Personal Training Blog with Douglasville Personal Trainer David Hansey

Ok, I get questions every single day about group fitness classes at the Douglasville gym where I work. And people all have different opinions on what is fun and what kind of group fitness class they would like to do. Now once you figure out what you WANT to do – there is another question — WHAT CAN YOU DO — and following that — WHAT SHOULD YOU DO. Those steps are often ignored by people when choosing group fitness classes and they end up trying and getting frustrated.

There are some really amazing group fitness classes here in Douglasville. But some of them are really advanced classes – like full contact kickboxing classes — that are not for everyone. And while these might be classes you can do at some point or at some age, they may not be the class for you right now. There is a reason the injury rate in some of these high contact classes – such as full contact kickboxing – is high — it is because people are attempting to do these with no adjustments for their physical limitations.

A better plan for ANYONE — not just beginners — is to really research group fitness classes. A visit to your doctor is a must for everyone. And personally I feel a consultation with a personal trainer is well worth it. You can get your strength training workout customized for you AND you can find out what the details of every class are and decide which one is for you.

Fitness classes are fun and they can be motivating and they make a GREAT PART — yes PART not WHOLE — of your fitness routine. So do the research and find the right one for you right now.

Ok — How confusing for a consumer to figure out the mess of personal training certifications. And the fitness and personal training industries have not made it any easier — UNTIL RECENTLY.

Some states have been pushing for personal trainers to be certified….. that proposal sadly failed in Georgia. But as a response to that, IHRSA, which is the industry organization decided to look at how to determine the REALITY of when someone is a qualified personal trainer.

And board certification was born. There are only 6 certifications that are board certified. And ALL OF THESE ARE GOVERNED BY THE NCCA, which is the 3rd party chosen to monitor these certifications. So the board certification is NCCA and the actual certifications that qualify for board certification are NASM, ACE, NCSF, NFPT, NSCA and the Cooper Institute. It is YOUR MONEY — why not double check to make sure your trainer holds their certification from one of these and know that you are getting not only the best trainers but also trainers that have had to be held accountable to an industry standard and 3rd party testing.

ASK your trainer to show you their certifications if you are not sure. And compare it to the list — and gee ASK them why they do not feel the need to do the work to get one of these. No, they are not easy but like in any industry, there are TOOLS that you need.

If you would like to read the entire article from IHRSA and how Board Certified Personal Training came to be — then CLICK HERE!!

And YES, I am board certified and feel free to come by, I have my certificates out for you to look at and review ANY TIME YOU WANT

June is Men’s Health Month and it is a great time to reflect on the issues that PLAGUE men in the United States. There are so many health issues affecting men that it is hard to know where to start. Men suffer from a variety of diseases, but there are a few key diseases that all men should be concerned with as they affect a large number of men and there are many things you can do to prevent them.

When you are under 40, the top cause of death is accidental. Once you pass the threshold of 40, the top causes shift to heart disease, cancer, stroke and lung disease. Is 40 a magic number where you should change your lifestyle? NO! All of these causes have at least some factors that can reduce your risk (or prevent the issue all together).

There is no magic bullet here. I know you would like to hear that there is something simple that you can do. And, to be honest, there is something VERY SIMPLE that you can do to reduce your risk of DYING from these diseases.

They are things that your doctor has told you for years. Eat better. Exercise more. Control your stress. Live a healthy, active lifestyle.

If you continue to live with poor dietary habits, you increase your risk. If you continue to smoke or drink when your doctor has advised against it, you increase your risk. If you continue to eat more processed food than vegetables and fresh food, you increase your risk. If you don’t know your cholesterol level and haven’t visited your doctor in years, you increase your risk.

Does it make sense?

Weight loss can be challenging. It can also be frustrating. There are lots of things you can do to help make it easier and make those results more consistent.

My first suggestion to everyone starting out or stalling out is to keep a weight loss diary. Not forever, I know that can be tedious. Try a week to start. Write down EVERYTHING!!! All that you eat and all that you drink. There are often a lot of hidden calories in things like coffee drinks and gum and candy and snacks and juices and condiments and salad dressings — you get the idea. So focus on writing everything down. Then at the end of the week, do the calculations and find out where you have issues. This can be a huge asset when your weight loss slows or stalls.

Ok, now here is a simple fact. Apply the same logic to your workout. Write it down. Add up the time. While you may have INTENDED to get to the gym 4 times this week — if you only made it once and did not work out with the intensity or amount of time — then you are not being honest with yourself when it comes to working out.

Sometimes you truly need professional help like a dietician or a personal trainer. And those are great assets, especially if you have never worked out before or are just getting started. But for a lot of people, dramatic changes can happen by just getting honest.

Some people just find cardio hard. Either it is boring or not entertaining or easy to skip or you want it to be more social.

Well here is an easy way to make some family time, enjoy the fresh air and enjoy the beauty that is Douglas County. Douglasville and the surrounding area offers so many great places to go hiking — from Sweetwater to Cochran Mills to Clinton Farms to the amazing Silver Comet if you prefer walking on pavement to hiking.

And it is warm and beautiful and not hot and humid yet. So get outside. Try to vary your routine and hike at least once a week for a nice variety to your cardio.

I had a great hike this weekend (and a different one last weekend) just across the border in Alabama. There are literally HUNDREDS of places to hike within an hour of here — and there are DOZENS within 10 miles — so no excuses. Use nature for your workout and watch how if changes not only your fitness but also you mood.

Fitness is difficult, I KNOW. It is something you need to do daily. They say for every 30 minutes you exercise, you add one to two hours to your life. So really, you are actually MAKING time in a way rather than taking time away from your life.

You have a lot of things TO DO — I get that. Believe me I do. As a parent with a busy personal training business, I am out of the house at 5 am and a lot of nights I get back at 9pm. So yes, I know busy.

There is family, there are chores, there are bills — BUT STOP for a second.

First and foremost — THERE IS YOU!!! It is kinda like being on an airplane when the pilot tells you to put on your OWN emergency mask BEFORE helping others. Fitness is your life mask. Without a fit body, you cannot pick up your children properly, you cannot chase them at the playground (or stop them before they get into danger), you cannot do your job as well as you could — because you are tired, out of shape and worn out.

So it is important to find a way to prioritize fitness and find a way to fit it into your life — regardless of what other things you have going on in your life. If you just can’t do it on your own, some personal training sessions might be the right thing for you. But remember, you have to show up and WORK hard at those sessions and do whatever you are supposed to do between sessions to get the most results from personal training.

So, you ask yourself, is it possible to make personal training an option for anyone? Well, actually yes. Not that everyone needs or wants personal training all the time but it can add to everyone’s life.

I had a great new client last week who reminded me of this. One of my earliest clients was a wonderful lady who was having medical issues that were preventing her from walking. And I mean AT ALL. She came to her sessions in a scooter and really worked hard. We did a lot of corrective training and she still trains with me and walks — WALKS. It is such a dramatic change in a personal training client that it really touches your heart.

Well I was reminded of how important it is to have quality of life with my new client last week. She is a very nice lady also with medical issues that make day to day living uncomfortable and at times difficult. And when I have a client whose daily life can be so improved by personal training and I watch how hard they work — and how hard they want it — it is always dramatic.

Now I enjoy all my clients on many different levels and I love watching them succeed. But it is these clients who struggle with just their daily life that truly make my job rewarding and make me so happy to be a personal trainer so that I can help them to find a way to make that daily struggle easier.

Ok, here at the Personal Training Blog, I like to dish a good dose of reality.

I get a lot of people telling me that personal training is expensive. Like all professional services, it is not going to come cheap. And you get what you pay for. So a trainer who makes $9 an hour is going to most likely lack the professional training to give you a safe and effective workout.

Guidelines for personal training were established by IHRSA due to a serious need to determine the professional standard that you need to look at — CLICK BOARD CERTIFIED at the top of the page to read these guidelines. That is STEP ONE for you when looking for a personal trainer.

Now, once you have chosen a board certified trainer — you have a few responsibilities to meet your goals.
1- Show up early — and I mean at least 1/2 hour. This is when you do your cardio as well as get warmed up. It also buffers from any issues such as traffic so you don’t waste any of your time not training.

2- Show UP — Yes, if you cannot make an appointment, then cancel with 24 hour notice. Most trainers charge for last minute cancellations and be honest with why you are canceling. Is your child ill? Is your car tire flat? Or do you just want to do something else?

3 – Don’t sabotage yourself. If you are doing training with a personal trainer, disclose the other things you do. Do you not do ANYTHING else even though your trainer thinks you are doing cardio 3 times a week. Then be honest about it.

4 – Be realistic and honest about your goals. If you aren’t honest about your goals, it will be very hard for your trainer to establish a routine to meet them.

If you are able to stick to those things, you will find that your goals will come more into focus and become goals you can achieve.

Getting fit and feeling great is about more than just doing a bit of cardio in a group fitness class. And it is more than just showing up for a couple of personal training sessions. And it is more than just adding a few recipes to your diet.

It is about doing ALL of these things ALL of the time.

For personal training, you need to show up and work hard for your sessions (be on time, do the work — get the most bang for your buck) Also for personal training, make sure you are doing all the other workouts that you are supposed to. Like your cardio or strength training sessions that you are supposed to be doing between personal training sessions. Remember, the 1/2 hour or hour you spend with me is not enough

And for eating — find a way to control what you eat and how much. Do you need to keep a diary, do you need to seek out professional help, do you just need to learn a new way to cook, do you need to learn how to lighten up a favorite recipe. These are all things that you need to do to begin your journey to healthier eating. All of these things done together will seriously change your body and are WORTH IT!!

Group fitness classes can be fun. They can also be effective. BUT — for a lot of people, they are not enough. Fitness classes are designed to provide a workout (cardio workout) to a broad group of people. They cannot magically know all the things that make you unique. So you need to be careful when selecting one when you are a beginner to avoid injury or to ensure that you get an effective workout.

First step — go to your doctor to make sure you know that what you are considering is going to be effective for you.

Next step — pick a class that is ideal for beginners. I usually suggest spinning type classes because for most people, riding a bike is easy and you can just increase the intensity as your fitness level increases. Now that said, still might not be the right class for you so check with your doctor and take his advice.

Now, ANY class you are going to take — make sure that you show up early. This allows you to tell the instructor you are new – they should come over and introduce themselves — if not, be concerned!! Also, they should offer to help you make any special adjustments — for a bike class, this would be properly fitting you to a bike. For a kickboxing class, it would be showing you how to punch without hurting your elbow (or wrapping your hands if it is a gloved class). For a weighted class, it would be talking to you about what weights to use and anything you should watch out for.

IF your instructor does not come over — THEN APPROACH THEM.

It is your responsibility to take care of you so make sure you show up early and act like a sponge. And regardless of how you feel or what ANYONE tells you, do what you feel is right. If it feels wrong, it is. If it feels too intense, it is. Do what is best for you. If you need to modify your workout or slow down — DO IT. I tell people that if it feels too intense, then you should try just walking on the spot for a bit. But seriously — if it feels too intense or you feel weak or dizzy — STOP.

It will get easier and easier every time. So just what you feel you can each time and it will get easier and you will be safe.