How do you know when it's time to get professional help?
- Stacy Bebber-Gartner
- Apr 24, 2022
- 3 min read
So, you're ready to be healthier. Maybe you want to loose some extra pounds that have creeped in. Maybe you're just looking to be stronger, faster, or change your physique.
If you scroll through social media and search #fitness you will see anything from running, to body building, to crossfit, all the way to circuit training and Jazzercize. The list of #fitness possibilities are endless.
So, how do you know what works and what doesn't?
First, you need to figure out what your goals are.
Do you want to run a 5K or a Marathon?
Do you want to do your first Spartan race?
Do you want to look better naked?
Do you want to be stronger?
Do you want to lose weight? or gain weight?
Do you want to be in a fit community?
Do you want to overcome an injury or recover from an illness? Just be healthier?
Once you figure out WHAT you want then we can figure out how to get it.
Want to run a marathon? Find a coach or research some training programs. Maybe join a local running club.
Want to do your first Spartan race? Hire a trainer and decide what areas of the race you need to improve on or where you need to start. You're going to need endurance and functional training.
Look better naked? I mean HELLO! This takes a combination of dialing in your diet, strength training and probably a little long term strategy. Can you do some research? Do you need a trainer or a coach?
No matter what it is that you WANT you have to figure out HOW to get there!
How do you know if you should hire a coach? Here are my top 5 reasons why find a professional might be your best bet!
Look for someone who specializes in what you are trying to accomplish. A new mom looking to recover from a pregnancy will be shopping for a completely different trainer than someone wanting to do a body building competition. To learn more about who I am helping visit https://www.stacygartner.com/.
Accountability. Even as a trainer I have hired coaches. You talk about your goals, work on a strategy to get there, and then you check in! They ask you questions, they are (hopefully) unbiased, and can give you perspective. Having to respond to that email every Sunday night or show up to their office Monday morning only to tell them you didn't do anything? Well, that's not happening. The simple idea of confessing to another human is most often motivation enough for me to be more mindful of my choices.
Motivation & Focus. Okay, so you decided what you want, maybe you bought some new workout clothes, and MAYBE you even have a plan. Well, now what? A coach can help to keep you motivated and keep your eyes on the prize. We are made to do hard things but MOTIVATION is not always there. DEDICATION is what keeps things moving along consistently when motivation is lacking. (Coach enters; stage left) This is quite literally where your coach comes in. They help to motivate you and keep you on track. They believe in you. And spending your heard earned cash isn't a terrible motivator either.
Technical Expertise. If you google "Half Marathon Training Plan" or even "How to look better naked" into the google you will find all sorts of free resources. I mean you can even go as far as to watch videos for free in YouTube. As a matter of fact you can see one of my videos on how to set up My Fitness Pal here https://youtu.be/wuILg3S6ua8. The problem with fitness is that there is no one here to SEE what you; to look at your movement patterns and prevent you from making some costly mistakes. There is also no one to give you feedback because, let's be real, if we were all the same there would be ONE workout and ONE diet and we would ALL be doing it! I can have ten clients at one time and not one single strategy works on the same person every time.
Long Term Strategy. You know what you want and how to get it but do you know what to do when it is over? Do you know how to maintain your progress or how to PROGRESS even further? I see this a LOT with nutrition clients. I lost the weight so NOW WHAT? Most people go right back to old habits and gain their weight back, stop marathon training after the big event and don't know how to taper to a regular schedule, or your weights don't feel heavy anymore and you're not sure how to progress. Working with a coach can give you a LONG TERM plan and if they aren't talking about this, especially a dietician or nutrition coach then you need to find someone else!
Think you're ready to take the next step?
Get a free consultation
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