A New Year, A New You

An introduction to personal training

By Sarah Kittle

As we step into the New Year, many of us are motivated by the opportunity to set fresh goals and adopt healthier habits. One of the most popular New Year’s resolutions is improving physical fitness—whether it’s shedding extra pounds, gaining strength, or simply boosting overall health. However, the journey to achieving these goals can be overwhelming without the right guidance and support. This is where personal training can make all the difference.

Personal trainers offer more than just expert knowledge; they provide personalized workout plans tailored to individual needs and goals, making the path to fitness more attainable and effective. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned athlete, now is the perfect time to commit to your health. With the right trainer by your side, achieving your desired results is within reach.

Choosing a Personal Trainer

How do you go about choosing a personal trainer? It largely depends on what you want to achieve. One of the key reasons people hire trainers is accountability. Having someone else set expectations for your workouts makes you less likely to skip a session. The right trainer will offer motivation, encouragement, and the expertise to teach you how to exercise safely and avoid injury.

A personal trainer can also provide valuable nutrition guidance and help you develop healthy eating habits. They’ll work with you to set realistic goals and challenge you when it’s time to step it up. Additionally, a trainer can adapt workouts to accommodate special needs, such as injuries or medical conditions.

Ideally, your personal trainer should have an online presence that includes client testimonials and before-and-after photos. This allows potential clients to get a sense of the trainer’s style and know what to expect if they choose to work together.

A good trainer should also be connected to a network of local medical professionals, such as physicians and nutritionists, in case any medical issues arise. While personal trainers may be certified, they are not doctors and aren’t equipped to handle specific conditions like diabetes or asthma. However, they can work with specialists to ensure your workout is safe and effective.

Do I Really Need a Trainer?

We spoke with Channtall Asmaro, a full-time personal trainer for five years. She got her start at 17 and became a professional at 20. She has been practicing for more than 10 years and holds a degree in Respiratory Therapy, which is beneficial in her line of work.

Asmaro describes her younger self as the “chubby one.” She found a local gym in her hometown of Monroe and began weightlifting.

Employees at the gym helped her find her stride, and she began to explore what exercises would work best for her body. It is important to personalize the work around your own personal goals and to prioritize yourself, something some women struggle with.

“People need to know that they matter,” she said in a phone interview. “The hardest thing is starting.”

Many people feel intimidated when embarking on a major lifestyle change like getting in shape. They may not understand how the body burns fat and builds muscle, or how certain exercises performed incorrectly can lead to injury. Due to a lack of knowledge and fear of looking foolish, many give up before seeing results.

“Be patient with yourself,” Asmaro advises those setting fitness goals for the New Year. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.”

As she explains, setting fitness goals is like starting a new relationship with your body. To succeed, you must have a clear vision. Having a personal trainer isn’t elitist or fancy—it’s a tool to help you put forth your best effort. “It’s not about your motivation,” Asmaro explains. “It’s about discipline and consistency.”

Clients meet her at the gym, where she leads classes on a set schedule. Asmaro, who can bench press more than 400 pounds, says the best strategy for staying on track is to set realistic goals and rest when necessary. “Rest and recovery are part of the process,” she says. “It’s preventative.”

Asmaro taught herself all she could about strength training and lifting weight from friends at the gym as well as YouTube. “Back then, all we had was YouTube videos,” said Asmaro. Determined to change her body, she changed her life.

Mental health is key when starting a training schedule. Going to a gym where you are surrounded by like-minded highly motivated people helps. And when that motivation slips, as it inevitably will? “Give yourself grace,” said Asmaro.

She also stressed the importance of listening to your body. Sometimes you need to take a few days off, said Asmaro, and sometimes you need to push through. The important thing is not to give up.

“It’s transformative,” said Asmaro when talking about the sense of self and power over self you gain when you take control of your body. She’s very passionate about her calling and many of her clients have been with her for years. “They’re like family,” she said.

Having a Personal Trainer

Every client has a different journey, as they have different goals. We spoke with a client of Channtall’s that had been working out on her own for about a year and was not seeing any results. She was really frustrated because she was putting in the work and realized she must be doing something wrong. She saw a post on social media and decided to reach out.

With a personal trainer, the workouts are more customized to meet each client’s needs. They may involve weight training and will focus on different parts of the body each day. The difference between working out on your own and working out with a personal trainer is that you have someone who can show and tell you exactly what you need to do.

“The workouts are already planned for me,” the client explained. “I go in, do what I need to do, and I’m out in about an hour. I don’t have to question whether I did the right exercises or worked out long enough.”

While it’s tempting to skip a workout or indulge in that slice of pizza, a good personal trainer helps keep you motivated. “When you’re putting in the hard work, investing in yourself and seeing results, it motivates you to stick to your goals,” the client said.

Personal trainers play a vital role in helping clients stay motivated and committed, even when life gets busy. As this client’s experience shows, trainers offer more than just physical guidance—they provide encouragement and accountability to push through tough moments and plateaus.

Trainers like Channtall not only keep clients motivated but also make the process enjoyable, transforming a daunting task into a fun, rewarding experience. The advice for anyone considering a personal trainer is simple: invest in your health. With consistency and dedication, the results will follow, and you’ll feel stronger and healthier than ever before.