Personal Fitness Trainers

Hiring a personal trainer can be a huge benefit for some people. Particularly if you find that you need extra motivation to get yourself to exercise. Yet, finding a good trainer can be tough. You have to ask youself how much motivation do you want and how do you want it?

Tough Trainers

A tough trainer probably won't deal with your excuses. You will be pushed beyond what you think you can do and you may not like it at the time, but you get results. This type of trainer usually doesn't mess around and expects you to put in 100% effort every session.

Highly Motivated Trainers

A highly motivated trainer is good at keeping you going through a positive attitude. They may remind you how well you are doing, the type of progress you're making, and make you feel really happy about your efforts.

Personally, if I were to have a personal trainer, I'd want someone who would be tough on me. It's too easy to slack with someone who is too nice. Below is a good example of a tough trainer. He may not be your style but his methods seem to work for a lot of overweight individuals (primarily women.)

Hot Mess Fitness

What do you think? Over the top or effective?

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I was reading a recent article about comedian Steve Harvey and how he has taken control of his health at the age of 51. Steve is starting a fitness campaign called "50 and Fly" which is geared towards encouraging males 40 years of age and older to stop using age as an excuse not to be in shape. The cool part of his fitness regimen is that he is being trained by 8 time Mr. Olympia Lee Haney. There were a couple of quotes by Lee Haney in the article made a lot of sense:

"Eat for what you're about to do, not what you've done." (Translation: if you're about to work out, eat carbs; if you're about to go to sit on your butt, eat a small meat-and-vegetables-only meal.) And, "Stimulate, Don't Annihilate." (Translation: You don't have to tear up your muscles to see results.)
[Source: MensFitness.com]

Those are two important things to remember. Many times, it is common to eat junk and then workout in order to burn off all the fat and calories you just ate. It is much better to eat healthy meals in order to fuel your body and give it energy for a workout.

Another common misconception is that you have to workout until you're in pain to make any progress. People of all ages should try to avoid over training when possible. You don't have to be in pain to make any gains. It's important to have a good level of intensity in your workouts but not to constantly over do it.

You can read the entire article below:

Funnyman Steve Harvey reclaims his body

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I have heard and read about personal trainer stories that just make you wonder where did these personal trainers get their training from? For those of us who seek out the help of a personal trainer, it's important that we don't end up with someone who isn't very qualified or just doesn't care about their client's well-being. As with anyone you hire to provide a service, you want the best for your money. How can you know if a personal trainer is qualified and genuinely cares about helping you? Below are some things to look out for.

Beware of the personal trainers that:

Tell women not to lift weights
I won't go into the details of the importance of lifting weights for both women and men, but if a personal trainer tells women not to lift weights - dump that trainer fast!

Cut your calories to a dangerous level
Reducing calories helps in shedding pounds but be weary of a personal trainer that suggests reducing calories to dangerous levels. If you're in doubt consult with a nutritionist or your doctor.

Won't track your progress
I've seen both types of trainers at my gym. The ones that carry a log book or clipboard as they train clients and those that don't. If I had to choose one, I'd consider the one that is logging their clients progress. A good trainer will track everything - exercises, weight lifted, measurements, sets, reps, etc.

Tell you that you must purchase vitamins and supplements
This will happen most often in the larger gym franchises. Many times the personal trainers are also pressured to upsell these items. A recommendation is fine but they shouldn't make you feel like they are required to be in shape.

Daydream while they're spotting you
A trainer should not be dazing off into the distance as you are performing your reps. They should be focused on you ensuring that you have proper form and that you aren't struggling with the exercise.

Push you too hard
Most people think that working out hard is a sign of a good trainer. A bad personal trainer will take advantage of that and push you beyond your limits to avoid really doing their job. You shouldn't be in pain after a training session.

Tips before hiring a personal trainer:

• If you're going through your gym ask about a free training session before buying a package
• Check certifications (some good ones include ACE, ISSA, NASM)
• Ask for referrals from friends or family
• Check references

Those are just some of the things to be aware of when considering a personal trainer. Feel free to leave more tips or advice in the comments.

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Most people admire a celebrity or two for their physical fitness habits. Staying fit is practically a requirement for celebrities who want to continue to land the big movie roles. A majority of them hire personal fitness trainers who gain popularity for training some of the big name stars. I tracked down some of these celebrity trainers who have written books or have DVD's for anyone who wants to know the secrets of celebrity fitness.

Michael George - Body Express Makeover
Celebrity clients includes Reese Witherspoon, Tobey Maguire, Julianne Moore, Meg Ryan, and Christian Slater.

Mark Jenkins - The Jump Off: 60 Days to a Hip-Hop Hard Body
Celebrity clients include LL Cool J, Beyonce Knowles, Mary J. Blige, Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, and Missy Elliott.

Gunner Peterson - The Workout: Core Secrets from Hollywood's #1 Trainer (Zone Books)
Celebrity clients include Bruce Willis, Matthew McConaughey, Sylvester Stallone.

Harley Pasternak - 5-Factor Fitness
Celebrity clients include Alicia Keys, Eva Mendes, Halle Berry, Orlando Bloom.

Jeanette Jenkins - The Hollywood Trainer Weight-Loss Plan: 21 Days to Make Healthy Living a Lifetime Habit
Celebrity clients include Queen Latifah, Kimora Lee Simmons, Christina Applegate

Mark Blanchard - Mark Blanchard's Progressive Power Yoga - The Sedona Experience
Celebrity clients include Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Aniston.

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