3 Rules For Working Out Without A Trainer

You don’t have to drop a bundle to get in shape. Just be extra careful.

Some of the best money I’ve ever spent was on a personal trainer. A training package came with a new gym membership. As long as I was throwing money around like it was scrap paper, I thought, why not?

The Mr. Universe lookalike assigned to me acted like he couldn’t care whether I ever grew a muscle or not. I was sure his program of weights was going to break every bone in my body. Imagine my surprise when a few weeks later, he upped my weights. The ten-pounders I’d started with now seemed like toothpicks during my bicep curls. And I’d never suffered an injury.

I came to love pumping iron and developed actual definition on my upper chest and arms. I had kissed my fiftieth birthday goodbye a few years earlier, so I was totally jacked at my progress. I’d never have been able to do it without a personal trainer.

Not because you can’t get fit without someone hovering over you. I’m about to show you how you can do that. I, however, would never have dared to try pumping iron without a big bruiser insisting I lift weights or die. Or something like that. While that first trainer never greeted me with a smile, he gave me a boatload of motivation and guidance. I’m forever grateful.

I’ve had several trainers since then, but I’m undertaking my current fitness commitment on my own. Trainers are no longer in my budget, but fortunately, I recall most of their tips.

However, if you don’t have a trainer, exercising outside your comfort zone should be undertaken with some respect for your body and its limits, as well as its potential. If you don’t do anything more strenuous than moving from the couch to the refrigerator and back again, then I’m talking to you.

Had it been up to me way back then, I would have used my new gym membership for slow walks on the treadmill. I was totally about staying within my comfort zone. These days I’m not afraid of any workout routine, as long as it falls within my safety zone.

Now I know that anyone can undertake a rigorous, safe workout without going into debt for personal trainer sessions. However, whenever you change your health routine, be it diet or exercise, you should always get an okay from a health professional. My recommendations assume that you have no medical or health issues that prevent you from embarking on a fitness program. If you do, your first exercise is to get expert guidance. Beyond that, when you’re planning an exercise routine without a trainer, you need to follow these three rules.

1. Find a program that meets your goals.

Anyone can take up walking to improve their fitness. If you’ve done time as a serious couch potato, just walking around the block every day will benefit your cardiovascular health.

If you have goals to participate in a marathon, however, walking around the block every day will not get you to competition level speed or endurance.

So first thing to determine is your fitness goal. Do you want to improve your cardiovascular health? Lower blood pressure or other risk factors to healthy levels? Lose weight, or just stay fit? Or, are you interested in body-building or sculpting?

Workouts are not one size fits all. Thanks to the Internet, you can find a program to help you reach your aims.

Fitness coaches and scientists in the field of body metabolism offer routines and programs on YouTube, for example, for every type of fitness objective. If you want to take up running to improve your general health because you’re tired of huffing and puffing when you climb a flight of stairs, you can’t start out running as fast as you can until you drop from exhaustion. Look for a running program that gives you the number of days to run, and the number of rest days in a week or a month. Search the internet for suggested times and heart rate zones to target.

If you’re interested in building muscle, don’t just start slinging weights around or lifting the furniture because you read a blog about using household articles instead of investing in exercise equipment. Sure, you can improvise. You can use a gallon jug of water in place of a kettlebell, but find a program that tells you how often to lift the jug, how many repetitions, and when to look for heavier objects to continue training your muscles.

How do you find a fitness program online? Here’s a link to searches to get you started. These are results for women, but you can search for workouts for men, workouts for abs, workouts to strengthen back muscles (should give you lots of abs), running for beginners, how to train for a marathon.

2. Find an app that teaches you the proper form for your exercises.

Let’s say your wife has teased you about your dad belly. She loves you for it, I’m not saying she doesn’t, but you’ve decided you want your college washboards back. Or, you’re hitting the weight room because forty is staring you in the eye, and you’ve said no batwings for me. So you’re lifting every barbell and kettlebell in the place, following a routine for developing your arms. But you look in the mirror and all you can see is your mother’s flab instead of the toned biceps you imagined.

Before you give up on your routine and decide you just don’t have any muscle fibers left so you might as well pack it in and head for the nearest artisan ice cream shop, ask yourself this question. Have you checked out an app that teaches you form?

Getting in shape isn’t just about huffing and puffing. It’s about putting the right amount of tension on the right muscles.

Have you ever noticed that weight lifters stare at themselves during their workouts? Don’t write them off as narcissists. Chances are they are working on their form. And I’m not talking about how good they look in their tight workout clothes.

When you hire a trainer, you’re not just paying for someone to count your reps on the TRX. Your personal guide is checking form, meaning whether your knees and feet are in the right position, and if you’re doing the exercise slow enough or fast enough. Are you stressing the right muscle or just one that is easy?

If your form doesn’t target your desired muscles, you won’t see the results you want. Luckily, trainers and fitness coaches make videos available to teach you the proper form for your desired exercise. You can also buy DVDs and online programs that, while requiring a payout, will be cheaper than a professional trainer.

Having a goal, a program, and a guide to proper form will help you undertake a training program on your own. However, there is one more aspect of training that’s crucial for success.

3. Learn the difference between pain for gain and pain for injury.

It’s mostly true that no pain means no gain.

I say mostly because you can work a muscle beyond its capacity and injure it. You can stress a joint by running too fast too soon, or too long without rest. Then you find yourself limping for days.

On the other hand, a hard exercise session that’s designed to work your heart and lungs or specific muscle groups to the limit will often cause burning and fatigue.

The number one goal of any exercise program is to work out without injury. How do you know the difference between pain for gain and pain for injury?

It goes without saying you must pay attention to your body, but muscles can be unreliable narrators when it comes to communicating discomfort. Just because you hurt after a workout doesn’t mean you should stop.

Do you have health issues that make you vulnerable to injury like arthritis or back pain? If so, have you cleared your workout with your health provider and gotten guidance on the types of exercises to perform and those to avoid?

If you haven’t, you should discuss with your medical expert the signs you’re putting a body part at risk. For instance, my orthopedic surgeon who’s familiar with my knee issues, told me not to use specific machines at the gym that stress the joint.

Make sure you have similar conversations if you have at-risk body parts.

Otherwise, familiarize yourself with the signs and symptoms of workout injuries. Here’s a site that gives general information on typical injuries attributable to workout fatigue or overuse.

In a nutshell, if you suffer joint pain, swelling, or weakness during or following a workout, stop what you’re doing and seek medical advice. If you’re tired and your muscles burn on the way home after a run but you’re fine the next day, it’s a sign you’re in the zone.

A regular program of exercise is one of the best prescriptions for continued health and well-being. Though they’re a nice luxury, we don’t need to spend a lot of money on equipment or personal trainers to stay in shape.

Follow these tips and enjoy your workouts and continued good health., as well as the boost to your pocketbook.