By Paul Owens CPT-NCSF
Personal Training in Cleveland. Hello and thanks for visiting. Today I want to talk about an important topic that is so imperative to the success of many people; the topic of accountabity. I spoken before briefly on this subject but I would like to elaborate a little more today on this principal that is so much at the heart of personal training. For some people such as myself, working out is a very natural part of the daily routine. For some, it's akeen to brushing your teeth. It's simply something a person does as a part of their daily schedule; something that always gets worked in one way or another. This is not the case for all people. Not everyone loves to workout. In fact, some people if they are being totally honest hate it. For many people knowing all the various benefits of working out and a sound diet are simply not enought to overcome their dislike for working out. This is where a great personal trainer can come in. When I think about the benefits of having a personal trainer, accountability is at the top of the list. For some people, having a trainer to hold them accountable is the single greatest motivating factor for hiring a personal trainer.
On occasion, I have spoken to people who have great goals such as losing weight or simply improving their physical appearance and overall health through exercise. The problem is that they lack motication. They then go on to state that they would like me to conduct a few personal training sessions with them to show them what to do in order to accomplish their goals. There is a fundamental problem with this approach. First, we know that the person A) has fitness goals that he/she would like to reach and needs some instruction to help them reach these goals, and B) that he/she is unmotivated. If we only meet for a few sessions, the first problem will to a large extent be solved. I will be able to show the person what he/she needs to do to accomplish those goals. I can give them dietary suggestions, show them which excercises will be most beneficial for them, how many reps, how many sets, resting time, injury/medical condition condiderations, and on and on. The person can even take as many notes as they want. Problem A is solved for the most part (although I could impart a lot more knowledge to them in additional sessions). The person now knows for the most part what they need to do. But, as you are probably thinking, problem B still exists. The person is not motivated. What has occured in our few sessions that will totally change them from an unmotivated person who went from not having the motivation or discipline to train to someone who does? The answer is...nothing. If anything, the person may get in a few workouts on their own, but ultimately, based on what I have seen time and time and time again, the person will probably end up quiting, and relatively quickly. I have seen this so many times that when people approach me who A) say they have aggressive goals B) that they are very unmotivated and C) that they only want to meet with me for a few times, I will usually tell them to either save their money or commit to training with me on a regular basis. Unless they can stir up a deep inner motivation, their money will be very much wasted on a few sessions that will fill them with knowledge they won't ultimately use.
Working out comes natural for some people. Some people simply have that inner motivation to get to the gym. Some people do not. If you fall into the later category and have aggressive fitness goals, chances are you are going to need a trainer to give you a certain level of accountability. If finances are a concern, ask about package discounts. Many trainers will work with you on price if you purchase a bundle of sessions. Thanks for reading. As always, you can visit my website at http://www.paulowens.org or email me at paulspersonaltraining@gmail.com.
