Benefits of a Personal Trainer in Raleigh, NC

I think we can all agree that we have all set many of health and fitness goals, in our lifetime so far?  It is our human nature to muster up mindset, motivation and willpower to convince ourselves we can do it all by ourselves. Fact is, we all need a little help sometimes.  That is where I am in life and have accepted that my pride will only get in my way and although it might allow me to push myself and reach a short term “goal”, it is almost impossible to maintain. Which means that I will lose my mindset, motivation and willpower, at some point and find myself back to “square one”. Being a Personal Trainer does not mean that I am any different and at times, I lose my motivation and need an extra push. So, I may workout and train with another Certified Trainer, athletes or with friends to shake things up and drive each other past personal plateaus. It is for this reason that I capitalize on the tremendous personal trainingbenefits of working with a Personal Trainer.  On the contrary, Personal Trainers in general are not just for stars and athletes.  In fact, all ages and walks of life can benefit from working with a trainer.  Personal training is truly an investment in one’s own health and well-being. Here is a specific breakdown on how and why anyone and everyone can achieve more with that bit of help from a certified Personal Trainer.

ACCOUNTABILITY & MOTIVATION– Having a set, paid appointment with a Personal Trainer will open the door of accountability but a Personal Trainer in Raleigh, NC does not stop here. Your Personal Trainer will soon turn into your Lifestyle Coach, which will allow the door to stay open and possibly kicked off the hinges with results! This is about you and where you are at with life while developing realistic and achievable short term goals, which lead to long term success. Personal Trainers specialize in this and “CAN’T” is not in their vocabulary.

DEVELOP A ROUTINE– Not all trainers are the same, meaning some do not “practice” what they “preach”. They may look the part but it is important to find a trainer that is highly educated and knowledgeable on the most effective ways to help YOU get to your health and fitness goals. Whether you have not seen your workout shoes in months or feel that you have hit a personal plateau and need a specific routine to hurdle over it.  Maximizing your time in the gym, obtaining results, while not overwhelming you is what we strive for!

FRESH NEW PERSPECTIVES & IDEAS ON HEALTH, NUTRITION, AND FITNESS– There is an overwhelming amount of fitness, nutrition, and health information available. It is impossible for anyone to have time to sift through what is valid, accurate and what can actually be applied to work. This is where we shine! It is our job and passion to stay in the “loop” of all health trends and further our knowledge and education in order to provide you with the safest and most accurate information in the industry. Is that new “fad diet” really effective? Will I really get a bikini body by doing that “popular” workout? Is it true what I read in that fitness magazine? Believe it or not, the list goes on but the good news is, these are just some of the questions in the daily life of Personal Trainers. We are constantly sharing recipes and ways to contend with obstacles in your nutrition such as “candy in the office”, or how to manage menu’s when dining out with friends. Personal Trainers invest in you, while holding you accountable to taking care of yourself nutritionally, physically, and with your overall health!

SOLID, CONSISTENT, NON-JUDGMENTAL SUPPORT– Not everyone has your best interest in mind. Your personal trainer, though, only cares about you and your success. Your trainer will be there. Each hour you spend with your trainer is an hour to focus on you and only you! They will provide consistent feedback to help you better yourself and achieve your goals. Most importantly, the trainer is able to do this without making you feel inadequate or judged. We have all gone into the gym and worried about what we look like doing an exercise or compared ourselves to someone else. Trainers don’t judge or derogate. They help you to see all of your successes, big and small, even when you can’t see them yourself. Through this support, trainers will hold you accountable and motivate you, despite your feelings about yourself!

PROPER TECHNIQUE & FORM– Watching all the you tube videos in the world and reading all the fitness magazines, does not substitute having a person by your side providing you immediate feedback on form and technique. It is very easy to hurt yourself in the gym. Trainers pay attention, cue both your mind and your body and help you achieve your goals more quickly by making sure you are doing each exercise correctly. They can help you develop better running form, improve your posture, and increase your strength by teaching you to recruit the proper muscles and making a mind body connection. With each exercise trainers will hold you accountable to proper form and technique preventing injury!

SPORTS SPECIFIC TRAINING– Are you an athlete? Even a recreational athlete can get better at their sport. Personal Trainers in Raleigh and throughout the country have studied body patterns and movements. They know the best exercises to help you develop strength, endurance, speed, and agility for your sport. A personal trainer will know if you have been keeping up your routine through your performance and will hold you accountable to the sports specific exercises in your program!

MAXIMIZE WORKOUT/MINIMIZE TIME– You will burn more calories in less time when working with a personal trainer in Raleigh or anywhere else. A trainer develops a program that is efficient and allows you to get the most in, in the shortest amount of time. Time does not need to be lost at the gym. If you are finding it hard to find time to work out, not only will a trainer help you to get the most out of your work out, but they will teach you how you can do that on your own. Each week trainers will follow up to see if you achieved our workout goals for the week, holding you accountable to exercise on your own time and make tweaks to the program to help you be successful!

INJURY PREVENTION and/or INJURY REHAB– Often people shy away from equipment in the gym because they are afraid of hurting themselves. Likewise, one may stop attending the gym due to an injury. Trainers will teach you how to use equipment properly so that you do not injure yourself. Trainers will also work with you to prevent injuries in everyday life by helping you increase your balance, flexibility, and core strength. They are able to focus on specific exercises that will benefit you based on your activities of daily living. And in the chance that you have suffered an injury, trainers are able to work with you to safely exercise, keep your range of motion, and get your strength back. A personal trainer will not let you use an injury as an excuse to not workout!!

PERSONALIZED PROGRAM– Personal training is just that, PERSONAL! A trainer will develop a program that is specific to you and your goals. If you have an injury, if you want to climb a mountain, if you want lose weight to become pregnant, have lower back pain… The program will be specific to you and only you! A program your trainer takes the time to develop and teach to you. You know they are going to hold you accountable to achieving the goals of that program!

RELATIONSHIP BUILDING– Some of my favorite time during the week is with my clients. You develop a relationship with your trainer like no other. Your relationship is very personal. There are not very many people whom you share your goals so specifically, who in turn will work so diligently to help you achieve them. Often that hour (or two, or three) a week you spend with your trainer, is the only time in your week that is truly devoted to you, your goals, and your successes. I have had sessions in which my client is angry and just wants to workout. There is no talking for the hour. I have had sessions with clients who have recently lost a loved one and their hour with me is their time to escape. I also have sessions with clients where they are so excited to share with me their personal successes and how what we are doing in training is translating into their life outside the gym. Often time’s intimate details of life are shared in sessions and I am so grateful that people trust me enough to allow me these details. It is these personal relationships and the intimate knowledge of who you are that helps the trainer work specifically with you and to hold you accountable to your goals!

RESULTS– Last but certainly not least, working with a trainer will allow you to achieve the results that you cannot achieve on your own. Each person’s goals are extremely personal. Whether it be weight loss, injury rehab, sports training, or seeing your trainer as a life coach, a personal trainer is going to develop goals that will lead you down a path to success. As a personal trainer in Raleigh, I work diligently with each of my clients to help them recognize their results, tangible and intangible, as well as results they never anticipated having. It is these results that not only hold you accountable to me, but they hold me, your trainer, accountable to you!

 

How much water should I drink?

b1I often get this question and 99% of the time, individuals are not drinking enough. I could go into this long rant on the benefits of water and how bad dehydration is for virtually every physiological process of the body, but I want to stick to the question.

 

So, how much water is enough? The recommendation given by Dr. Bob Marshall, PHD in Nutrition is 1/2 of your bodyweight in ounces + 10%.

For example, if you weigh 200lbs, then you would need 120 oz of water per day (that’s just shy of a gallon 128oz).

You may be thinproperty-youking, ‘That’s impossible! I’d be going to the bathroom every 2-3 hours.’ Actually, urinating every 2-3 hours is quite normal if you are getting enough water.

If you are only drinking 60 oz per day, then I would suggest increasing 8oz every 3 days to allow your body to adjust.

Also, try starting your day with the largest intake of water..32 oz or so. Don’t wait until you feel thirsty later on because you are already dehydrated at that point.

 

 

Welcome Summer! Are You Ready?

b2Many of us dread this time of year.  For some it’s the heat of summer, but for others it is swimsuit season! Did you gain a few pounds through the winter? Need to tone up those muscles to be swimsuit ready? The key to achieving a healthier body is having a fitness and nutritional plan. If you have a plan, studies have shown you are more likely to stick with it. Try a few of these tips to help you gain the confidence you may need to be beach bound and ready!

Water, water, WATER! Aim to drink half your body weight in ounces plus 10% every day.  If you are 150 lbs., your goal is to drink 75 ounces plus an extra 15 ounces of water every day. In the morning, try adding fresh lemon juice to get you started. Throughout the day eat a WIDE variety of fresh fruits and vegetables every day.  It sounds too simple, but it works! Set a goal of 80/20, 80% raw, fresh fruits and vegetables and the remaining 20% of the daily calories from cooked or processed foods. The keys here are “fresh” and “variety”.  When it comes to produce, if you are not familiar with the dirty dozen/clean fifteen list, take a look at the following information. It is a great guide to know which produce should be purchased as organically grown versus conventionally grown.  It does make a difference.

DIRTY DOZEN

Each of these foods contained a number of different pesticide residues and showed high concentrations of pesticides relative to other produce items. It is recommended they always be bought as organic instead of conventionally grown: apples, strawberries, grapes, celery, peaches, spinach, sweet bell peppers, imported nectarines, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, imported snap peas and potatoes.

CLEAN FIFTEEN

Relatively few pesticides were detected on these foods, and tests found low total concentrations of pesticides. No single fruit sample from the Clean Fifteen™ tested positive for more than 4 types of pesticides: avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, cabbage, frozen sweet peas, onions, asparagus, mangoes, papayas, kiwis, eggplant, grapefruit, cantaloupe, cauliflower and sweet potatoes.

It is best for the body to eat your fruit servings before lunch and then have a large fresh veggie salad midday. Go easy on the dressing. Start asking for it on the side and only add a little at a time. Avoid the creamy dressings and branch out with a balsamic dressing instead. You will be surprised to find out you do not “need” as much as you typically add.

Lastly, you have to MOVE everyday. This has to be above and beyond your normal routine. Best to focus on strength training and conditioning with 30-60 minutes of intense, not light, exercise.  We have great routines we can personalize for you to improve your health and boost progress.

A simple plan is better than no plan! Try these simple, yet effective tips and let us know how it works for you. You will be amazed at how great you will start to feel and look as you enjoy your summer!