Not feeling challenged?
When you work together with a personal trainer, chances are you are doing so to have them keep you motivated throughout your workouts and help you achieve your goals. Now, you’ve been spending a lot of time at the gym doing your workouts, but you walk out of every session feeling less than challenged? This is probably a sign that your trainer is not pushing you enough, and potentially hindering your progress. So, is your trainer hindering your fitness progress?
Sure, there are times where less challenging workouts are appropriate and purposefully programmed, especially when you are recovering from an injury. However, if you constantly feel like your workouts aren’t moving you towards your goals, you should look more closely at your personal trainer. See whether they are actually challenging you or just trying to make you feel secure.
Don’t let your trainer hold you back!
Here’s what I mean; it’s no secret that most personal trainers rely on clients to make their living, meaning if they have and keep consistent clients then they’re set up for success. However, if they don’t keep their clients, then they don’t get any money, which can be scary for some trainers. This could result in them trying to keep you in a protective bubble where you cannot encounter any roadblocks. They keep your weights low and your exercises easier than necessary so that you consistently feel strong and successful in your lifts. This also means that they don’t end up pushing you past your comfort zone and so limit your potential.
Now for some, this might be exactly the kind of trainer they want, they are just there for a good workout and a good time. And that is fantastic! But, for others, this might be a problem. Those clients who have specific goals – such as weight loss, or increasing strength, or possibly even both – will most likely miss out on their opportunities to reach those goals. This doesn’t mean that every session with your trainer has to end up with you tossing your cookies after every set or you losing your past week’s water intake through sweat. But some sessions should include strategic pushes past your comfort zone so that your body can grow. You should feel as though there is a good balance between your workouts so you don’t feel over- or under-worked!
Failure will help you become stronger
Instead of trying to constantly aim for successes during training sessions, trainers should be comfortable with their clients being uncomfortable. After all, that is why we are here. We are here to help you learn something new and to help you push yourself physically as well as mentally past your comfort zones.
How are you going to get stronger in both of those aspects of your training sessions are aimed to make you feel safe and comfortable all the time? Failure is what helps you grow and reach your goals. If you make a mistake, you learn from it and improve for the next time. Struggling to hit that last rep of your deadlift? You train harder, more focused, and push past it, only to see that you can actually go up in weight within only a few weeks. Fail. Fail again. And again. Don’t let your trainer keep you in a protective bubble, but look to venture out for at least a few of your sessions. Get uncomfortable and watch your body grow stronger.
Tips on how to get on the same page with your trainer
If you feel like some of your sessions could be more challenging, work together with your trainer to find a balance across your training plan, so that you can grow stronger, and reach your goals. Here are a few tips on how to make sure you and your trainer are on the same page:
- Clarify your goals and be as specific as possible
- Be honest with your trainer and tell them when an exercise was too hard or too easy
- Allow yourself to be pushed out of your comfort zone
- Provide feedback after sessions to let your trainer know what you liked or didn’t like
- Don’t be shy to explore other options, this trainer’s style might not be for you
Again, keep in mind that your trainer is here to help you, so if you tell them you want more they will hopefully provide you with a bigger challenge. Stay motivated and keep chasing your goals and you will get there!
If you feel that you can be pushed more and that your trainer is hindering your fitness goals, contact us and schedule a complimentary consultation with us. CLIENTEL3 offers personalized training programs for you.