Benefits of utilizing personal training

Posted: February 27, 2024

Beginning a fitness journey can transform not only your physical health but also your overall well-being. While there are many ways to get routine exercise, personal training with a strength and conditioning coach can take your fitness experience to the next level.

1. Expert guidance

Strength and conditioning coaches at Sanford Sports Performance are certified through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), as well as other organizations. Their NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist certification must be obtained within a year of hiring if they don’t already have it.

“Staff must have at least a bachelor’s degree to be hired and many staff have a master’s degree when joining the team,” said Randy Martin, manager of Sanford Sports Performance in Fargo.

Their expertise allows them to guide you through exercises with proper form to prevent injuries and maximize your workouts. Having a knowledgeable coach by your side ensures you’re performing exercises correctly and progressing at a safe pace.

2. Everyone is welcome

Sanford Sports Performance works with people of all ages and abilities.

“Anybody can start from anywhere,” said Mike Silbernagel, manager of Sanford Sports Performance in Bismarck. “You don’t have to be at a certain starting point. You don’t have to be an athlete. The key is starting and allowing yourself to take that first step and see where the journey takes you. Don’t be afraid to take it.”

The coaches also bring a wide variety of backgrounds, life experiences and personalities to the gym so everyone can find the right fit.

“We have different personalities on staff,” Silbernagel said. “We have coaches you’ll click with to make training an enjoyable process.”

As a new client, you’ll sit down with your coach and discuss your goals, likes and dislikes, current or previous injuries, strengths and weaknesses, limitations and availability. This evaluation will allow your coach to create a customized fitness plan.

3. Customized workouts

A workout plan designed to meet your specific needs and goals will help you thrive in the gym.

“We’re going to write up a program from that initial sit-down and build off of it,” Martin said. “We’ll observe how someone moves during that first session or even that first week, which will give us a lot of guidance for where we need to go in the future.”

This personalized approach ensures every minute of your workout is purposeful and effective.

“Somebody that’s in their 80s and 90s is going to have a different type of program than somebody in high school or college,” Martin said. “And even those that are seven, eight or nine years old, they’re going to have a completely different plan than those that are in middle school.”

4. Motivation and accountability

Staying motivated on your fitness journey can be challenging, especially on days when you feel tired. Strength and conditioning coaches serve as both motivators and accountability partners.

“Once you know what an individual is trying to accomplish, you can use that as a motivating factor,” Silbernagel said. “Also, how can we focus on the little things each day that you weren’t able to accomplish before? It could be as big as a personal record, or it could be as little as moving up five pounds. Did you sleep better last night? Do you have more energy during your day? It could even be consistency. And say we’re seven for seven, so let’s make it eight for eight tomorrow.”

Your coach’s encouragement will push you. Plus, their expectation of you at the gym will provide an incentive to stay committed to your fitness routine.

5. Variety and fun

Repetitive workouts can become monotonous. Personal training offers variety and creativity, keeping workouts interesting and enjoyable. Whether it’s incorporating new exercises or using different equipment, coaches make sure your fitness journey remains engaging.

“We want it to be serious in the sense that it’s structured and focused, but yet we want it to be fun,” Martin said. “And that fun could be in the conversation we’re having, the hard work that’s being done or even in some of the drills that we’re doing.”

And on days where you aren’t feeling like having fun, coaches will meet you where you’re at.

“Not every day is a great day for humans,” Silbernagel said. “When you walk in, we’ll go, ‘Hey, how are you feeling today?’ And that person might say, ‘Today I need to be pushed. I don’t want to talk much. I just need to get after it.’ It allows the individual to set the mood so they can get what they want out of that specific workout.”

If you want to learn more about personal training at Sanford Sports Performance or sign up, contact our team. We’ll help you find the right program for your needs.