What do you need from a PT?

In the past when face to face was really the only way people saw a PT you’d have one or more sessions a week, maybe get a plan to follow in sessions alone (or perhaps you only trained with your PT), you’d discuss nutrition perhaps with them, maybe they’d measure body fat.

Lockdown did a lot to speed up changes in the way PTs can work though, online coaching was already starting to develop but the need to communicate remotely sped up the process of people realising they didn’t need to physically see a PT in order to get results.

Of course there are still benefits of seeing a PT in person, improving forma and technique, not to mention motivation, but in reality what you can get with online training brings a whole new element into coaching.

You will have heard PTs say what you do outside your one hour of exercise a day matters more than what you do in that hour, what you eat across a week matters more than one ‘off plan’ meal and other such variations of the same. In other words, what you do consistently matters more than any on moment, however good or bad.

So here’s where online coaching can be beneficial. Unless you have a very specific goal, are very new or nervous in a gym or really really lack the motivation to go, you don’t necessarily need someone by your side as you workout. What can be more beneficial is having someone in your corner to give you the push when you can’t be bothered, aren’t quite sure, are having a wobble. To answer the random questions when they come to mind (before you forgot them by your next session), to keep you on track every day not just one hour a week.

Getting fitter, stronger, leaner, whatever goal you have, unless it’s incredibly specific. I’m telling you it’s more about your headspace and consistency than it is your rep range or workout split or exact macros.

That isn’t to say face to face PT isn’t great, but really in the current world your face to face PT should be offering the online support the rest of the week as part of your package because success comes from much more than that specific training session.

Group Exercise Classes

My latest podcast delves into Group Fitness.

I talk about what group fitness really is, the negative spin it sometimes gets, wh I think people should give it a try, what the best group exercise for you is and some tips on how to make the most out of your group exercise experience.

Click Here To Listen

Goals

Do you know what I think we are all guilty of sometimes? Not being clear enough on our fitness goals.

By this I don’t mean training without a specific goal. I mean having a goal but not being clear on what that goal means and what you can expect from it

For instance – do you want to train for performance? This might also lead to you being able to reach an aestetic goal at the same time, but at other times training to reach a performance goal may mean you cannot also attain to or maintain a certain size / weight. You need to eat adequately to assist your training and this in turn could also affect your physique. Aspiring to both drastically change your shape and also hit a physical peak could lead to frustrating disapoitnment in yourself (equally trying to become a body builder and a marathon runner at the same time will probably end in tears).

Do you want to lose weight / get leaner / whatever you want to call it? Realistically to do this you need to eat less and move more. This might not be compatible with also aiming for a specific training goal, like lifting more, if you are drastically limiting your energy intake. Have you ever tried going harder in training sessions when you’re also eating less than normal? It’s not massive amounts of fun.

I have long said about myself that my training goal is largely mindset orienated. I train to feel good, it helps my mental health and acts as an anchor. Equally I enjoy eating and try not to be restrictive with my diet. For this I also have to accept that I’m not going to be super lean or be breaking any training records any time soon. Training has a point and that’s to kee me fit, healthy and to make me feel good. I can quite happily stick to light weights and not feel bad about myself.

If I wanted to change that, lose some weight or improve the amount I lift I’d also have to seriously reconsider how I approach my diet and how I train. I’ve done that before and it can, I’ve found, have a negeative effect on my mindset and how I feel about training. In trying to focus on multiple things it has a negative impact on the thing most important to me.

Essentially, we need to be aware that we can’t do everything. Of course, there will be knock on effects, you may well find that as you train for an event or to hit a certain PB you also find your body changes and you’re really pleased with that. But if you’re goal is one specific thing try honestly focusing on that one thing – not getting distracted by trying to do everything at once.