Many people make getting losing weight and geting in better shape a New Year's resolution. For many, this will be the year they seek out the services of a personal trainer.  

And for many pf these clients new to training, starting an exercise program can be full of ups and downs, both physical and emotional. Many of these people may be new to many kinds of exercise and their initial enthusiasm may waver, so it is incumbent upon the personal trainer to help make it a strong beginning and keep the momentum going. Communicating concepts clearly and being attentive to a client's concerns will be the key to success.

First Things First

In most cases, a personal trainer will need to use his or her best judgment in establishing initial diet and exercise recommendations based on the in-depth initial consultation. Only after this consultation will a clear picture emerge of a new fitness program participant's past level of activity, dietary behavior, and metabolic predisposition (high, low, or average Resting Metaboloic Rate).

Easing into Things

In the case of the beginner, there is an orientation phase in which clients should use lower intensity (about 70%) within their desired rep ranges. The purpose is to learn both proper form and to minimize initial muscle soreness. Once the client works through the initial muscle soreness, and has learned the proper form, he or she will be ready for more intense overload training.

Recall that it is not possible objectively gauge client progress when less than maximum effort is being applied. The client must be strictly using the overload training principle to positive failure in order for objectivity in progress evaluation.

Sending the Mitochondria Back to School

There is a preliminary process we have labeled mitochondrial re-education that must occur before the beginner can be expected to recover appropriately between workouts. The mitochondria in the beginner are still not performing as efficiently as they might, resulting in incompletely replenished energy stores. This will show in a drop in the number of reps a beginner is able to perform to positive failure in each workout set.

Eating & Mitochondrial Re-Education

Many beginners to training are interested pirmarily in weight loss, so suggesting to beginners that they consume large amounts of carbohydrates immediately after a workout might meet with a few raised eyebrows. Here, it is essential to explain the method behind this apparent "madness": The client will be making available to the muscles the energy they need, exactly when they need it the most -- following the workout. These eating habits along with the performance of as much post-workout low level activity as possible, will aid in the mitochondrial re-education process.

The Value of Intensity for the Beginner

Once the beginner is getting the same reps to failure in each set, the re-education period is over, and the client should be encouraged to attempt the use of increasingly heavier weights in their rep ranges. This will effectively allow for a gradual increase in the intensity of a beginner's efforts, progressive adaptation, and progress evaluation.

If a client is allowed to level off and continue to use the same weight and the same rep ranges without applying the challenge of the overload principle, the body will quickly adapt and the client will at best maintain his or her current lean tissue; this may be desirable for a client interested in fat loss. Here, it might be important to emphasize to the client that an increase in the intensity of effort will not only result in an increase in lean tissue, it can also result in even greater fat loss.

It is important to be aware that during the performance of intense work, the body's adrenal glands are stimulated to release stress hormones that result in the catabolism of tissues. Since these hormones are not immediately degraded, they remain present in the bloodstream for some time after an intense exercise is over. As a consequence, the higher the intensity of a workout, the shorter the duration should be to reduce post-workout catabolism.

Monitoring Heart Rate

A client should always be first instructed to monitor his or her between set recovery heart rate to insure adequate recovery, and to prevent overexertion. This target heart rate is usually 100 beats per minute (BPM), in instances where an aerobic effect is not desireable. If an aerobic effect is desired, a recovery heart rate of 125 BPM is usually recommended. For an equal measure of aerobic and anaerobic effects, a recovery heart rate of 115 BPM is recommended.

Some Food for Thought

A common experience for clients new to training is a feeling of frustration. For many, weeks of exercise with no apparent changes can be discouraging. It's important to remind them not to give up just yet: Getting into shape doesn't happen over night. If a client previously led a comparatively sedentary lifestyle, then it's going to take a few months or so to see noticeable improvements as the body becomes more energy effiicent.

It's important for weight loss clients, particularly, to understand that a quick fix is not the name of the game. Getting in shape should mean staying in shape: The emphasis should be on achieving a level of personal fitness that will keep the extra weight off naturally. It's one New Year's resolution they can live with.

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