San Diego Personal Trainers

Hiring a personal trainer is not a decision to make lightly. You likely will be working with your trainer frequently and for an extended period of time, so it is important that you choose a trainer who is qualified to help you reach your goals and whom you can work well with.

Look for a personal fitness trainer who has one of the nationally recognized certifications for personal trainers. Some of the most notable are the NSCA, ACSM, and Cooper certifications. The most knowledgeable trainers often also have a college degree in life sciences or related field of study. Finally, the trainer must be a good communicator, motivator, and have the right personality which fits with you, the client. It is also a good idea to ask the trainer for references or previous clients you can contact. The National Strength and Conditioning Association and the American College of Sports Medicine have released specific recommendations for selecting a qualified personal trainer Log into NSCA-CC.org
or ACSM.org for more details.

Session One: Assessment. We always begin with an assessment of your goals, as well as a discussion of your current level of health and fitness. Our initial assessment data is meticulously charted and graphed for future analysis.

Session Two: We get you started on your individualized exercise program carefully designed to improve integration and synchronization of the whole body. Our programs are meticulously designed to help you reach your goals in the most time effective way.

Subsequent Sessions: You get personalized attention at each session to make sure you're on track with your goals, exercise and diet. All workout sessions are carefully charted for future reference. Periodically we repeat biometric testing to assess changes in body composition and shape. All clients receive a written progress report at the end of 4 weeks. Additionally, we routinely give you articles to read and mini quizzes to reinforce what you read

This varies depending on several factors. The intensity and frequency of your workouts, genetics, nutritional habits, and age can all play a role in the results you see and feel. Many clients notice a change for the better in their energy level very shortly after beginning to work with a trainer. Your body will begin to benefit from regular exercise immediately.

As far as physical results, you should not expect noticeable changes in your appearance immediately. Of course there are exceptions to this, especially if you are training intensely, but immediate physical changes are not realistic for most individuals. The mass media markets a lot of quick fixes, but most people that have lost weight and kept it off long term do not resort to these gimmicks.

You will begin to change your body composition within the first several weeks, but consistency is the key. Slow and steady weight loss is preferrable to losing a lot of weight really quickly. Studies show that individuals who make consistent lifestyle changes and stick with them lose weight slowly and steadily, and as a result, they keep it off.

Proper, consistent eating habits and a varied toning and cardiovascular routine are usually the answers for an individual who has hit a plateau in their quest to lose inches and weight. Reducing your sugar and starchy carbohydrate intake, eating smaller more frequent meals a day, and increasing your consumption of proteins are great starts to changing your eating habits.

The toning routine should consist of lower weights and higher repetitions. Your cardiovascular exercises should last at least thirty to sixty minutes and train at an intensity between 65% and 75% of your max heart rate. As always, we recommend consulting with your physician and a certified personal trainer before beginning any new exercise routine.

Losing 15 pounds in one month is NOT realistic and NOT healthy! Don't get me wrong, it can be done, but it should NOT be done! A great goal for weight loss would be 1 to 2 pounds a week MAX! No more than that. Health professionals around the world believe that a rapid weight-loss program that encourages anything more than 8 pounds a month should not even be considered.

Slow weight loss, 3-8 pounds a month, is much better for your heart and can help your body reset its "weight clock." Rapid weight loss can be extremely hard on our heart and organs, not to mention be a huge "shock" to the body. This shock can cause the weight that you rapidly lost to rapidly reappear and then some) when you fall back into your "normal habits." Rapid weight loss can also lead to loss of lean muscle mass, which, again, is very bad for you. It is crucial to hold on to as much lean muscle mass as possible to ensure maximum daily caloric expenditure (max calorie burn) as well as maintain high levels of strength and endurance.

The bottom line: Do your daily cardio and strength training, but be aware of your weight loss. Quick results are NOT the answer! A decision to eat healthfully, increase daily activity (cardio) and develop lean muscle mass (strength training) is what needs to take place to ensure a safe and healthy way to achieve maximum body fat loss

The frequency of your workouts will depend on your specific training goals as well as the intensity and length of each workout and your current fitness level. However, there are some general guidelines for individuals starting an exercise program. The American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association recommend that you exercise aerobically for at least 30-60 minutes 5 days a week. This is a minimum recommendation for the general population to lower your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other health risks associated with being sedentary and having poor cardiovascular health.

If you are trying to lose body fat, you should probably do more than 30 minutes a day of cardio, with 1 or 2 days off each week. Resistance or weight training is also key for losing body fat and should be incorporated into a balanced fitness program. Again, the length of your workout will also depend on the intensity of the activity you participate in. If you are beginning a resistance training program, you should plan to lift weights around 2-3 days per week to start. Allowing your muscles time to rest and repair between workouts is critical when following a resistance training program. Always take at least one day of rest between resistance training sessions (or more if you are sore), or exercise different muscle groups on different days to give each muscle group adequate rest.