Do you like to workout? Do you hate to workout? Believe it or not, both are good reasons to hire a personal trainer.
As you reflect back on March, designated National Athletic Training Month, you may want to rethink your fitness game plan.
According to NATA.org, “National Athletic Training Month is held every March in order to spread awareness about all that athletic trainers do.” The organization's motto is “Every Body needs an athletic trainer.”
As a trainer I have trained hundreds of people with different goals and motivations or in some cases with a lack thereof, which is another reason they hired me.
According to IDEAFIT.Com, “There’s a reason movie stars and financial moguls use personal trainers: The benefits of working with a personal trainer is one of the fastest, easiest, most successful ways to improve your health and fitness."
But now, fitness has gone main stream, with people from all walks of life, seeking to look and feel their best.
Philadelphia based certified trainer, Jim Ferris of GymFerris.com said, “There are a few reasons why people need a trainer, some of which are laziness, need a push or to have a person there with them.”
His philosophy on training is, “to prevent injury, enhance performance, and educate as much as I can. I believe in science, I believe in application of theories and practice, I believe in doing things the right way.”
Ferris’ background has been training many elite athletes, primarily among the Philadelphia 76ers. He has found that “most people do not understand movement or why they are in pain.”
He is a Functional Movement Screen Expert and uses that system to initially evaluate clients. According to ExerciseBiology.com, “Functional Movement Screen (FMS) screen consists of seven different tests to assess movement patterns which are thought to be the fundamental movement patterns or human movement.”
The personal training industry is also seeing an evolution towards fitness boutiques or studios instead of large gyms. One such boutique style facility is Fit Tribe in Havertown, Pennsylvania. Its website is at www.fit-tribe.com/
Certified trainer and owner Jesse Davis said that his group style training facility focuses on interval based training with a workout designed for metabolic efficiency. He said that group training is successful because “participants are more likely to work harder and more likely to commit to a community.”
Group training is also a fraction of the cost of one on one training. Davis said that the key is “to find a program that will keep them accountable and keeps them coming. “
At Fit Tribe each member is weighed weekly and required to show up for scheduled classes. Body fat and measurements are also taken monthly with all of their progress tracked.
A nutritional plan and support is another key component for what he refers to as his “Tribers.” For those who join the tribe he makes it clear, “we don’t sell workouts, we sell the outcome, results ... a healthy lifestyle.”
Online Resources:
“National Athletic Training Month – NATA.org.” National Athletic Training Month. Web March 29 2013.
http://www.nata.org/national-athletic-training-month
“Top 10 Benefits of Hiring a Personal Trainer – IdeaFit.com.” Idea Fit. Web March 29 2013.
http://www.ideafit.com/fitness-library/benefits-of-a-personal-trainer
“Functional Movement Screen – Exercisebiology.com.” Exercise Biology. Web March 29 2013.
http://www.exercisebiology.com/index.php/site/articles/functional_movement_screen
Gym Ferris –Jim Ferris. Interview. Web March 29 2013. www.gymferris.com
Fit Tribe – Jesse Davis. Interview. Web March 29 2013. www.fit-tribe.com
Joanne Sgro-Killworth is a Television Fitness Expert, Certified Personal Trainer and Sport Nutritionist. She is Certified in Pilates, Pre-natal/Post-Partum, Yoga and Senior Fitness. She specializes in Weight Loss, Post-Rehab and Post Cancer Training.
Joanne's fitness plans and recipes are available globally on her website www.fitnessanswer.com. She resides in the Phoenix, AZ area with her husband and son, where she runs her personal training business, Fitness Answer, LLC.
Reviewed March 29, 2013
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith