5 REASONS AN ATHLETE NEEDS A PERSONAL TRAINER

Today’s post is from one of our trainers, Cody Beyster. He’s a recent graduate from Utah State in Exercise Science. He’s been training here at EXL since February 2015, but has been training high school athletes for 5 years. He will be running our Jr. High and High School Sports Performance Program this summer.

When I was about 6 years old I had the amazing opportunity of being around a lot of professional athletes. My stepdad, who is a personal trainer, focused much of his training on professional athletes when I was younger. I got to go with him to his sessions and watch him train these professional baseball, basketball, and hockey players. I remember one morning waking up and going downstairs to grab breakfast. On the way to the kitchen I noticed that someone was sleeping on our couch in the living room. As I got closer I saw a duffle bag that had the Mighty Ducks logo on it. I realized then that there was a professional hockey player in my house. Experiences like the one just mentioned happened multiple times while growing up and these events shaped my desire of becoming a personal trainer. In high school I was able to assist my stepdad in training professional, college, and high school athletes. Ever since then it has been a goal of mine to train athletes and help people with their fitness goals. I believe that there is great importance in having a personal trainer and that is why every determined athlete should have a personal trainer.

Athletic dominance is a very important goal for athletes. In today’s culture, children tend to start playing sports younger and younger. Sacrificing time and money, parents dedicate their efforts in helping their child reach their potential.

There are many reasons why children participate in sports, but as the child grows to love a sport it can become their own passion. This passion leads to a desire to improve and in turn athletic skill and performance will benefit. Daily practice, games, and monthly tournaments become routine. Dreams of playing in high school, college, or even professionally will develop. Taking advantage of every element to help an athlete reach their highest potential should be considered. That is why personal training can be so important. Personal trainers who have experience working with athletes can help them reach their goals and grow athletically. Here is a list of 5 reasons why an athlete should use a personal trainer:

1. A Personal Trainer will DEVELOP A PROGRAM. -I’ve seen time and time again at local gyms like LA Fitness, 24 Hour Fitness, and so forth, high school athletes putting themselves through workout routines. I’ve gone up to some of these athletes out of curiosity and asked about their training program. Most of the time the answer I get is they are just trying to get bigger and stronger and are doing anything to make that happen. There isn’t any set program and without a program there won’t be much progress.

-According to the words of Rick Howard MEd, CSCS, in his article Why Youth Strength and Conditioning Matters, he states that “certified strength and conditioning professionals are uniquely qualified to provide properly supervised, developmentally appropriate strength and conditioning programs for youth of all ages and abilities.”

2. An athlete will be held ACCOUNTABLE -A good personal trainer will make sure that the athlete knows what is expected of them. Working with high school kids, I was able to learn the importance of accountability. High school athletes are very busy and because of that they may forget about their training sessions. One of the techniques we used was the Athlete of the Week. The high school athlete would set a goal at the beginning of the week of how many training sessions they would attend or a goal based on their sport. For example, a basketball player would set a goal of scoring 20 points at the next game. I would follow up on these goals and depending on how they did they would receive an Athlete of the Week award. Usually meaning they would get an award such as a t-shirt, a lunch, or a different type of workout.

-An article in Muscle and Fitness written by Kyle Harris states, “The number one reason people don’t exercise is they claim they don’t have time. When you hire a trainer, you are accountable not only to yourself, but also that person.”

3. Proper technique and form will be TAUGHT

-Being a young athlete is the best time to learn proper technique and form, which builds muscle memory and correct movement patterns. My responsibility as an assistant to my step dad was to take the new high school athletes through the workout. I was instructed on teaching correct technique and form, which in turn helped the new high school athlete learn the correct way to do an exercise. I can’t tell you how many times new high school kids would show up for their first session and not know how to properly perform a squat. If I wasn’t there to teach them the correct way they could have ended up with a handful of injuries.

4. Build MOTIVATION

-A personal trainers goal is to help athletes build their own internal desire to improve. Brook Skidmore MS, CSCS said in his article Helping Motivate Clients-Applications of the Self-Determination Theory, that “People are more likely to choose to engage in a behavior when it is intrinsically motivating, and when they feel like they are the ones making the decision to do it.”

5. Build a new RELATIONSHIP

-An athlete will have the opportunity of learning and growing with this new relationship that comes with having a personal trainer. I am so grateful for the clients I have trained so far in my life. 3 of my closest friends came from me personal training them for high school basketball and rugby. I’ve had many other high school athletes reach out to me over the years with questions and what not. It is because of the relationship we built when I was training them that has made them comfortable reaching out to me.

~Cody Beyster, BS

For those wanting more info on our Youth Fitness Program or our Sports Performance Program check out our website or contact Mat @ 801.623.6717