Should gym beginners hire a personal trainer?

Many people think that there is no need to hire an expensive personal trainer. Just go to the gym, warm up by running on the treadmill or following the instructions on the exercise machine to achieve effective training.

In fact, there are many videos online instructing gym exercises. Moreover, the cost of hiring a PT is not cheap, ranging from 500,000 - 900,000 VND/1 hour of practice, so not everyone can afford to pay that amount. However, many people affirm: "If I had money, I would work out with a PT".

Ms. Le Ngoc Anh, 32 years old, living in Ha Dong, shared that when she first started practicing, she had no intention of hiring a personal trainer, but after 1 month of practicing on her own, not only did she not lose any weight, but she also almost got injured many times.

Ms. Le Ngoc Anh has been practicing PT for many years (Photo: NVCC)

"In my head, I just thought I had to use force. I didn't know where to use force, nor did I know what was right. Then I decided to try asking a PT for guidance. After the first session, I was so tired that I couldn't walk. A trainer not only teaches you how to exercise, but also lets you know how it really feels after exercising," Ngoc Anh shared.

With 20 years of experience in sports and 10 years as a gym PT, Mr. Nguyen Ba Duc, working at a Fitness facility in Nam Tu Liem district (Hanoi), said that those who are starting to pursue the gym and lack knowledge about bodybuilding, especially women, should have a trainer to guide them.

Sharing with Vietnamese Family, Mr. Duc said that he has witnessed many cases of self-training leading to unnecessary injuries.

"Many people think that squatting seems simple, but if done incorrectly, it will affect the back. Or there are people who practice shoulder presses but do the wrong movements, causing muscle imbalances leading to shoulder dislocation. There are even people who fumble around practicing this machine and that machine, without a clear training plan, and will not achieve effective training results. Meanwhile, our trainers will guide and create a systematic training plan based on the physical condition and goals of each student," said Mr. Duc.

In fact, even bodybuilding champions Phil Heath and Physique Jeremy need personal trainers to help them with their workouts.

According to Mr. Duc, during the training process with a PT, the trainee not only learns how to perform the correct movements but more importantly, can learn systematic bodybuilding knowledge and understand why they should train this way.

"We will support students from the basics such as how to warm up, how to breathe, deciding how often to lift weights and how to choose weights, sets and repetitions, and instructing students on which exercises are effective for each muscle group. This will help students better understand themselves and their physical fitness," said Mr. Duc.

When practicing on your own, it is easy to get distracted by too many interesting exercises or exercise machines. But with PTs, they will determine for students the appropriate exercises and exercise machines that are really necessary.

Anh Duc thinks that people who are new to the gym need a trainer to guide them.

In Mr. Duc's opinion, exercise equipment is like a double-edged sword. If used correctly, it will help the practitioner, but if used incorrectly, it will cause harm. Many people get injured due to improper exercise, such as knee pain, shoulder pain, etc., even injuries that force them to stop exercising.

According to a study from the American Council on Exercise (ACE, 2019), people who work out with a personal trainer have a 30% lower injury rate than those who work out independently at the gym.

"It will be difficult for non-professionals to master the force points and training intensity of each movement. If the intensity is low and the stimulation is not enough, the effect cannot be achieved. If the intensity is too high, it is easy to overload and can damage the body's tissues," Duc explained.

In addition, at the level of a qualified PT, they will not only be trained in physical exercise but they will also learn about nutrition and the impact of nutrition on the training process.

Therefore, Mr. Duc believes that when practicing with PTs, students will not only get the best physical exercises but also know how to eat and choose food to achieve their goals in the fastest and most effective way.

Source: https://giadinhonline.vn/nguoi-moi-tap-gym-co-nen-thue-pt-rieng-khong-d205181.html