Personal Trainers & Myths

What do you think of while thinking of personal trainers?

There are quite a bit of myths out there. While some think that personal trainers are perfect and know everything that there is health related or only consuming protein shakes. The fact is that none of it is true. Below are probably the myths and their truths. So here we go!

1. We eat healthy ALL of the time.

No we do not! I try my best to eat healthy, but every so often I will have a large coffee (with a little extra creamer), ice cream (chocolate ice cream with cheesecake from Dairy Queen) or sometimes Pringles. Like everyone else, we aren't perfect. It is true that we might be more conscious of what we put into our bodies. Me personally, I like balance when it comes to eating. I do like to "reward" myself occasionally.

2. Our focus is fitness 24/7.

Of course we love what we do, but we don't eat and sleep fitness every moment of our day. Some of us work part time as a personal trainer as well and have full time jobs. For instance, I work as an Audio/Video Technician full time and a personal trainer part time. Me personally, I love being a personal trainer, but I do enjoy hobbies as well like carpentry and martial arts. Some of us even have families like I do. Anyone with children under 7 can relate.

3. We always know what to do to get you that perfect body.

As silly as this sounds, we don't always know. Why? Keep in mind that we're constantly learning new things to better ourselves at what we do. Certain personal trainers may specialize in an area which may give them an upper hand over anyone else. A trainer whose focus is more on endurance, speed and power may not be the best person for an older client who had a knee replacement. To be honest, it would be a great idea to find a trainer who can meet the goals that you may have and can identify with.

4. True or False: Personal Trainers exercise and work out everyday.

Again, another myth that I'm sure many people may think that is true, but is actually FALSE!

We all have responsibilities or obligations that have to be met. That may even set us back an entire week with not being able to do a full work out or in some instances not at all. It doesn't mean that we can't do our job or find time to be a human billboard for themselves.

5. Our goal is to make sure you're always in pain.

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness is when you use a muscle that you have never used to haven't used in a long time. Basically, you're stressing the muscle tissue out more than it's ever been used. You should definitely feel pain when you're starting a fitness training routine or changing your regiment of what you may currently do, but it's a problem if your metabolic stress, mechanical stress and muscle damage aren't being monitored. If all of these are being monitored then your recovery time shouldn't lead to any injuries; therefore, you shouldn't always be in pain either.

6. Every Trainer is in the business only to make money.

Getting paid is great, but in order to succeed and survive we have to get paid for our time and expertise based on what we specialize in, amount of acquired education/knowledge, certifications, etc. One thing I ALWAYS remember is that my client's success is my success as well. Not just financially, but personally too. Some trainers do cool things like I do which is not charging a client for a session or giving them something that THEY can benefit from mostly. Also, every personal trainer has a story which led to personal training being their passion, if they stuck with it.

7. Personal Trainers are also required to know and give you a nutritional plan.

This myth has its own fine line. Personal trainers can give you advice on nutrition as long as it doesn't cross over the line when it comes to a statement/fact versus a recommendation according to government guidelines. That means I can't tell you that you should take Omega-3 supplements to lower your blood pressure. I can tell you that lowering blood pressure is a benefit of Omega-3 supplements. What if you're allergic to seafood? Omega-3 is a big source from fish. Oops! (Do you see where I'm going with that? Yes, that bad advice could send you to the Emergency Room.) Only Certified Dieticians, Nutritionists, Doctors, etc can make these suggestions. Personal trainers can partner with your Doctor, Dietician or Nutritionist.

I'm sure there are more myths out there that can be pointed out, but if you have a question about something that you heard, feel free to ask!

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