Introduction:
Personal training can be very beneficial. A personal trainer can provide safe, effective, efficient training while educating you on proper form and training techniques. But how do you ensure you are getting the most out of the time you spend with your personal trainer? How can you assess if the time you are spending is helping you achieve your fitness goals? At Monarch Fitness Coaching, our personal trainers support you every step of the way. We help you specify your goals and determine measurable outcomes. We find the right fit and create a personal training plan for you. We evaluate how you are progressing and assess what adjustments need to be made for you to succeed. Finally, we celebrate your accomplishments when you meet your goals.
Wondering what steps you should take to ensure personal training is helping you achieve your fitness goals?
Spend Time Thinking About What You Want To Accomplish
You might want to improve your flexibility, cardiovascular performance, or lift weights. Take some time to ask yourself why you want to achieve your goal. Do you want to improve your flexibility because you are finding it hard to get on and off the floor? Do your hips feel stiff and your knees aren’t bending enough to get your feet under you? Do you have a family history of heart disease and want to ensure you maintain cardiovascular function? Are you an artist and finding it challenging to lift the canvases you are painting? The fitness coaching program your personal trainer develops ties directly into your ultimate goals. Spend some time thinking about the underlying reasons you want to improve and discuss it with your personal trainer.
When Mike, age group 60–64, started training with Monarch Fitness Coaching, he initially wanted to get stronger. During his In-Depth Consultation and Training, his personal trainer spent time getting to know Mike. The trainer focused on understanding why he wanted to get stronger. Mike is very active and enjoys skiing, mountain biking, hiking, and kayaking. He often takes trips with his 20 year old sons and wants to continue to do that. Mike’s evaluation revealed that balance and stability were an area Mike needed to focus on in order to reach his underlying goals. This past year, Mike went on a bike trip in Vietnam, spent a week thru hiking, and skied in Colorado with his sons.
Use Personal Training to Support You During Periods of Growth
Personal training is a great way to help you achieve your goals. Your personal trainer is there to help you safely start on a new path. They can provide the support you need to safely accomplish your goals. Do you want to play tennis or pickleball? Maybe you want to train for your first 5K, 10K, or marathon. Is being able to care for your grandchildren and lift them in and out of the crib without injuring your back a priority? Possibly, you want to volunteer at your local pet shelter and be the one everyone relies on to carry the heavy bags of dog food. Your personal trainer can help ensure that you accomplish your goals without injuring yourself.
When Ann, age group 70–75, retired from being a professor, she was able to devote more time to exercise. Ann’s doctor recommended that she focus on improving her cardiovascular fitness and increase the amount she was walking. Ann added more walking, but because she was wearing shoes that didn’t work well with her feet and had a walking stride that stressed her knee, she ended up with a painful knee injury. With the help of Monarch Fitness Coaching, Ann was able to make the change to footwear that support her feet; strengthen her hips, ankles, and toes—reducing the stress on her knee; and improve her walking mechanics. Ann now regularly walks over 10,000 steps a day.
Interested in how to select shoes that will support you in reaching your goals? Read more HERE.
Think About Where And When You Want to Train
Are you interested in meeting in-person or virtually? If you travel, would having the option to both in-person and virtual train be beneficial? What time of day and for how long do you want to train? Does the personal trainer offer one-on-one training? Shared personal training? Do you have flexibility, and are you willing to follow your personal trainer’s recommendations?
At Monarch Fitness Coaching, we have an online assessment that will help you determine what you are looking for from personal training. If you are not a good fit, with our program, we work with you to find a personal trainer who fits your specific needs. Take our Online Assessment
As a student at Northwestern University, Xining, age group 25–29, has a schedule that varies. Additionally, she frequently travels from Evanston to the West Coast. Xining needed a personal trainer who was able to adjust their schedule to meet her needs. She found that at Monarch Fitness Coaching.
Read more about Xining HERE.
Research Personal Trainers
Once you have an idea of what you are hoping to accomplish and know where and when you prefer to train, research personal trainers. Use the internet as well as family and friends to find out about what personal trainers fit your criteria. Read the personal trainer’s bios to find out if their background and availability align with your needs.
John and Kathy, age group 50–54, wanted to be able to train together in the evenings. They had spent the past few decades focused on their careers and parenting. Following Covid, they both felt ready to prioritize their health and wellness, and their goal was preparing for a very active retirement. After reading about the personal trainers at Monarch Fitness Coaching, Kathy felt comfortable that the personal trainers had the expertise to train people just like her and John.
Create a List of Questions for the Personal Trainer
Before scheduling a time to meet with the personal trainer you believe will be a good fit, think about what questions you want to ask. Some questions the personal trainers at Monarch Fitness Coaching have been asked recently include the following:
- Why are you a personal trainer?
- Have you worked with other clients who are similar to me?
- What do clients who meet their goals have in common?
- How many days a week should I train? How long should the training sessions be? What should I be doing on the days I am not training with you?
- How will you track progress?
- What happens if I am not progressing the way I want?
- What do you want me to know?
When David, age group 35–39, first met with Coach Heather for his In-Depth Consultation and Training, he came prepared with a list of questions. David interviewed several other personal trainers in the area, and found that the questions he asked helped easily decide that Monarch Fitness Coaching was the place for him. David loved the emphasis on education and could clearly see that the Monarch Fitness Coaching Team had become personal trainers and coaches because they loved encouraging and supporting others on their fitness journeys, not because they loved working out.
Schedule an Assessment and Meet the Personal Trainers
After narrowing your search, treat meeting the personal trainers you think are likely good fits like an interview. Bring your questions with you and notice what the personal trainer asks you. The personal trainer will ask about what you are hoping to accomplish. They will take the time to evaluate how you are moving and will provide you with feedback regarding what areas the personal trainer will focus on to help you progress from where you are now to where you want to be.
At Monarch Fitness Coaching, before you take the time to come in, we provide a FREE consultation to help you decide if you feel comfortable with our personal trainers and think Monarch Fitness Coaching might be a good fit for you. Schedule HERE.
Monarch Fitness Coaching ensures that when you do decide to come in, we start with an In-Depth Consultation and Training. During the 75-minute session, we provide you with the following:
- Training goal discussion
- Movement pattern evaluation
- Immediate feedback to get you started progressing toward your goals
- A plan to keep you moving forward toward your goals
If you are interested in meeting, schedule your In-Depth Consultation and Training HERE
Follow A Training Plan
You have selected your personal trainer and are ready to get started. What happens next? Plan to follow a training plan designed to help you meet your goals. Monarch Fitness Coaching provides you with access to our coaching software. You will be able to see your training program. The program includes your goals, and training schedule, including frequency and duration of training. You can see each exercise you are completing, including the number of repetitions and sets as well as videos of areas to focus on.
Morris, age group 80–84, appreciates having a training program that provides detailed information. He is able to look at his program and easily determine what he is doing for training and what to focus on. Morris is also able to look back and see the improvement he has made following his knee and hip replacement surgeries. Initially Morris was not able to get on and off the floor and did most of his training from a seated position. Now he can do burpees and is able to stand on one foot.
Have A Transition Plan
Personal training doesn’t need to be forever. Work with your personal trainer to develop a transition plan that will allow you to maintain all you have accomplished. Some things you might find beneficial:
- Set a fixed re-evaluation point. This could be when you complete the 5K you have been training for or after a fixed period of time.
- Reduce the frequency you meet with your personal trainer.
- Have a set check-in time.
- Transition to semi-private personal training or group personal training
You won’t hurt your personal trainers feelings. At Monarch Fitness Coaching, we love nothing more than seeing you progress and move toward independence.
Oliver, age group 25–27, wanted to prepare for a snowboarding and ski vacation. He had not been skiing since high school and needed to prepare during the off-season. Oliver followed a personal training program that included exercises designed for him to have the most enjoyment on the mountain. Oliver had a wonder trip and has transitioned to managing his workouts independently. Congratulations, Oliver!!
Conclusion
Feel ready to start using personal training to achieve your fitness goals? Monarch Fitness Coaching has an online assessment that will help you determine what you are looking for from personal training. Take our Online Assessment, and start your transformation today.
