The Secrets Of Personal Training

There are many reasons people consult personal trainers. Some are looking to improve their performance in a particular sport and others are just looking for new workout ideas, but the client many trainers see most often wants to "get in shape," which is a vague and ill-defined goal. There is so much misinformation circulating through the Internet, infomercials, magazines and pop culture that the fundamental principles of fitness get lost, and trainers begin dispensing the same nuggets of information to the majority of their clients.

Do More Cardio

The official guidelines for aerobic exercise are a minimum of 30 minutes per day, five days per week. Many clients congratulate themselves for meeting that goal, and their hearts thank them. But when they wonder why they're not losing weight, the answer is because they're no doing enough cardio. Thirty minutes per day is the minimum for cardiovascular health, but weight loss requires 60 to 90 minutes per day for most people. A leisurely walk won't cut it, either -- find your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220. Keep your heart rate between 70 and 80 percent of that number for the duration of your workout to burn the most calories and ensure that most of them come from fat instead of carbohydrates.

Lift Weights for Weight Loss

Women especially tend to shy away from weights for fear of looking like a bodybuilder. The truth is, a regular twice-per-week strength training routine is an important tool in weight loss because it increases your muscle mass. Muscle mass uses more energy than fat, so you'll burn more calories in a day, even when sitting still. Use a weight heavy enough that you cannot do more than 12 reps. Bodybuilders use weights heavy enough that they cannot do more than four reps -- that's where the muscle growth happens.

Diet Matters

Diet doesn't only matter for weight loss, it is the fuel that powers your life. If you put in bad-quality fuel, you'll get poor performance out. Use an online calorie calculator to determine how many calories you should eat daily. Make sure that 45 to 65 percent of your calories comes from quality carbs like fruit, vegetables and whole grains. Keep your intake toward the higher end of the range if your workout is mostly cardio. Get 10 to 35 percent of your calories from lean protein like legumes, fish and lean meat -- stay toward the upper end of the range if your workout is mostly weight-based. The remaining 20 to 35 percent should come from healthy fats like seeds, nuts and olive oil -- without fat, your body won't absorb vitamins and minerals like it should. Keep saturated fat like butter as low as possible, though.

You Don't Need Pills

A multi-billion-dollar industry exists to tell you that you cannot possibly get in shape without the latest diet pill or muscle building supplement. That is patently false. Over-the-counter diet pills have never been shown to be both safe and effective, and most muscle-building supplements don't work. The only formulas that are effective are by prescription only, and your doctor will only prescribe them if you meet a certain criteria. Even then, they're not safe for extended use. The only supplements recommended for use are meal replacement bars and protein shakes, and that's only for bodybuilders who have a difficult time getting all the calories and protein they need in a day. You cannot rely upon a package for fitness, you must rely upon yourself.

Your Workout Shouldn't Be Easy

So many commercials promise miraculous fitness results in only minutes a day with little to no effort. The truth is, an effective workout is never easy. If you are not sweating and breathing harder, if your muscles don't feel tired afterward, you are not working hard enough to change your body composition. You may still reap the other health benefits, but you will not build a six pack or flatten your tummy unless you constantly challenge yourself to go faster, further and lift more weight than you did the last time.