PRINTLet’s get personal
Mix up your get-in-shape routines
Sam O'Keefe
Personal trainer Mandy Schick coaches Ruchelle Jacobi at Anytime Fitness during a workout session. Schick has been whipping Columbians into shape with Schick Training for two years.
November 13, 2008 | 12:00 a.m. CST
Summer is long gone, and Mother Earth doesn’t seem to have anymore 70-degree days left up her sleeve. But the thought of running indoors on a treadmill might seem beyond boring. Luckily, Columbia personal trainers can motivate you and spice up workouts.
Personal trainers can pull you out of your cookie-cutter workout routines and provide one-on-one attention. Mandy Schick, owner of Schick Training, says trainers take specific goals you might have and design routines that work best for you. “This helps with motivation but also allows you to work your trouble areas,” she says. “That is the point of personal training. It is personal to your needs.”
Melanie Karrick, owner and personal trainer at Key Largo Fitness and Tanning, says that she tailors her client’s workouts based on what his or her goal is: whether they’re interested in losing fat, building muscle or using their body to the best of its ability. “Some of these exercises help with carrying groceries or keep someone from pulling their back when they pick up their kid. [They] help make day-to-day life easier.” Multi-joint exercises such as squats or lunges can range in intensity, but the best results are achieved with an expert guiding you.
So instead of looking around the gym and mimicking everyone else’s moves, you can actually learn the correct forms and what type of workout is best for you. For those who envision running on a treadmill while a personal trainer screams at you to run faster, you should know that’s not all personal trainers are about.
To really get your heart pumping, get a personal trainer who will kick your butt with kickboxing. Some trainers will wear padded mitts and teach clients moves that make for a high-energy cardio workout, not to mention a good outlet for any aggression. People of all fitness levels can benefit. “You can make it as low impact or high impact as necessary for the participant,” she says. These moves will keep your heart rate up the entire session.
Some personal trainers combine popular workouts with regular routines to change things up. Yvette Nieto, owner and head trainer at Grindstone Fitness Studio, says that Pilates is beneficial for correcting posture problems, working on stability and strengthening your core. “It’s great after you’ve had a baby and are trying to get your abdominal muscles back,” she says. If you already have washboard abs but want flexibility, try yoga with a trainer.
Catina Wise-Topash, group fitness manager at Wilson’s Total Fitness, says yoga stretches and lengthens the body and builds muscle by using the body’s muscles as a type of resistance. “Yoga is a really good complement to any physical routine because of stretching,” she explains.
No matter your intensity level, personal trainers will have you inspired to get into the gym this season.
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