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Thoughts on personal trainers

Trimming the fat

Thoughts on personal trainers

Trainers also demonstrate various exercises and help people improve their exercise techniques. They may also keep records of their clients’ exercise sessions and monitor their progress toward physical fitness. Most have certification from one of the personal trainer professional organizations, although there is no law in most places stating it as a requirement.

But let's step back in history for a moment. It wasn’t so long ago that people got fitness and weight training information from mail order courses found advertised in the back of popular magazines. Or muscle magazines like Iron Man, Strength & Health, and Your Physique told you how to train. (These were not the steroid bloated muscle magazines of today.) There was a scattering of gyms, usually independently owned, and the owner was also your coach.

On their own, many highly motivated strongmen and bodybuilders cobbled together workout routines and learned from each other. Supersets? Hmm. That sounds like a good idea. Let’s try it. There were barbells, dumbbells, and a few devices. There were a few experts. For the most part, it worked. Names like Reeves, LaLanne, Ross, Eder, and Efferman emerged. Not a bad lineup.

Today, a senior beginner walks into a modern health club and it’s an alien world. Strange cardio machines in neat columns fill a room. All manner of resistance devices fill another. Foreign names are everywhere. What are Cybex, Hammer Strength, and Magnum anyway? Still another big room harbors exercisers working in unison as a leader calls out instructions to the beat of loud music. Somewhere in the back of the club are the "old fashion" free weights — the iron — the barbells and dumbbells.

Sound daunting? It’s really fun once you get acclimated. But until you know the equipment and the basics, you may need a guide - a personal trainer - to demonstrate the exercises and equipment and take you through a routine. Will you always need a trainer? Not unless you choose to have one. Their services can be expensive. Still, I’ve met people who say they simply won’t exercise without a trainer to nudge them along. Most people get along just fine.

Can you still do it the old way? Sure you can. There are books and videos and web sites like this one to help you along. I’ve written a couple of training books. It doesn’t hurt to read them even if you are working with a trainer. Learning about the how and why of training is part of the fun. And knowledge leads to independence.

Even so, you may still want the services of a personal trainer. Suppose you have a chronic health problem or are recovering from an injury? A competent trainer’s advice can be invaluable.

Most health clubs have trainer lists. Ask if any work particularly well with seniors. Some trainers specialize in senior fitness. Meet with more than one trainer if you aren’t sure. Don’t be shy about asking questions and insisting on references. You should have confidence in your personal trainer’s good judgment and professionalism.

Here is a list of professional fitness organizations that educate, test, and designate personal trainer certification.

Caution: Probably the worst place to look for beginners’ workout information is in the muscle magazines that feature gigantic, steroid-built bodybuilders. The workouts they describe are usually unrealistic for most people — and made possible by drugs. As seniors, we should be smarter than that.

Trimming the fat

I've witnessed plenty of attempts at weight loss and/or diets that promise to make us stronger, leaner and healthier. Admittedly, I am not a dietitian, and my conclusions are based mostly on personal observation and experience. Still, I have had people in the sciences tell me the dietary guidelines in my books are quite sound.

The first sentence in the nutrition section of my book for senior beginners is this: “There are more eating theories and diet books than grains of sand on muscle beach.” What a clever sentence, I thought to myself, as I wrote it a few years ago. A little over the top? Sure. Still, there really is a glut of diet books crowding bookstore shelves.

My thesis goes on to say that you can gain or lose weight following any of them. But how can that be, it is reasonable to ask? It is true because no matter which program you choose, it will result in a reduction in your total daily calorie intake. Simple math is the big dietary “secret,” not the latest “breakthrough.” Eat fewer calories than you need to stay as you are and you lose weight. Eat more calories than needed, and you gain weight. It really is that simple.

Please don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying that all popular diets are equal. They aren’t. Long term, some of them may be unbalanced or lacking in certain nutrients. But if weight loss is your only concern and goal, probably any one of them will work for you. Some may do it a little quicker than others. But what they all have in common is that, if followed, your daily caloric intake will be reduced. And that means weight loss.

Find my own dietary guidelines here.

Your comments and questions are always appreciated. Simply click on the "Reply" bottom.

Sincerely,

Logan Franklin
The Gray Iron Fitness Newsletter
www.senior-exercise-central.com