Starting Personal Training After 50: What to Expect From Your First Session
If you’ve never worked with a personal trainer before, you might have a lot of questions.
What happens when I contact a trainer?
Do I need to already be in shape?
Will my trainer make me do exercises I can’t do?
What if I have an old injury?
What actually happens during the first session?
These are all normal questions to have if you’ve never worked with a personal trainer, are getting back into exercise, or haven’t stepped foot in a gym in years.
Starting personal training shouldn’t feel intimidating. The goal in the beginning is to understand where you’re starting at, what your goals are, and how to build a program around you.
Step 1: The Phone Consultation
So what happens during the phone call?
The phone consultation isn’t a test. It’s simply just a chance for us to talk, learn more about each other, and give me a better understanding of what you’re looking for.
Some questions I could ask you are about your goals.
What does your current activity level and nutrition look like?
Have you been struggling with anything at the moment in regards to reaching your goals?
Do you have any injuries or limitations I should know about?
What are you looking for in a trainer?
And of course, if there’s any questions you have for me, I’m happy to answer.
If we both feel like it’s a good fit, we can move towards the next steps.
Step 2: The In-Person Consultation
This is where we go a lot more in depth about what we spoke about on the phone. I’ll give you a tour of the studio and show you what we have, and you’ll be able to get a feel of what the atmosphere is like here.
This isn’t where I’ll throw you into a workout. We’ll sit down and get more specifics about your goals, what you’re looking for, and come up with a plan on how we can approach them.
Some additional stuff we’ll go over is understanding your exercise history, any injuries/limitations you have, and what your current daily activity looks like.
Aside from the training, nutritional guidance is included in my services so we’ll talk about your daily nutrition habits, and what adjustments we could make based on your goals, preferences, and lifestyle.
My coaching philosophy is focused around building a healthy lifestyle that’s sustainable. So the approach we take won’t be extreme, but easing into it instead.
At any moment, if you have any questions for me, please ask.
At the very end, if it feels like a good fit, we can move on with getting the schedule down and handling payment. You can check [HERE] for my rates.
This meeting is to get a better understanding of you as a person, not just someone who wants to get “stronger.” Your goals, lifestyle, experience, and limitations all matter when creating a program.
Step 3: Your First Training Session
The first workout isn’t going to be anything extreme or a test of how much weight you can lift or how sore I can make you.
It’s about learning how your body moves, finding the right starting point, and making sure you feel comfortable with the exercises.
The training sessions are 1 hour long, which include a warm-up, strength exercises, and core strength/stability work.
The purpose of the warm-up is to get your body ready for the workout. This may include some light movement and mobility exercises based on how you’re feeling that day.
Then we’ll move into the strength training portion, which will be the majority of the workout. The exercises will be adjusted based on your fitness level, goals, and preferences.
The last 5-10 minutes we’ll finish with some core work. This will help to improve your core strength and stability, which will benefit you in the gym and for day-to-day activities as well.
As I mentioned, adjustments can be made; exercises can be modified, resistance can be changed, range of motion can be modified, and support can be added when needed.
“What If I’m Out of Shape?”
You may have asked yourself if you need to be in shape to start working out.
Let me tell you, definitely not. That’s what you’re hiring a trainer for.
Whatever fitness level you’re at, whether first time working out, coming back from a long break, or have been working out consistently, I meet you exactly where you’re at.
The training sessions are tailored specifically for you.
“What If I Have an Injury?”
If you have an injury, surgery history, or other physical limitation, please let me know before we start. Your program can be adjusted around your current abilities or goals.
If something is outside my scope of practice, the appropriate healthcare professional should be involved first.
The goal is to choose the appropriate exercise, modifications, and resistance so you can train safely within your current abilities.
You don’t have to be completely pain-free or have a perfect movement pattern before starting, but we do need to understand your limitations and worth within them.
What Your First Workout Will NOT Be
A lot of my clients started strength training after 50 and came in with certain expectations.
Well, I’m here to say you don’t have to be afraid of your first workout.
You don’t have to lift extremely heavy weights, which would only risk you hurting yourself.
No intense cardio either or going until you’re in full exhaustion.
You don’t need to be very flexible, it’s ok if you’re pretty stiff.
It’s ok if you don’t know how to exercise or are unfamiliar with gym equipment.
The goal of the first workout isn’t to prove how tough you are. The goal is to gradually become stronger and more confident.
What Happens After Your First Session?
After your first session, we’ll continue building from where you started. As you become more comfortable with the exercises, we can gradually increase the challenge.
The goal isn’t to completely change everything overnight. We want to build your strength and confidence gradually so that the exercises become easier and your progress carries over into your everyday life.
For example, I work with a couple in their 60s and 70s who live in a three-story townhome. Before working out, they dealt with osteoporosis and coordination was getting worse. Scared they might have to leave their home, but since working out, their coordination has improved and no longer have knee pain when walking up and down the stairs.
That’s the kind of progress I care about. Over time, you’ll notice things like getting out of a chair more easily, walking upstairs with less difficulty, carrying groceries more comfortably, or simply feeling more confident moving around.
Final Thoughts
Starting personal training after 50 doesn’t have to be intimidating.
You don’t need to know what exercises to do. You don’t need to be in shape. And you don’t need to have everything figured out before you begin.
You just need to take the first step.
I work with adults in the North Hollywood area who want to improve their strength, balance, mobility, and confidence with exercise.
If you’re thinking about starting personal training, but aren’t sure if it’s the right fit for you, you can reach out [HERE]. We can talk about your goals, where you’re starting from, and whether this would be a good fit for you.