Image by: LocalFitness
By Henry Vanger

Today’s gyms are loaded with amenities. Everything from pools to spas to personal trainers. In addition to your regular membership fee, many gyms offer the added bonus (at an added price) of hiring one of these personal trainers to offer private consultation and personal assistance.

This fee is often steep and the same results can be achieved at a much lower price with a little bit of intuition and know-how. Here are the things personal trainers don’t want you to know:

1#) Don’t Expect Results Immediately

Don’t get frustrated if you don’t see immediate results. There’s a good reason those advertisements claiming to be able to get you “ripped in thirty days” are confined to the lands of television; they’re often not what they claim to be. Actually obtaining the image of perfection you desire is going to take a fair amount of time and determination – not a task that can be accomplished in merely thirty days.

Don’t be fooled by fancy media advertisements or deceitful marketing; getting fit is a difficult, albeit rewarding, task. Not even the manliest of men can power through a workout in one month and automatically get fit.

#2) Don’t Give up Without a Fight

Exercise hurts. Exercise is painful. That is precisely how you know it is working! Power through the pain – it’s the only way you’re going to achieve your desired results. Don’t deny that it is going to come. Rather, come to terms with the fact that you’re going to have to get a little uncomfortable to get where you want to be.

No pain, no gain. More pain, more reward. Because getting fit is a difficult task, having a certain source of motivation is always a good idea. Whether it is to woo a lady, appear intimidating, or just obtain a clean bill of health, motivation is another key to victory. 

#3) Know Your Goals

If you don’t know what you want when you walk into the gym on your first day, you’re not going to be satisfied when you take a look in the mirror three months from then. Having a solid plan and concrete goals is going to help you exceptionally when you first start working out.

And, as always, remember to remain reasonable – don’t go overboard and expect to be a hulking mass of macho muscle within a month. It isn’t going to happen. If you even so much as think about skipping out on your workout, consistently remind yourself about how it will affect you negatively in the long run. This can be accomplished by always reminding yourself about your goals and source of motivation.

#4) Prepare Properly

Stretch, eat a healthy meal, and even wear the right clothing before you decide to hit the gym. Nothing can deter your progress more than being ill-prepared for a workout. It can keep you from achieving your maximum potential. Remember to establish a healthy diet and come up with a steady, flexible workout plan. Always challenge yourself and never plateau on the level of difficulty.

This is often the reason many people choose to hire personal trainers, while a simple bit of research would return exactly the same information. For instance, take a look at this page here for a detailed analysis of the different workout methods available to you. Just as every person is different, every person will need to tweak the experience a little bit to cater to their own personal goals.

#5) Keep Track of Your Workout

With the various steps involved in crafting a solid workout plan, you should always strive to keep track of exactly what it is you are trying to do. Chart your progress in a notebook or on a smartphone/tablet. Remember that this is an especially necessary step; stagnating on your workout plans is never a good idea and will always sabotage your goals. A useful template for charting workouts can be found here.