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Personal training should be JUST THAT — personal. If your trainer is not giving you a unique workout for you – then what exactly are they doing for you.

A great personal training routine starts with an analysis of YOU. What are your goals, your medical conditions, your specific weaknesses and strengths.

There is nothing that bothers me more in the gym than someone paying for personal training and not getting professional training. As a consumer, you should demand the following from your personal trainer:

1 – A unique workout to you — If they don’t make one and keep notes on you – they are shortchanging you

2 – A copy of your workout if you want — You should be able to get a written copy so if you need to or decide to “fly solo” for a while, you can.

3 – An analysis of your strengths, weaknesses and goals and a benchmark. This will usually be your weight, but also measurements (if you are comfortable with that), fat analysis and posture and movement analysis. This should also be a medical history. If you have high blood pressure or other chronic condition — IT IS CRITICAL you disclose that. A trainer that does not have you fill out a medical form is not professional. Here is why:

- A person with high blood pressure needs to have their workout adapted. They have a lower maximum heart rate which requires a different measurement than cardio machines provide. They also need to not do isometric exercises.

So really — there are so many great trainers out there and a lot of really “fly by night” ones so use these as guidelines to get the most personal training, results and safety for your money.

Tags: Douglasville, Fitness, Personal Training by David Hansey, Personal Trainer
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Core Strength and Sports Performance

David Hansey
NASM Certified Performance Enhancement Specialist
NASM Certified Sports Fitness Specialist
NASM Certified Personal Trainer

I see many people at the gym on a daily basis that consider their abs solely as a visual item if they consider training them at all. And while that may be nice, the muscles that make up your abs, your core, are a whole lot more important than just as a source of beauty. Your core consists of 29 muscles that surround your middle like a girdle. Its function is not cosmetic. Its primary function is to provide support and protection for your spine and to hold your body upright and to protect many of your internal organs.

In everyday life, a strong core protects you from those injuries where you can’t believe you just got injured. Like the pinching pain in your back when you got out of the car. Or that constant ache from helping your friend move a sofa. It also protects you from much more serious pain such as a herniated disc or a hernia. And as you age, it also helps you prevent slips and falls which are major causes of life changing injuries for seniors.

In sports, a strong core is critical regardless of your sport. It offers basic protection for sudden move changes such as in tennis and soccer. It also offers stability protection from sudden stops such as a football tackle. It also protects you from twisting and forced twisting movements such as hard tennis serves and golf drives.

But it is not just for protection that you should consider core training for your sport. The body is a finely tuned machine and the core functions in almost every movement. Athletic performance with a weak core is like an automobile with a powerful engine and plugged fuel injectors. You don’t get the most efficient amount of power delivered to perform accurately and quickly. Speed is decreased in many sports when the core is weak. Swimming and sprinting are two examples where there is a significant speed difference when core training is done as part of a regular training routine.

Play a game where throwing is important? Like basketball, baseball, football? Well, a strong core with make you throw farther and more accurately. Play tennis? Have trouble going corner to corner and making sudden changes? Guess what, you can run and run and run for training and never make as much difference on those missed balls as you can make by adding core strength training to your routine. Play golf? Want a longer, more accurate drive? Well training your core is scientifically proven to add dozens of yards to the average golfer’s drive.

The examples of how core training can help your sport are endless and there are dramatic scientific studies regardless of sport. If you are training for a sport and ignore your core, you are setting yourself up for injury. So whether you want to prevent injury or increase performance, core training is really a no-brainer to add to your routine.

Tags: Chapel Hill News, Douglasville, Fitness, Personal Training, Sports Fitness by David Hansey, Personal Trainer
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Back pain is one of the largest medical problems in the United States today and yet most people do not know how to treat it or prevent it. First, go to your doctor — he knows – that is why he spent all those years in medical school. So when he tells you to lose weight, work out, stretch, stop slouching, etc — he knows this works.

One of the things that always works is exercise. Exercising gives you more flexibility and more strength. And stronger muscles, especially in your core, support your spine and prevent pain — that simple.

Now, if you are not sure where to start, it is critical like with ALL PAIN, that you visit your doctor. I cannot stress that enough. And I stress it because I have people ask me on a daily basis in the Douglasville gym where I am a personal trainer about this pain and that pain. And well, only your doctor should be diagnosing pain. So really, go there first and then look at the exercise and training options that are good for your back.

And if you are still unsure how to perform the exercises, then a few personal training sessions are a good place to start!!

Tags: Back Care, Douglasville, Personal Training, Wellness by David Hansey, Personal Trainer
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So, it is a reality that weight loss is a difficult task and for most of us is an ongoing maintenance. The MYTH of “I can eat anything” or “I hardly ever work out” are perpetuated by celebrities who really don’t want the public to know the things they do to stay slim. From dieting to fasting to personal training to fat farms to plastic surgery — there are lots of weight loss and body maintenance tips that celebrities do.

But don’t let their lies mislead you into thinking that you can eat anything you want. Any food can be a part of your diet. It is always the portion that gets you. One bite of chocolate does not ever get anyone, it is the WHOLE BOX that does. It is not having pizza once a year — it is having it once a week. See what I mean. You need to weigh whether that birthday cake is any good — personally, if it is a store bought cake, I am cool with skipping it altogether. And with any of those treats, it is just as good to have a few bites as a huge piece — maybe better because you don’t feel all sick and sugared out later.

So that is the diet side — now the workout side. I see LOTS AND LOTS of people every day at the Douglasville Gym where I work who NEVER EVER touch cardio equipment. And guess what, while they do build muscle, they don’t lose the fat on their big ole man gut and they don’t really slim down. Cardio is really a NECESSARY part of your workout. It is great for fat burning and it conditions your heart and lungs so I have NO idea why you would not add it. Yes, there are times that machines can be boring for cardio but there are things you can do — wear your ipod, watch tv or take a deep breath and relax and enjoy your thoughts.

Now — a major question. How much cardio should you do. I personally like every day. And I know a lot of people that do Mon-Fri — kinda like part of their job and that works for their routine. But if you are unsure of how much cardio or to what intensity, then a personal training session or two might be in order to learn how to do cardio effectively and efficiently.

Tags: Douglasville, Weight Loss by David Hansey, Personal Trainer
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Believe me, I know times can be tough at times. Or for some of us, all the time. There is nothing unique about wanting to save money. There is also nothing elitist about having a personal trainer. Yes, while some people see celebrities with personal trainers and think that could never be them, the reality is much different.

A personal trainer can be a necessity for many people. They just would not work out AT ALL if there was not someone to be accountable to. And for other people (and don’t be too proud to admit this) what to do to get in shape is a mystery. And for people who work out “all the time” and still are not where they want to be, this goes for you too. I see lots of “gym rats” just wasting their time with workouts that are not effective and many times not even safe for them.

So that said, how do you make personal training part of your life? Well, the first thing is to commit to being to every session. Any no-shows or late cancellations are lost sessions. And that is just flushing money away. Show up — ON TIME — and work out hard. A personal trainer cannot do the work for you. And I see people every day at the Douglasville Gym where I work, who are late, no-show and who do last minute cancellations. And trust me, I UNDERSTAND being busy. But plan your personal training and your workouts INTO your life. Do not put yourself last and blow it off. That does nothing for your body and nothing for your wallet.

So, once you have accepted that you need to make working out a priority and commit to showing up, that is a HUGE step. Now, I always suggest clients do their cardio on their own. The BEST WAY I have found to date to get this done is to show up 30-45 minutes early for your session and get your cardio done. It buffers you from being late for your paid time and it gets your cardio done and out of the way without another trip to the gym.

Now, if you are good at organizing your time and putting yourself first, then you can also drop your number of weekly sessions with your trainer. This will not work if you are blowing off sessions with your trainer and skipping cardio and not showing up. I mean this for people who are COMMITTED. Then for sure, drop your sessions with your trainer down to once a week. Some people even do fine with once or twice a month for a workout tuneup — but remember you have to be REALLY honest with yourself about your ability to do this alone.

So I hope that helps you find some ways to both reduce your expenses and increase your success!!!

Tags: Douglasville, Fitness, Personal Training by David Hansey, Personal Trainer
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