Defining DIY (Do It Yourself) Personal Fitness Training

The author’s definition goes like so – you learn about fitness training from a reliable source, practice what you’ve learned under the guidance of a certified personal trainer, and then continue your program on your own to achieve and maintain your desired level of fitness. Voila! – DIY personal fitness training!

Alternatively, if you cannot afford to hire a trainer to ensure you use the proper form and avoid injury, you can use alternative sources – reference materials, the internet, video demos, and people who are knowledgeable about fitness (including your doctor).

A word of caution: use advice from other people carefully. They will not be paying the doctor’s bills when you hurt yourself.

The Point of This Article

In this article, the author is not downplaying the importance of using an expert to achieve the fitness level.

Instead, the thought is that you can educate yourself about weight and interval training and possibly employ a trainer to help you learn. Then, after you can do exercises with the proper form and learn how to create your own workouts, you no longer need a trainer.

The Components of Fitness

This discussion covers both aerobic and strength training. Recent information emphasizes both as part of a comprehensive health improvement plan.

We already know that you cannot run every day and hope to achieve fitness. On the other hand, strength training alone may not help you achieve the benefits of aerobic activity.

Bottom line – your fitness plan must incorporate both aerobics (ideally interval training) and strength training. Equally as important is the nutritional plan supporting these two activities.

What’s In It for You

Why would you want to put in the time and effort to learn about fitness and eventually become your own personal fitness trainer?

Consider the following benefits:

• If you have reached an age or state of health where you understand that being out-of-shape has seriously affected your ability to function effectively, you will realize what it has cost you. Are you a baby boomer who can’t get up from your lounge chair and can’t walk up stairs without getting out of breath? The getting-fit advantage of increased mobility and feeling better is obvious.

• Constantly dieting without results? Strength training creates the furnace (muscle) to burn fat. The benefit of accelerating weight loss is a major reason for getting into shape.

• An increased level of fitness helps combat symptoms of the condition called diabesity. Some of the symptoms are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and elevated blood sugar.

• Everyone wants to look their best. Getting into shape defines your musculature. Obviously, men achieve more definition than women, but women appreciate a well-toned body, especially when clothes fit perfectly.

• The process of getting fit combats stress. Starting your day with a workout is one of the best methods to address the stress in your life.

• This is perhaps the most important benefit of DIY fitness training –if you are committed to better health, the steps you take to achieve fitness automatically attract more activity to get healthy. For example – as you find your body changing into a more appealing shape, you clean your food cabinets of junk food.

• You can save big bucks using DIY personal fitness training. Working with a trainer can be costly. It may take a while before you find one who has the expertise to address your goals. No one knows your body’s limitations as well as you do.

Where to Start

Only you can evaluate your knowledge about fitness.

You may not have cared about the topic until you reached an age where you found yourself overweight, out-of-shape, and sick.

Maybe you have stayed in shape your entire life and keep up with current health information.

Regardless of your depth of knowledge in this area, there are experts who have documented successful fitness plans in book form. The books are inexpensive, full of valuable advice, and one of the best places to get started on the road to health and DIY personal fitness training.

The author’s recommendation is a series of books called New Rules of Lifting. Written by health journalist Lou Schuler and fitness guru Alwyn Cosgrove, the series provides workouts, strength and metabolic training advice, and nutrition information.