Personal Trainers do make a Difference!

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091012095535.htm

New research out of Sweden demonstrates that working with a personal trainer (or personal strength coach) can help produce results. The research group that worked with a trainer to supervise their workouts saw a 50% improvement over the fitness tests when compared to the group that exercised on their own.

Faigenbaum, Hoffman, et al conducted a study that found that women who exercised under the supervision of a trainer made greater strength gains than the group who exercised on their own (Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol. 22 no 1. January 2008).

Research studies like these demonstrate that working with a personal trainer can provide tangible benefits. The most important thing is to find a trainer that you feel comfortable with and establish the expectations for what you are working to achieve. Feel free to ask the trainer for references as well as their personal education background and training in the field--don't think that just because a trainer has a good body that he or she knows how to help you meet your goals.

If you do want the benefits of working with a trainer who can help you plan your program and hold you accountable for your workouts, be sure to do your due diligence and find a trainer that can best meet your needs.

A couple of things to think about:
you should do most of the talking during the initial session, the trainer should only be asking you questions about what you want to achieve, your exercise experience and your medical history

Ask the trainer what type of clients they work with most often, if they work with endurance athletes and your goal is to improve lean muscle mass or gain strength then they might not be the best fit.

it will take a good trainer about 3-4 sessions to get comfortable with you and how you move, don't worry if the first couple of sessions don't seem that challenging, once the trainer feels comfortable with your movement skills and abilities, the intensity of your trainer sessions will noticebly increase.

Hiring a trainer might seem like an unnecessary expense, but if your fitness goals are important to you, working with the right trainer can help you meet or surpass those goals so the price is worth it.