Why you shouldn’t hire a personal trainer.

A number of years ago, a student asked me how I respond to a woman who says, “I don’t want to get big, bulky muscles.” For some reason, I was motivated to not give my usual answer—e.g., hormones, genetics, yadda yadda…. Instead, I quite quickly and bluntly responded: “Tell her she’s not willing to put in the work.” I hadn’t given it thought. It just came out. Thinking about my answer, though, I knew I was spot on.

People who build desirable (or undesirable) physiques in the gym have done so by making significant lifestyle changes and working extremely hard. There are very few who can quite easily add a significant amount of muscle with less effort. If such a person can but does not want to grow big muscles, lucky him/her. That person can spend less time in the gym and pursue other goals. Most—nearly all—of us can’t.

People hire personal trainers to help them accomplish their goals. Even the best and most knowledgeable trainer, though, cannot accomplish your goals for you. They can attempt to motivate and do their best to educate and provide an effective exercise and nutrition plan, but the execution is entirely up to the exerciser.

Motivated people will accomplish their goals. No amount of knowledge or pep talks will change the unmotivated. Hire a personal trainer, if you are willing to put in the required effort. Don’t hire a trainer, if you are going to waste his or her time.

A friend—a successful bodybuilder and effective personal trainer—recently held a 12-week weight loss challenge. Not one of those get-fit-quick and heavy-on-the-false-promises kind of challenge, but a legitimate let-me-teach-you-and-help-you kind of challenge. One-hundred and fifty people signed up. Only 39 finished the challenge and participated in the final weigh-in. This is not a failure on the part of the trainers involved. This is squarely on the shoulders (and certainly weaker shoulders than they could now be) of the participants—or should I say “non-participants”?

Change is only going to come for those who want to change. I teach the Transtheoretical Model of Behavioral Change in several of my classes. This teaches that there are stages to change that all must go through to succeed—i.e., precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance. Many spend their lives contemplating change and making excuses for their lack of success. When it comes done to succeeding–yes, there needs to be a well-designed plan for success (where a qualified trainer comes in)—the plan has to be executed.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!