WHY GREAT TRAINERS ARE WORTH EVERY PENNY

That's me after a year working out with a trainer :)

I'll be honest.  I used to think all trainers were scum bags.  After high school I went to a meat market near my house that operated under the facade that it was a gym. All the trainers seemed much too hands-on for my liking.  I wouldn't even take them up on my "two free sessions".  Fast forward 15 years and many gyms later and I ran into Rob.  I watched him train for months before I asked if he would train me.  His professionalism, kind manner and incredibly cool work outs intrigued me.   I knew I was not getting the results I wanted and I had recently watched a good friend transform herself with a great trainer.  I figured what the heck did I have to lose besides a flat butt and jiggly thighs that would not go away - even though I did everything that I thought I was supposed to be doing. 

That was almost three years ago and I am thankful everyday that I made the choice to workout with Rob.  I am proud of myself that I made the investment in me.  The journey that started with my first training session has completely changed my life and now I feel a passion, unlike anything I have ever felt before, to educate other people on what I have learned in the last three years.

It was tough.  He pushed me to the point that everything in my body screamed, "NO" and then he would say, "give me five more".  There were moments in every single workout where  I wanted to quit because it was just too hard, but I didn't quit.  I never once quit.  I experienced what a heart rate of 180+ feels like and felt my muscles hurt so bad that I wanted to cry.  Sometimes tears came out of my eyes involuntarily  because my body had tried everything else and that was its last resort.  I didn't care.  I was getting amazing results.  I knew that my body was changing and that it was changing because the work outs were harder than anything I'd experienced before.  I loved that power.  I felt strong and healthy.  My back pain was gone.  I looked hot naked.  I was hooked. 

It was expensive.  I wanted to throw up every time I bought another package.  I gave up Starbucks, mani-pedis, getting my hair done every six weeks and modified my Nordstrom's love.  It was absolutely worth it.  I'd do it again in a hot second.

I learned that everything I had learned was CRAP.  CRAP. CRAP.  All the information on diet and exercise that I had been exposed to through magazines, TV, coaches and other women was all CRAP! I learned that the body most women want CANNOT BE FOUND ON ANY CARDIO MACHINE.  I learned that less food means you hold onto more fat.  I learned you can't have a calorie-restricted diet and grow muscles.  I learned that women have to work incredibly hard to grow muscle because we don't have much testosterone.  I learned that I can lift as heavy as I want and I still fit into my clothes.  I learned that I can gain weight (16+ pound) and look hot and be basically the same size because muscles are much smaller and denser than fat.  I learned that I can get rid of the jiggle on my thighs.  I learned that I did not have to have a flat ass for the rest of my life.  I learned how to fuel my body.  I learned what it feels like to be strong and healthy.  I learned that I too can look good in booty shorts. 

Life is so funny how she takes you to just where you need to be so fate can create the moments that keep you on your path.  After a move across the country, I met Jake at the gym.  He is a trainer and he inspired and pushed me to become a certified trainer.  We became business partners.  Now, I do what I love everyday of my life.   I help people find their personal best.  I help redefine healthy.  I work with someone who shares the same ideas and passion that I do.   I feel like the luckiest woman in the world.

Jake trains me 2-3 times a week.  Right now I am working on getting my butt bigger.   Yep, I love the way it looks to have a little round butt in my jeans.  Today, Jake pushed me to that point, right before tears and right after intense cursing.  It was fantastic.  Altogether I DEEP  barbell squatted an average of 115  pounds for a total of 72 reps.  That would not have meant anything to me three years ago, but now I know that its a pretty big deal.  I would not have even gone near the squat rack before.  Now, I cannot imagine a leg workout without it.  I still need a trainer to push me to that point.  Even though I know what that point feels like, I still cannot achieve it on my own. 

In my opinion a great trainer is not a luxury, a great trainer is an investment in yourself.  An investment that pays huge returns every day for the rest of your life.  You are worth it.