Training in the New Year; Health Goals More Attainable With Trainer

By Paul Swiech

How to choose a fitness facility

Location

Location should not be the most important consideration, especially in Bloomington-Normal where most people can get to several clubs within 20 minutes, personal trainers agreed. But if that extra 10 minutes in the car means you won’t ever get there, consider a club that’s closer to work, home or school.

"If it’s not convenient, you’re not going to do it," said Todd Lowder of Fitness Quest, Bloomington.

Schedule

Are the club hours conductive to your schedule? As with location, if it isn’t convenient, it will be harder for you to continue.

Visit

Tour the club during the hours you would use it. That would give you an idea of the surroundings and how busy the club would be at that time.

What to look for

"You want to be around other people. But you don’t want it to be so busy that it would inhibit you from doing what you want to do because you can’t get access to the equipment," said Chris Weittenhiller of the Bloomington-Normal YMCA, Bloomington.

Consider also the cleanliness of the facility, friendliness of the staff, how people are treated and who is using the club at the time.

For example, some people may be turned off if serious weightlifters or children are using the club at the time. Some people want a family environment. Others want an adults-only setting.

"Most people will not start a new habit if the environment isn’t comfortable," Lowder said.

Classes and trainers

If you’re interested in classes, ask for a class schedule, said Mitch Smith of The Workout Company, Normal. If you want a personal trainer, ask about the club’s trainers.

Fees and contracts

Ask about the membership fee structure, the contract terms, whether the fee includes classes and personal training sessions, whether the club can change the fee and whether it charges an early- termination fee.

Some people don’t want to be tied down to a one-year contract. For others, that may provide them with additional motivation.

Fitness Quest, for example, charges $35 a month, or $30 a month for six months. Personal training sessions cost an additional $25 for a 30-minute session or $40 for a one-hour session.

Workout Company charges $49 a month, which entitles you to all classes but requires a one-year contract. After that, members may sign up month-to-month. Personal training costs $25 for 30 minutes or $40 for an hour.

YMCA membership is $37 a month for a year. Month-to-month, three- month or six-month contracts are available but cost more. Personal training sessions cost $35 an hour, $165 for five sessions or $320 for 10 sessions. ——– Today, some Central Illinois residents will decide to put their New Year’s resolution to lose weight and improve their condition into effect.

In previous years, many of them left the gym and returned to the couch by February, said Todd Lowder, a personal trainer and president of Fitness Quest Personalized Total Fitness, Bloomington.

Reasons are numerous. But your odds of success are greater if you have a personal trainer.

People who are self-motivated and have knowledge and experience in exercise may not need a personal trainer.

For everyone else, personal trainers can teach you appropriate and safe exercises to help you meet your fitness goals, while providing you with the encouragement and accountability you may need to keep going, said Mitch Smith, director of personal training at The Workout Company, Normal.

The stereotype that personal trainers are only for the rich and famous, for body builders or elite athletes went out with "no pain, no gain."

"My grandma in Wisconsin has a personal trainer," said Chris Weittenhiller, program executive director at the Bloomington-Normal YMCA, Bloomington. "We’re in the business of helping people reach their fitness goals."

For some people, starting an exercise program must begin with choosing a fitness facility and a personal trainer. The accompanying articles highlight what people should look for in a club and a trainer. ——How to choose a personal trainer Experience

Ask the trainer how long he or she has been working as a trainer. You don’t want to be a trainer’s first client.

Education and certifications

A degree in exercise science indicates a commitment to hard work, a willingness to learn and a certain level of education, said Todd Lowder of Fitness Quest.

Certification as a personal trainer indicates continuing education. But ask who did the certification. Some certifying organizations are more reputable than others, said Mitch Smith of The Workout Company. Reputable organizations include the National Academy of Sports Medicine, American College of Sports Medicine, American Council on Exercise and the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

Personality

Your personality and the trainer’s need to mesh or you won’t continue.

"There are great personal trainers who are type A personalities and there are great personal trainers who are type B personalities," said Chris Weittenhiller of the Bloomington-Normal YMCA. The job of the club is to try to match the client with the trainer. That’s why clubs employ a variety of personal trainers.

Some people want a cheer-leader. Some people want a drill sergeant. Others just want someone who’s low key but keeps them trained and safe.

Good personal trainers can adapt their approach to their client, Smith said.

Meet with the trainer. If you think it won’t work, ask to meet another trainer.

Schedule

As with the club, the trainer’s hours need to match your availability. If the trainer is available only during hours when it?~s difficult for you to get to the club, it won’t work.

Ask for references

A good, experienced personal trainer should be happy to share names and numbers of satisfied clients.

Discuss your goals

The personal trainer should ask you about your goals and discuss whether those goals are realistic and how to reach them. If the trainer immediately says "Here’s what you should do," that’s a red flag, Smith said.

"It should be all about you," said Cara Leisnhan, a certified personal trainer at Workout Company.

Get a health assessment

The first thing a trainer or fitness coach should do is give you a health assessment which includes getting your health history and measuring your cardiovascular endurance, strength and flexibility.

If they don’t start with a health assessment, they’re not being safe, Lowder said. Walk out.

Personalize it

After choosing a trainer, decide what type of arrangement works for you.

Some people want to meet with a trainer just once to get trained on what to do. Others have follow-up sessions from time to time so their technique may be checked and their routine may be updated. Others may work out with a trainer several times a week.

Of course, the fee depends on how often you meet with the trainer.

More people are opting for group training, meaning they may share a training session with someone else. While they won’t have exclusive access to the trainer for that hour, they will split the fee with the other client.