When you pay for a service you expect to get the most from it - your personal training session should be no exception. Here are my top 6 tips for getting the most out of your personal training session.
Arrive early & warm up
Your personal trainer will prescribe an exercise plan that takes up the entire length of your session. In most cases for 30 minute sessions your personal trainer will assume when planning your exercise that you will warm up in advance. If you arrive late to your personal training session your personal trainer will have to make modifications to your exercise program to reduce the volume in order to fit within the time remaining. If you do not warm up before your session your personal trainer will have to progress the start of your session more slowly or include a quick warm up routine which can also lead to small changes being made to your original exercise plan. Arrive 5-10 minutes early and include either a run, walk, ride, or skip before your sessions starts.
Eat appropriately
Eating before your personal training session is important for maintaining an appropriate training intensity and for comfort. If you do not eat before you train you will have less energy available and the feeling of hunger can be distracting and uncomfortable. If you eat too soon before your personal training session, or the wrong types or amounts of food, you may feel bloated and your training intensity will be adversely affected as a result. The time it takes for a meal to digest is different for everyone and varies between 1-4 hours. Eating a meal 2-4 hours before your personal training session is important and should include predominantly lower glycaemic index (GI) carbohydrate (CHO), some protein and low fat. Some lower GI CHO options include wholemeal and grain breads, wholemeal cereals and pastas, basmati rice, sweet potato, beans and yogurt. Appropriate protein sources include lean meats, fish, eggs, beans, yogurt and milk. Eating again less than 2 hours before your personal training session can help to give you some extra energy. This meal should be smaller and include higher GI CHO options such as rice crackers, water crackers, pre-work out supplements, sports drinks, fruit juice, fresh fruit or other easily digestible snacks. Ideal timing of these meals is different for everyone so you will need to experiment to see what works best for you.
Stay hydrated
Your performance will be significantly reduced if you are not well hydrated. If you cannot perform at your best you will not get the most out of your personal training session. It is important that you aim to drink 8 glasses (approximately 2L) of water everyday. This estimated requirement may increase if you have a physical job or spend a lot of time in the sun or in a hot working environment. Aim to have a water bottle with you at all times so you are reminded to constantly sip on water throughout the day. It is important that you stay hydrated during your training session also so remember to have quick drinks between sets or in rest periods.
Get adequate sleep the night before
It is important that you are not exhausted when you arrive at your personal training session. Your trainer will not expect you to arrive at every session full of energy, this is an unrealistic expectation for most of us, however it is expected that you will be awake and alert enough to complete your training program. 6-8 hours sleep per night is recommended for most people. If you do not get enough sleep and you are too tired to move through your personal training session at a good pace you will not get the most out of your personal training session.
Mentally prepare
When you arrive for your personal training session you should be mentally prepared to work hard and be pushed. If you are not mentally prepared to work hard during your personal training session you will not get the most out of it. Don't be surprised that your personal trainer is constantly challenging you with heavier weights, more advanced exercises, faster speeds on the treadmill etc, after all that is their job and responsibility and why you have paid them to be there. Prepare yourself mentally for the challenge in advance of the session starting - this will help you push through when things get tough, and they will! You can mentally prepare by reminding yourself of why you are training, thinking about how good it will feel to reach your goals and by keeping in mind that you have made it through before and you can make it through again. Don't forget how good it feels when you finally finish and you can rush out the door - this is often described as the best part of the personal training session by many of my clients!
Keep active
You cannot expect to get the most out of your personal training session if you have not done any training since your last session. It is important that you keep active one way or another between sessions. This may mean playing social sport, walking the dog or going for a jog.
These are my top 6 tips for getting the most out of your personal training session. I hope you find them helpful!
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