Last night was my last session with my personal trainer. We focused mainly on arms and abs and I learned how to use a bunch of machines I'd normally never touch in the gym, like the cables machine.


That machine always looked like it had so much going on and I never felt comfortable enough standing in front of it trying to figure out how to make it work.

I'm glad I learned though because that machine gives you quite the workout. My upper body, and most especially my chest, is insanely sore today. It was a great last workout with the trainer.

So was a trainer worth it?

My gym was running a special where I got three sessions with a personal trainer at a steeply discounted rate. I'm really glad I bought the sessions because I learned a lot in just three hours.

We identified muscles imbalances in my legs and the trainer showed me things I could do to fix them.

I also learned how to use several different machines at the gym to help build strength in my upper body.

What I really liked about working with the trainer was that he pushed me to do more than I thought I could and more than I would have done on my own. Plus having a trainer was a nice bit of extra motivation to get to the gym when I wasn't in the mood. Knowing someone was waiting for me meant I couldn't blow the gym off.

But I won't be buying any more sessions right now.

Even after all the great stuff I learned and the benefits I saw in three weeks, I can't justify spending that much money on a little bit of motivation.

My plan for now is to take what I learned and add it into my current routine. Maybe in a few months, I'd buy another session as a tune up to check in with the progress I've made and to see where I can go from there.

Even though I have a lot of background and knowledge about fitness and exercise from my years of running and working as a group fitness instructor, there's always more I can learn and working with a personal trainer was a great way for me to pick up some new things to add to my routine.

I'd recommend giving it a try if it's something you can fit in your budget and you're curious to see just how hard you can push yourself.

My first personal training session last night was awesome, and it really set the tone for the work we'll be doing in upcoming sessions.

My trainer's name is Erik, and he seems like a fun guy who really knows his stuff. After chatting about my goals (sub-two hour half) and making note of the basics (height, weight, blood pressure, body fat), he put me through various exercises to determine my general strength and to spot muscle imbalances.

There were times when I surprised him and myself with how much weight I could lift before fatiguing, but there were other times when my muscle imbalances were so apparent.

He had me do a basic quad stretch and it was pathetic how much my quad didn't stretch. We also identified weak glutes and a tight piriformis muscle.

That's this little guy:


A tight piriformis can lead to all sorts of problems in the hips and knees. Doesn't that sound familiar?

So here's the plan moving forward. Erik's going to put together a plan for me that focuses on building strength in my glutes, relaxing my quads and piriformis muscle and building speed and endurance so my running times improve.

I'll be meeting with him again next Tuesday to try it for the first time. I'm excited and nervous. It's not going to be easy rebuilding all that glute strength, but I think in the end it will pay off big time in my running. And my trainer seems excited to get started too. He told me he was happy to be working with someone whose goals weren't skin deep and that since I have a solid fitness base already, we can try all sorts of fun stuff.

I have a feeling that "fun stuff" is probably going to kick my butt, but I guess that's the point.

Good morning and happy Tuesday!

I'm happy to say my legs recovered fairly well from Saturday's speedy long run and I was able to do my easy run yesterday at a pace much quicker than I'm used to. If that's going to be the trend, I'll definitely be doing most of my long runs with my coworker and his friends!

In other workout news, I'm trying something totally new today.

I'm meeting with a personal trainer for the first time ever. I'm really excited!

My gym was offering a special deal: Two-month membership, 3 personal training sessions and a $50 gift card to use with the gym's massage therapist for $99.

What a steal! Usually personal training sessions alone cost that much money.

I chatted with my trainer on the phone for a little bit the other night (he's a UMD grad too, whoop whoop!) and got the rundown of what to expect during our first session.

Basically, we'll be collecting my baseline fitness metrics: Height, weight, body fat percentage and a general idea of my usual workout routine.

Then he'll be measuring my for muscle imbalances. I'm sure we'll find plenty of those in my legs. Very strong runner legs tend to hide lots of weaknesses in muscles that don't get used as often. I learned that in physical therapy a few years ago.

Based on all the results, we'll put together a program to help me improve strength and speed-wise.

I think this is a great opportunity for me to get an outsider's perspective on what I can do to improve. So much of my training is based on what I think and how I feel, but I'm excited to be evaluated by a professional who will probably spot things I missed.

If you're in the DC/MD/NoVa area and interested in trying personal training, check out this great Groupon deal. 20 group classes and three personal training sessions for $30 at gyms all around the DC-area. (Thanks to my friend Tracy for giving me the heads up on this deal. I bought it like three seconds later!)

Have you ever worked with a personal trainer? Was it beneficial?