HOW TO THINK LIKE A PERSONAL TRAINER WHEN WORKING OUT

1.    You Have A Goal – You Need A Plan

‘If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!’  Benjamin Franklin. This rings true for so many areas in our lives and is no different with exercise. If you have a health and fitness goal you must put plan in place of how you are going to reach it.  Work out how many days you need to exercise, workout the best type of training, etc…. Enter the days and times you will exercise in your diary, treat it like you would a meeting and make it a meeting you cannot and will not cancel.

 

2.     Prepare Your Session

Never enter the gym without having an idea of what you are going to do in your session. Many people exercise for fitness and fat loss, with this in mind the best fat loss sessions are completed at a high intensity. Do this by completing your weights in a superset (two exercises in a row) or circuit format, with little to no rest in between exercises. Focus on big, compound movements such as squats, squat and presses and all forms of lunges. Add in short bursts (1-5mins) of cardio with skipping, step-ups, treadmill, bike, stepper, elliptical etc…

 

3.    Have A Back-Up Plan

How many times have you gone into the gym and every piece of equipment you’ve wanted is being used? Understand that there is always an alternative exercise you can do,  E.g. if you planned to do a Lat Pulldown and the machine was busy you could try Assisted Chin-ups, Seated Row, Dumbbell Rows, Barbell Rows. There are certain pieces of equipment that are popular and always seemed to be taken so make sure you have a back-up plan so you can continue without interruption. If you don’t know then I would strongly suggest hiring a trainer to help you with your sessions.

 

4.     Focus On Correct Technique

Poor technique can lead to poor results and injury. Focus on good posture, be long through your spine, pull your shoulders down and keep your chest up. Always engage your abs through the entire exercise. Think of your body as unit that functions as one.
Also, I often see people rushing through their exercises, again, this is not conducive to achieving results.  Always be focused and in control of the weight and the movement you are performing.

 

5.     Results = Good Nutrition

‘You can’t out exercise poor nutrition’ If you feel like you are working super hard in the gym and not getting the results you wish then I would suggest looking further into your nutrition. A good start is removing refined sugar, avoiding too many processed foods and eating a diet full of fresh, whole, nutrient dense foods. Drink 2-4litres of water per day.  Great results come from a combination of exercise, healthy eating and a strong mindset.