You’ve just signed up for your first personal training session. You may be wondering what will the first session be like? What will the trainer give you as resources? How will they structure the session? These are all valid questions, but the answer to them actually starts with you. The beauty of personal training is that it is a personalized experience. So in order for your trainer to plan for that first session, and all subsequent sessions, you need to provide the trainer with a few important details.
What is your goal here?
The very first thing you want to share with your trainer is what you hope to achieve. Be as honest as possible about your goals. For example, if you are hoping to get in shape so you have more energy, balance, and mobility to play with grandchildren, then state that.
Think about your goals and then think about how achieving that goal will make your life better. Once you’ve figured out 1 or 2 reasons why your goal is important, then share this with the trainer. When your trainer understands the real-life implications of your goal, they can make the program truly personalized to you.
Related: Is Personal Training the Best Option
What is your experience in the gym?
Once your trainer has a clear idea of what you hope to achieve, it is now time to assess your experience in the gym.
Experience, in this case, has 2 meanings. The first is related to your fitness level. Have you been training? What types of equipment have you become comfortable with? Is there any equipment you are not comfortable with, or that you’d like to learn how to use? Again, you want to be as honest and detailed as possible here. If you really do not like a specific exercise, let the trainer know why and then they can avoid it, or show you modifications.
The second meaning relates to your experiences in a gym setting. Do you feel comfortable in the gym, or does it make you nervous (perfectly normal – it can be intimidating)? Did you ever have a really positive or negative experience at the gym? What made it so great or so awful?
Providing these details of your experience in the gym will help your trainer create a training environment that is the most positive and supportive to you. The more comfortable you feel at the gym, the better your chances will be of maintaining a consistent training regimen.
What is life like outside of the gym?
Your training sessions will be just 30 minutes out of a 24-hour day. This is why it is important to let your trainer know what life is like outside of the gym. Here are a few important details about your life outside the gym:
- Are you a parent? How busy are your kid’s schedules?
- What are your work hours like? Are you 9-5, shift work, or working from home?
- If you’re retired, what type of activities do you partake in throughout the week?
- What are your stress levels like?
- How much sleep do you typically get?
- What are your meal times like (rushed, with the family, grazer/snacker)
- How else do you stay active throughout the week? (biking to work, taking the dog for a walk, playing in a beer-league)
If there is any other important daily-life information, definitely share that with your trainer. These are important details for your trainer to know because it helps your trainer create workouts that work within your lifestyle. If you lead a very stressful lifestyle, then the trainer can create a workout plan that acts as a stress-reduction method. If you are playing a sport, your workouts can be designed to strengthen certain sport-specific skills.
What details are important to you?
The final set of important details are the details that are important to you. Trainers have a lot of knowledge, but maybe you do not care about the science behind a specific exercise. Try thinking about what is important to you when it comes to exercise. Are you someone who loves to understand why you do things or are you perfectly happy just being told what to do?
This may take a few sessions to figure out. There is a lot to learn about exercise and the human body, but how much do you really care to learn? More importantly, how will the level of detail you receive actually help you achieve your goals?
Before we conclude the article you may be asking yourself “what about nutrition? Isn’t that an important detail?” Yes – sharing what your current diet is like is important to your trainer, but that falls under the daily-life set of important details.
When you are sharing the details about your life outside the gym be sure to include the diets you have tried, how flexible you are with changing your diet, and the time that you have to prepare meals as well as eat meals. If making dietary recommendations are required to help you achieve your goals, then this information will help your trainer make personalized recommendations to you.
Whether you’re just starting your training or have been working with a trainer for a long time, be sure to share these important details with them. Be specific about why your goals are important to you. Let them know your experience and experiences at the gym so they can create a positive environment for you. Provide them with the details of your lifestyle for the other 23.5 hours of your day. Finally, let your trainer know what information is most important for you to know in order to be successful. With this information, your trainer can design the most personalized and goal-oriented training experience for you.
Author: Riley Pearce
riley.pearce.fff@gmail.com
Director of Social Media & Marketing
