Frequently Asked Questions I Get As a Personal Trainer

             Q:  I want to get into shape but don’t have time to work out?

A)      My first answer too this is make time!  Everybody is busy with work, children, housework etc.  The list of excuses not to work out could go on forever.  How many hours do you spend watching television, sitting on the computer or whatever else cut that out and make time!  Think of it this way, you can be in awesome shape working out less than 6 hours a week.  That is including your weight training and cardio.  That is only 6 hours out of 168 hours in a week, that’s about 3% of your time which will be invested into yourself being healthier and living a longer life!  How can you not have time when you look at it that way!

·         Q)  What is a realistic amount of weight loss per week?

A)       First off I will ask you how long it took to put the weight on.  I can guess that didn’t happen overnight so neither will losing it! I believe 1-2 pounds/week is a healthy number to shoot for when losing weight.  This can be achieved without living in the gym and starving yourself.  With a sensible exercise/nutrition plan it can be done.  However keep in mind if you only have say 10 pounds to lose it will be a lot harder and slower going.  The larger amount of weight you are trying to lose it might come off faster in the beginning.  This number is an average some might lose slower but don’t be discouraged.  If the weight is dropping too fast I become concerned because a lot of that won’t be fat, it will be a lot of muscle mass which is counterproductive as it slows your metabolism down.

·         Q) I want to gain muscle and lose body fat at the same time, how can I do this?

A)     Um yeah me too, this is everyone’s dream, unfortunately it doesn’t work that way with gaining muscle you have to put on a little bit of body fat.  Your body needs that body fat as an energy source so it doesn’t break down that hard earned muscle as fast as your building it! 

·         Q) Will lifting weights make me bulky?

A)     NO! Lifting weights is going to help you look lean, toned amd get your metabolism going to drop body fat.  When you see people that are “bulky” from weight lifting this did not happen by accident. Their training program and diet was designed to make them that way.  With the right nutrition and training program you will look lean and toned from weightlifting!

·         Q)  What supplements are the best to take?

A)      My answer is get your diet on track first.  If your nutrition and training aren’t on track forget about supplements! Spend your money on someone knowledgeable and get on a meal/training program customized for you.  That will bring you more results then buying expensive supplements and having a crappy diet!  After that is on track then talk to me about supplements to help with progress.

Q) How many days a week should I work out?

A)     That is a complicated question that varies completely depending on your goals.  It will also change depending on your nutrition/sleep patterns/ stress levels/ fitness levels/previous training/ work and many other things that effect recovery.  If you hardly eat, don’t sleep much, party on weekends and are stressed out then you aren’t going to be able to train five days a week like some bodybuilders or athletes.  You would quickly overtrain and actually regress further away from your goals if you tried.  All these things will slow down recovery.  I don’t train over four days a week and I would say my nutrition, sleep, and stress levels are excellent.  I also have been training for almost eight years.  Remember more is not always better!

·         Q) How can I afford personal training isn’t it expensive?

A)     No, people can afford it. It is just a matter of how much you want to invest in your health.  I meet people who will eat out five times a week, buy a Starbucks coffee every day, go for drinks….this list could go on forever.  Get rid of the unhealthy choices in your life and invest that into your health and set your priorities straight.   Even myself being a trainer; has a coach who I pay to keep me on track, and I even used to have one when I was in university.  So if I could find the money for it while in school I believe it is more affordable then you think.

·         Q) Why can’t you just write me a program and well check up in a month?

A)      This doesn’t work for many reasons.  As a trainer it is hard for me to customize your program when I am not there to see your progress.  This is also a problem for me to make sure you are doing the exercises properly and pushing yourself.  Without the intensity you will not progress!  Also when I see you in a month and you haven’t been to the gym since it’s a problem.  I’m there to keep you accountable and make sure your workouts get not only done but finished properly.