Embrace and love your body. It's the most amazing thing you'll ever own - Anonymous
A fitness trainer is many things molded into one. A personal trainer is a teacher cum mentor as well as a guide to establishing a regular training routine. Fitness trainers are highly specialized individuals who have the required knowledge and skills to help both professional athletes and novice trainees. A gym trainer or a fitness trainer can help you identify your training goals and objectives and offer tailormade interventions to achieve them. An entire training module is organized in order to help you achieve your fitness goals over a certain period of time. Depending on the level of training expertise or the type of course, a fitness trainer can be categorized into different types - a gym instructor, Pilates trainer, personal trainer, exercise mentor, nutrition trainer, etc. Each such course will involve a combination of exercise, diet, and strength training in order to achieve your training goals, which are set at the start of the course. But whatever the type, all fitness training courses come with one or more health benefits for the clients.
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What Does A Fitness Trainer Do?
Many people may view personal trainers as gym instructors. But that is not entirely true. While you are searching for a personal trainer near me, you may get options related to other forms of training as well. But this is not surprising because the role of a fitness trainer goes beyond just training in the gym.
Multiple Hats of A Fitness Trainer
Typically, fitness trainers assume three distinct roles.
1. Gym Instructor
This is more like an entry level job in the domain of fitness training. Here the role of a trainer is giving out basic instructions in the gym or fitness club to clients. The experience level is also low and the responsibilities are limited to training inside the gym alone.
2. Personal Trainer
At this level, the experience, knowledge and skills are already much deeper. A personal trainer can also impart training sessions in their own capacity. For example in the home of the clients as per mutually agreed upon timing. A personal fitness trainer is also equipped to determine the level of training for the recipient and is also trained to help with other forms of fitness training. For example, a personal trainer can also help clients with muscle-related disorders, etc.
3. Master Trainer
As the name suggests, this individual is trained in specialized fields of fitness training. Their role can also expand to other sub-domains like establishing the role of nutrition in fitness training, etc. A master trainer can also train and mentor other fitness trainers to build their expertise.
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How Does A Personal Trainer Help with Mental Fitness?
Fitness training isn't just about building muscle power. It is also about building a strong core. In this respect, a fitness trainer can also work with clients who need exposure to mental well-being or are suffering from some mental illness. And as such, a personal trainer must be aware of the problem the client might be facing in order to lay down specific exercise routines. This also determines whether the benefits will be realized immediately or in the long-term.
Relationship Between Mental Health and Exercise
There have countless studies that have consolidated the strong relation between physical fitness and mental health. According to Dr. Nicola Burton, University of Queensland, School of Human Movement Studies, exercise may not be a cure to mental health issues but it is certainly a good way to promote mental health. Regular exercise produces endorphins, which are directly related to improved mental well being and vitality. These hormones are also responsible for better concentration, alertness, and high levels of optimism and positivity. The indirect benefit of all this is reduced depression and anxiety, which are the most common forms of mental illness today. It is also very important for a gym trainer to understand that their contribution through fitness training goes beyond just physical fitness. And in this respect, it is important to communicate with clients. This helps them to understand the benefits and also the limits of training. And this acts both ways.
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How to Find A Fitness Trainer Near Me?
You don't have to believe in yourself. Just believe in your personal trainer - Anonymous
The key to finding the right fitness trainer near me is often about not making some common mistakes while choosing one.
Mistake 1: Not Choosing A Specialized Trainer
A fitness trainer may not be trained in all domains of personal training. So, first lay down clearly what you want from your personal trainer. Are you looking for a gym instructor, or sports coach, or just weight training, or just beginner tips to get started? Once you have identified your own learning needs, only then can you start searching for a personal trainer near me.
Mistake 2: Not Putting Forth Your Expectations
It is important to trust your personal trainer. But not blindly. It is thus very critical to make yourself heard. Share what you need, give feedback to your trainer, and most importantly, do not just say yes to everything that comes your way. Communicate and make yourself completely clear.
Mistake 3: Picking Up Any Exercise Regime
Sometimes some things appear important because they are complex or confusing. But it isn't necessarily so. Many trainers may think that more complex exercises will make you fitter in the shortest possible time. But every client has a different need and there is no one-fits-all solution when it comes to fitness training. So, choose wisely.
Mistake 4: Not Checking Trainer Qualifications
Not every trainer is certified or qualified to be an instructor. So, before hitting the gym or enrolling a personal trainer, make sure you do a thorough background check on certification and credibility.
Mistake 5: Going for the More Expensive Training Course
"Not all that glitters is gold." This is equally true for training courses. The tendency is to go for the more expensive gyms and courses assuming they are the best because they charge more. But that's a myth. And intricately connected to mistake 4.
Role of Nutrition in Fitness Training
There was a time when people could only wish for a body like celebrities and influencers. But now, with strength training, getting a toned and fit body is easy and more mainstream. From weight loss to regulating bone density, a fitness trainer can help you have it all.
Standard Nutrition Program to Support Strength Training
The role of nutrition in fitness training has assumed greater importance than ever. The role of dieticians and nutritionists is almost as important as that of a gym trainer. A typical diet to support fitness training should include the following nutrients -
- Carbohydrates: These are required to maintain glucose levels during training and replace muscle glycogen. For the average person, 6 to 10 grams of carbs per kg of body weight is ideal. The actual requirement, however, is dependent on the individual body size, sex and other factors.
- Proteins: The protein requirement of the body can be easily met through diet alone without additional amino or protein supplements. The average need per kg of body weight is 2 to 4 grams of protein.
- Fat: Did you know that consuming less than 20 % of energy from fat can adversely affect your performance? It is recommended that 20 to 35 % of total energy intake of the body should be from fat. The word fat may set alarm bells for most clients. But it is the job of the fitness trainer to lay down its benefits in the overall nutrition program to support strength training.
- Hydration: Dehydration can significantly reduce the optimization of your exercise regime. Hence, it is very important to take adequate fluids before, during, and after training. Ideally, your fluid intake should be anywhere between o.5 L to 0.75 L for 0.5 KG of body weight.
Small meals between training sessions can also help to boost calorie intake required to sustain strength training. But avoid heavy meals.
What Exercises Should Be Avoided by A Gym Trainer?
Exercises that are recommended to clients are based on foundational principles of training. But despite their best efforts, a fitness trainer may go wrong in choosing one or more exercise which violate one of the following:
- risk-reward ratio
- biomechanics
- physics
- principles of progression
Myth Busting: 5 Standard Exercises to Avoid
1. Dumbbell Punches
This exercise violates the principle of physics. During resistance training, the objective is to oppose the movement directly. But in dumbbell punches the resistance is horizontal which requires additional and unnecessary shoulder stress.
2. Assisted Decline Crunch
This violates the principles of progression. It involves an incessant series of movements which makes little sense when added to a sensible regression.
3. Partner Leg Thaw
This violated both biomechanics and risk-reward ratio. It puts the lumbar spine at a great risk without optimizing the benefits of such an exercise.
4. Jumping on Stacked Pilates
This defies physics and minimizes the risk-reward ratio. A gym trainer can easily offer safer alternatives to this risky exercise.
5. Stability or Kettle Ball
This again violates both biomechanics and risk-reward ratio. You can perform the same movement on the floor without additional risks at no lesser benefits.
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