting short-term, manageable, and achievable goals is key to your success. When you set goals that are far out of your realm of realistic accomplishment in a reasonable time frame, unfortunately, when you miss the mark, you’re more prone to throw in the towel.
A personal trainer can work with you to define your goals and help you set realistic milestones that will help keep you on track toward your ultimate target. If you’re making a goal to show up for yourself and hit the gym at least three times per week, you can bet your personal trainer won’t let you slide.
● Accountability. Speaking of skipping out—you know those evenings when Netflix sounds way more appealing than hitting the gym? If left to your own devices, chances are Netflix will win out. And, unfortunately, once you let one thing get in the way of your progress, it’s far too easy to let yourself (and your commitment to self-betterment) slide.
That’s where coach-client accountability comes in. You won’t always feel super motivated because truthfully, no one does. But with a coach, you have an accountability partner, someone who won’t let you slack, no matter how much you want to.
Staying accountable to yourself can be a major stumbling block when it comes to accomplishing your fitness goals, but just knowing you’re reporting to your coach can encourage you to stay the course. While honing your dedication is essential to achieving your goals, sometimes, an extra push from a knowledgeable, compassionate coach can make all the difference.
Got Your Form Locked Down? The Physical Benefits of Personal Training
If you’re brand new to the gym, it can be a very intimidating place. Giant machines you couldn’t have dreamed up if you tried, weird-looking contraptions, massive ropes, dumbbells that weigh more than you do—it’s a lot to take in. Worse, it can be overwhelming to attempt figuring out how to use all of that stuff on your own. Sure, you can turn to the good ol’ Internet for exercise tips, but how do you know the information you’re getting is designed with your unique goals in mind? Hint: It probably isn’t.
That’s where personal training comes in. Don’t know how to perform an exercise? Not sure which exercises you should even be doing? Don’t want to injure yourself doing something you’re not sure how to do? Your coach is there to help with all of that, plus a whole lot more. On a physical level, coaching offers you:
● Personalized guidance. There are a million and one cookie-cutter programs out there, but 99% of the time, you won’t get the results you’re looking for because those types of programs aren’t designed with your unique needs in mind. To really move the needle forward in your fitness journey, you need an individualized program, built exclusively for you, designed with your unique goals, abilities, and limitations in mind.
A personal trainer works diligently to design a detailed exercise program complete with the exercises, training duration, and recovery time your unique body needs to improve—and not just improve, but thrive.
● Exercise education. The vast majority of exercise-related injuries stem from poor exercise form. So, if you’re looking to achieve significant results without incurring an injury that can sideline your progress, professional guidance is key.
Exercising is never about just going through the motions—it’s about performing each movement as efficiently as possible to achieve maximum results. A knowledgeable, experienced personal trainer can guide you through performing each movement while teaching you mental and physical cues that help you maintain proper form. You’ll achieve better muscle activation, and consequently, better physical results simply by performing each movement appropriately and efficiently.
If you’re not new to the gym, you may have noticed there are many, many people who mindlessly throw weights around, but curiously, make very little progress over time. Why is that?
Because a) they don’t use proper form, and b) they don’t get the most out of each and every movement. If you’re going to struggle through an intense workout, don’t you want to get the best results you can possibly achieve for your effort?
The 80/20 Rule: The Nutritional Benefits of Personal Training
Ever heard the saying abs are made in the kitchen? It’s truer than you know. You might train those abs in the gym, but your daily nutrition is what really moves the needle when it comes to your progress.
Fat loss, muscle building, strength gains, and even endurance training all depend heavily on proper nutrition, and that nutrition must be individually structured according to your goals. That’s why individualized nutrition coaching is key to your success, no matter what your physical goals may be.
But what about intuitive eating? Paleo? Intermittent fasting? Or what about all the “gurus” who tell you it’s not so much about the quantity of food you eat, but rather the types of food you choose?
The diet industry is a multi-billion dollar monster, and unfortunately, most “gurus” will tell you anything you want to hear just to make a buck. Sure, you can try intuitive eating, but chances are you’ll intuitively choose a donut over a sweet potato any day. What usually happens next? You feel bad about it, severely restrict yourself for a few days, get fed up with your plate of lettuce, and throw in the towel. That’s exactly what nutrition coaching helps you avoid.
On the flip side, demonizing foods a la the “it’s not how much you eat but what you eat” mentality isn’t just unnecessary; it’s mentally unhealthy, too. You already know a sweet potato is healthier than a doughnut, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a doughnut every now and then!
Regardless of what you’ve heard, your body can’t discern one food from another—all it can do is recognize the molecular composition of those foods and process them accordingly. Of course, wholesome, nutrition-packed foods should comprise the bulk of your daily intake, though.
So what’s a goal-oriented, progress-driven person to do? Approach your nutrition sustainably, with the help of a knowledgeable, qualified, experienced nutrition coach. At Envision Fitness, we work with you to structure your individualized eating plan with your unique goals in mind. We provide education on carbs, protein, and fats, and the ratios you need to see your goals through to fruition. We also teach you how to fuel your body before a workout and what to eat to promote exercise recovery after you train.
Bottom line? Nutrition should never be a one-size-fits-all approach because no two bodies are the same. And, if you’re not familiar with macronutrients, how to count them, or which ratios are appropriate for what you want to achieve, your nutrition coach has you covered. As long as you diligently stick to your plan, amazing results are well within reach.
Ready to Reach Your Potential? Our Envision Fitness Team Can Get You There
When you recruit our Envision Fitness team to help you reach your personal fitness goals, you make a priceless investment in yourself and your overall well-being. Our Envision family is dedicated to supporting, educating, and encouraging you to reach your goals through science-backed training, accountability, community, and discipline.
We’re here to empower you through every step of your fitness journey, no matter where you’re at right now. If you’re ready to make a change for the better, and you live in the Twin Cities metro area, contact our team at 952-444-2791 to schedule your free consultation today. Or, you can always reach out to us on our contact page with questions or concerns.