Posts Tagged ‘personal fitness’

How Often Should You Work With A Personal Trainer?

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

As a personal trainer for 10 years, I have worked with clients as infrequently as once a month and as frequently as 6 times a week. A good rule of thumb is the less experience and knowledge you have about exercise, the more necessary it is to meet frequently especially in the beginning. Maybe you have been working out a long time but you still need that accountability so one weekly appointment is enough. Some people are motivated to workout on their own and just want to ‘check-in’ once a month to get some new material. There is no right answer because it depends on your particular needs and wants. Below are my recommendations:

If you are new to exercise I suggest meeting with a trainer 2 or 3 times a week. I realize this adds up quickly but the beginning stages of a new exercise regiment are a critical time. For example people with great intentions of getting in shape often injure themselves quickly because they don’t really know what they’re doing. The supervision by a trainer in the beginning will get you off to a great start by learning the basics about good form. This will help to prevent injuries down the road. Also, most people fall off course during the first 3 weeks of a new attempt at exercise. By having several training appointments early on you will gain the momentum you need in order to hang on through this tough period.

Lots of people are very well aware of what to do at the gym but just can’t seem to get to the gym. If this sounds familiar, it’s probably a good idea to always have a weekly appointment on the calendar. Accountability is a very legitimate reason to have a trainer. My clients say to me all the time: “If I didn’t have this appointment, I wouldn’t have exercised today.” Be honest with yourself and if you know you won’t do it on your own then some accountability might be just what you need.

If you are at a pretty good level of fitness but you do the same exercises all the time, having an appointment once a month to spice up your routine is a great idea. Here’s why: Have you heard people talk about the need to ‘confuse your body’? What it basically means is that you don’t want you body to become too comfortable. This happens when you do the same thing all the time. Ideally, you should be challenging your body and ‘confusing’ it by doing different exercises with different levels of exertion. This is the best way to optimize your exercise. So, if you find yourself bored in your routine or not challenged but motivated enough to do it on your own, you would greatly benefit from a once a month appointment. The new material will keep you challenged and engaged.

Maybe you don’t need any instruction from a trainer because you’ve been exercising for years. Maybe you’re exercising consistently on your own and you don’t need the accountability. I would still suggest having a trainer that you check in with once a month. I’ll tell you why. Everybody needs a coach. Even professional athletes and Olympians need coaches. If you work out alone, it’s very easy to ignore injuries, fall into a run, get bored and not challenge yourself. Meeting with a trainer once a month is great way to mix up your workouts and keep them fresh and challenging. Also, a trainer will not let you ignore an injury.

Remember that the frequency of your training is not set in stone. Sometimes it may be more frequently, other times less frequently depending on what’s going on in your life. Your trainer will always work with you to do what is appropriate at any given time. If you’re lucky enough to have a trainer that you really enjoy and that’s helping you to get the results you want, they’re probably going to be in your life for a long time!

Picking the right Denver Personal Trainer can make or break your resolution to get fit. Let us be your fitness confidant and sketch a individual workout plan that is best for you. Visit www.filettifitness.com right now for more information.

Heart Rate Monitors For Getting In Shape

Thursday, November 19th, 2009

For someone who has started an exercise program to get in shape a heart rate monitor can be very useful to help you exercise smarter and better. In the past how well one did exercising was by perception only which is not very accurate. A heart rate monitor that can tell you exactly how hard you are working is a much better way to go.

Heart rate monitors are suitable for many kinds of sports, such as running, cycling and swimming. There are different monitor devices and what you choose will depend on your budget and requirements. However, the most popular kind of heart rate monitor looks and is worn like a wristwatch.

High quality heart rate monitors have a chest strap with sensors that will pick up on the heart rate. The information gathered is then transmitted to the receiver which is worn like a watch.

There are monitors with many features and others which have only basic functions and your choice will depend upon what you need from the device. In order to get started, though, all that is required is a model that can provide a reading of your heart rate. This enables a specific level of effort to be maintained when exercising which will vary with the workout’s goal.

It is also nice if the monitor can tell you your average and maximum heart rate. You do not need this information while you are working out, but it is nice to have as a record after the workout. If you keep track of it you can see your performance improve over time. You will be able to go the same speed with a lower heart rate and that will tell you that your fitness has improved.

Many good exercise programs are based on heart rate zones and that means you will go through a series of easy, medium and then hard workouts which are determined by the zones. Everyone who follows such programs is able to get the most out of their workout and don’t any time.

In competition training this is absolutely necessary. For a pro athlete it doesn’t matter but you need to reap the most benefits and make the most of your time. For anyone serious about training, having a heart rate monitor can assist you in the structuring of your training.

If you are a more casual user then you will be fine with the watch style that does not use a strap. For a lot of people this is a lot simpler because you do not have to mess with wearing the strap around your chest. In fact since most heart rate monitors function as a watch as well, you can just wear it all the time then you will have it when you need it.

The wrist style monitors do not have all the fancy functions of other types but is all that is needed for getting started Using a heart rate monitor can make your workouts that much more interesting.

For some product listings and information about this website, consider heading to this webpage for more reading on heart monitors.