Maybe it’s become increasingly challenging to find the motivation to stay physically active. Or you made some early progress but haven’t been able to break through to the next level. Perhaps you’ve never had a bona fide exercise problem and don’t know where to start.

If you are like many of our Atlanta clients at Eclipse – who often come to us seeking a gym trainer – you want to be happy, healthy, and functionally fit, regardless of your age, but find it difficult to achieve your goals on your own. Maybe it’s become increasingly challenging to find the motivation to stay physically active. Or you made some early progress but haven’t been able to break through to the next level. Perhaps you’ve never had a bona fide exercise problem and don’t know where to start.

A gym trainer can help you get in shape, lose weight, prepare for an upcoming Atlanta event (which includes everything from competing in a Tough Mudder to walking down the aisle), show you how to get started, or make your existing workout routine more effective.

Certainly, there’s no shortage of fitness guides and tips on the Internet and social media. There are scores of magazines devoted to the topic, from Men’s Health to Oxygen to Muscular Development. While all this information is great, it can be more overwhelming than helpful. Figuring out which workout plans to follow, what works for your goals, what kind of exercise equipment you need, how to use that equipment safely and effectively, and whether you can even stick to the workout plan is a daunting task.

Hiring a gym trainer is a big decision, but it can be well worth your time, even if you are only able to work with one on a short-term basis. A gym trainer can help tailor a custom plan just for you and provide invaluable support and accountability in your fitness journey. No matter if you’re just starting out, took a break from working out and want to get back into it, or are working out regularly but not getting the results you’re aiming for, a gym trainer is the perfect person to make sure you are doing exercises correctly and making the most of your time at the gym. If you’re wondering whether you need a trainer when you visit your Atlanta gym, then consider the three reasons below.

1. You’ll Receive Expert Instruction and Plateau-Busting Advice

The role of a gym trainer is to provide you with the right knowledge, resources, guidance, training, and skills so that you can achieve your health and fitness goals.

Regardless of whether you’re a beginner or have been working out for a decade or more at various Atlanta facilities, a gym trainer will provide instruction on how to perform specific exercises and use equipment correctly and safely. Your trainer will also formulate a comprehensive workout plan that is based on your goals, availability, and health history. If you have a medical condition or any other limitation (such as chronic back pain), the trainer will design a customized regimen that suits your needs and abilities.

If your goal is to complete a half-marathon or to fit into your dream wedding gown, your trainer will develop a personalized plan with clear timelines and short-term achievement goals that will safely and effectively enable you to succeed.

Without the benefit of a gym trainer, who knows which exercises are most effective for achieving your goals, you are setting yourself up for potential failure. For example, if your goal is to build core strength, but you spend all your time on cardio exercises, then you will likely be disappointed with your results.

Having a network of other specialists who become part of your fitness team, if needed, is a benefit established trainers bring with them. If you need to increase your range of motion and flexibility, want nutritional advice, or would like to incorporate massage therapy into your fitness program, your trainer should be able to refer you to the right specialists.

If you’ve worked out for any considerable amount of time, then you likely know that plateaus are an almost unavoidable part of any fitness routine. Why does this happen? It is because your body falls into a comfort zone from doing the same exercises day after day, which stalls your progress.

2. Your Motivation Level Will Soar

It seems that the more we exercise, the harder it becomes to stay motivated. Whether you work out in a home gym or belong to your local Atlanta fitness center, it is pretty much a matter of fact that, at some point in your fitness journey, you will feel discouraged.

This is why a gym trainer is so important; he or she knows how to motivate you to get the most out of your workouts. A trainer can encourage you to push past your self-imposed limits and challenge you to achieve more than you could achieve alone.

That’s not all. Working out takes effort – not only the working out part, but also planning the workout. A gym trainer can provide structure and do the “planning” for you so you can focus on “doing.” A trainer will also bring a fresh perspective and new ideas to challenge both your body and mind. You’ll enjoy having new exercises and equipment as part of your program.

Plus, you’ll find it’s very hard to slack off with a trainer standing over you, telling you to do just one more rep. You may find you have hidden strengths to tap, which can motivate you even more.

3. An Atlanta Gym Trainer Will Help You Achieve Higher Levels of Accountability

It has been said that when you make a commitment to someone else – instead of just yourself – the likelihood you’ll follow through on that commitment is much greater. In other words, we are more accountable to others than we are to ourselves. So, when you exercise on your own, it’s easy to skip a session by telling yourself you’ll work a little harder tomorrow, or the next day, or the next.

How many times have you gone to bed and said to yourself, “Tomorrow, I’m going to wake up early, go to the gym, and get in an hour-long workout before I get ready for work,” only to hit the snooze button the next morning instead?

However, a gym trainer is there, at your Atlanta facility, waiting for you to show up. It is much more difficult to skip the gym when a trainer is expecting you. Plus, your trainer reminds you of your reasons for wanting to exercise and helps you understand why it’s so important – even when you feel less than motivated.

The truth is, accountability comes from all kinds of places, both internally and externally. You may already have some intrinsic motivation to exercise, such as wanting to be healthier or to get off your high blood pressure medication, either of which could make you more accountable to yourself.

To keep exercising, though, you need external accountability, too – accountability not only to yourself, but also to your trainer.

If you struggle with accountability when it comes to working out, then there’s nothing like paying someone by the hour (who probably still charges if you don’t show up) to make you stick to your commitment. Sometimes you really need that external layer of accountability to help you get to the gym, which is why having a gym trainer can be invaluable.

And if you think your accountability to your trainer starts when you enter the gym and ends when you leave it, then think again. Your trainer will probably ask about your week, wanting to know if you did your workouts and how your eating plan is going. Knowing that you’ll have to report in can make you less likely to skip your workouts and do the things you committed to do between workout sessions.

If you’re now convinced that a gym trainer is right for you, then we encourage you to visit Eclipse, the leading private gym in Atlanta. To learn how we can help, just give us a call at 470.251.2896 or contact us online.