As a personal trainer and wellness coach, I get asked a lot of questions. Will doing this help get rid of this? Why can’t I lose weight? What is the point of all this anyway? In order to make it easier for you, I have outlined the top 5 questions I get asked all the time—and answered them for you. This way, if you have the same questions, you may now have all the answers:
But as always, if you have different questions be sure to email or ask during a class. You know I love to help and answer questions.
Here we go…
1. How Often Should I Work Out?
I get asked this at least once a week. And the answer is always the same: You should be working out a minimum of 3 days each week. Anything less than that, it may feel like you’re starting from scratch and you could be sore each time. The official recommendation from the ACSM (organization governing personal trainers) is for you to exercise at least 150 minutes each week—and you can break that time up into smaller segments to help reach your goal.
2. Should I Eat Before I Work Out?
Exercise takes a toll on your energy levels. And if you’re not eating BEFORE your workout, the workout itself may suffer. Eating something small, and that’s easily digestible, is always a smart choice. My go-to pre-workout snack is often some fruit and yogurt, apple and peanut butter, or something else that is easily digested so I have the energy I need to push myself through the workout.
Big tip: Make sure that whatever you eat is an hour before the workout, so it can be digested and available for your workout. Your body will either use its blood to digest or to support your workout. It will always choose to support workout. This is why you may have experienced nausea or taken a trip to the closest restroom during a training session.
3. What Can I Do To Get Rid of Belly Fat/Thigh Fat/Excess Fat?
If you’re hiring a trainer, then you’re looking to lose weight or body fat. And while advertisements and media may try to trick you into thinking there is one exercise to get rid of that fat, the truth is: there really isn’t. You can tone the muscle using specific exercises, but they won’t help you burn off the layer of fat on top. It just won’t happen. As the saying goes: you can spot tone, but you can’t spot reduce. Bummer!
If you have excess body fat, it’s going to take dedication in the gym and dedication to your nutrition plan. If you’re committed to both, you’re going to see some pretty amazing results.
4. How Often Should I Work With A Trainer?
The safe answer to this question is once or twice a week. And it all depends on your goals and your motivation to reach your goals. If you’re someone who is highly unmotivated, then visiting a trainer more often could hold you more accountable than seeing a trainer fewer times.
And if you’re new, you may require more initial sessions to ensure your form is correct before scaling back on your training sessions. Form and safety first, speed and weight are secondary.
Keep in mind that your coach/trainer should provide you not only the tools for achieving your goals but tools for motivation and accountability also. For many of us (I say us because I am included here), we need someone to give us the push and be accountable for getting it done.
5. How Quickly Will I See Results?
You’re a busy person and you want to see results instantly; however, it may not happen. In fact, you may feel differences in your body before you actually see the scale change, or inches coming off. You may see changes in sleep, energy, stamina, and mood before the physical changes. Everyone is different—so one plan may not work for you as it did for someone else.
If you don’t see the results you were hoping for, it’s important you stay committed to the program—as the results will come, it just takes time. This is where most people fail. Lack of commitment. No instant results and they bail. Those who trust their coach and their program will always see results. Don’t quit.
There you have it, the top 5 questions I frequently get asked from friends, family, and members of IMpowered Fitness.
And if you’ve ever worked with a trainer or coach before, but never got your questions answered, go ahead and ask your question and I promise I will answer them.
P.S. If you have never worked with a coach or trainer and want to see sample what its like, or if you are ready to really apply your efforts and achieve your goals before year-end, send an email with the subject line ‘Coach’. We will schedule a sample session for you with me. 🙂
