I am always surprised when people don’t see the benefits of personal training or bootcamp. Often, people believe that they can reach their fitness goals on their own by working out once or twice a week and creating their own ‘healthy’ eating plans.
However, without expert help, it will be difficult to see real results. People call me lazy because I have a cleaner that cleans my apartment. I get constant abuse because I bring my laundry to a launderette every week and I will not touch a can of paint or do anything that is out of my realm of expertise unless, of course, I want to or it genuinely interests me.
There are a number of things that I get other people to help me with because: 1). I know that they are better than me at it and 2). I don’t particularly enjoy doing it so I put it off and it never gets done. Both of these apply to you too.
I used to do my own web design stuff and even chanced my arm at graphic design. Needless to say, the websites looked like they were designed by a donkey and coloured in with a crayon. They ‘worked’ to a certain extent, and people signed up, but I’d like to think it was because I had a good reputation and in no way the result of my dodgy workmanship.
When I was in my teens and early twenties, I used to try to install all my radios in my cars and mess around with the sound systems etc. I thought I was great at it when, in fact, I was awful and I am surprised the cars didn’t implode at some stage.
Nowadays, I get a cleaner to my house to try and keep the place somewhat presentable. Two guys living in a house together who work all sorts of hours is not a good mix. Without the cleaner we end up with a plate collection in the sink, empty toilet rolls around the place and towels everywhere (though this is inexcusable). But she also cleans the showers, hoovers and mops; all the stuff that she is better than me at and I have no interest in doing and so rarely gets done. Why would I spend five hours doing something that she can do in two?
I also iron nothing, unless it’s really bad, and even then I try to bribe my housemate into doing it. Likewise, I have no desire to put on the washing machine and wait for the load to dry, so I take most of my stuff to the laundrette every week.
You get the idea. I don’t like doing stuff when there are people out there that are better than me and can do it in half the time. I think you’ll agree unless you particularly like doing these things (some people find it therapeutic). For those of you who don’t, but do them anyway, think to yourself: Are you using your free time efficiently and are you doing the tasks to the highest level?
This isn’t a time management rant. It is an exercise to help you realise that if you have a specific training or lifestyle goal, then you should hire a professional to help you get there rather then try to wing it. That, and the fact that you will get there quicker, with fewer injuries and hiccups along the way.
That being said – not everyone needs a personal trainer. If you are somebody who just wants to exercise because you ‘like it’ or to be ‘healthy’ you don’t need a coach. If you are a healthy weight, have no health issues and you are happy with your body then you do NOT need a trainer and, to be honest, if you came to me looking to train without a specific goal in mind I would probably tell you that you are wasting your money.
If you have a specific goal in mind then we can help.
Sure, if you want to gain muscle you could probably look stuff up on google and maybe even make some progress. It is true that most, if not all, of the information on fat loss is already on the internet somewhere. The problem is, it is being smothered by a sea of BS and sales copy. A professional can help you wade through all of that and see what’s real and what is just shitty sales tactics.
Bryan Kavanagh BSc CSCS
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