Trainer's Corner

A monthly column by Personal Trainers at HealthPoint Fitness

Printer friendly version of the current Trainer's Corner column

Do you feel like you need some healthy competition to get you moving? Are you bored with your same old routine in the gym? Have you reached a plateau? Do you enjoy the working with others? Would like the huge benefits of a Personal Trainer without the huge cost?

If you can answer yes to any of these questions, I know what you need…Group Personal Training. When you personal train with two or more people it opens up a whole new playing field. Even if you’ve exercised with a Personal Trainer before, there are benefits to training in group that you may never have thought about.

Group Personal Training allows you to bust out of that rut without busting your wallet. When you buy sessions of personal training alone the cost can be a challenge to overcome. But when you have a group of people that realize the value of personal training and are willing to share that cost, it becomes less of a burden. This cost sharing will also allow you to personal train longer. You can do an hour of training instead of just a half hour. You can also utilize the Personal Trainer for a longer period. In the past, you may have just been able to afford 10 sessions, but when you Group Personal Train can afford double or even more!

Having a group of people with the same goal in site builds a system of support, encouragement and motivation around you. Sometimes when you are working out it can become very mundane and stale. There maybe times when you don’t feel like getting up at 5am or come in after work to exercise. When you have only yourself to answer to it’s easy to make excuses or even quit. When a group of people come together with the same goals and motivators it becomes a very powerful force to reckon with. In a group setting you don’t want to be seen as the weak link. You’ll think twice when you want to call in to cancel so you can sleep a few extra hours or you just want to go home at the end of the day. You won’t want to skip exercise because who wants to be the “slacker” of the group.

Training with others provides you a gauge of where your progress should be. Comparing yourself to others can sometimes be negative feedback, but only if you let it. Allow this comparison to be a motivator. It’s easy when you’re working out on your own to just do what’s easy and not push yourself to the next level. Sometimes you may not even know what you’re capable of because you don’t want to get out of your comfort zone. Training in a group will push you to the edge in a good way. The pushing sometimes will come from within and other times it will come from the members in your group. This driving energy will push you to achieve the unthinkable.

Putting yourself in a group setting will build health two fold. You will get an emotional support from friends; and of course, the physical health and fitness from the training itself. Putting yourself in a social setting is the natural way to fight the blues. You may be having a bad day or just feeling down, but when you get around people with the same end goal as you it will lift your spirits. Group Training builds a social network that will last well past your personal training sessions.

If you’re thinking about taking a break from working out because you’re burnt out…DON’T! When you take a break from exercising, usually the break lasts longer than you originally planned. It becomes much harder to get motivated again. Talk to your friends at the gym, at work, or maybe even someone who has never worked out before. More than likely they are having the same feelings you are. Give Group Personal Training a chance…the possibilities are endless.

Past Columns

Jessica Hartzold - Season Up Your Workout

Nan Blattel - The SMART Goal Setting Principle

Mila Helsel - Concussion