7 Secrets Your Personal Trainer Won’t Tell You

We're in the holiday spirit and gearing up for Thanksgiving this week which means reflecting on all the things we are thankful for, eating our weight in turkey and watching an inordinate amount of football with friends and family. It also means that we'll have to work extra hard in the gym if we want to go back for those second helpings of stuffing and pumpkin pie. (Be real, you're going back...) It's also about to be the time of year where we are all in the season of GIVING. So today, we're sharing some of Craig Chapin's best kept personal training secrets.

1. First and foremost, set realistic monthly goals. It’s important to be driven and I always value clients that are willing to push themselves but nothing is worse than working hard but ultimately not achieving your goals because they were unrealistic.
2. Get enough protein in your diet.  Males should consume 1 gram of protein to every 1.5 pounds of body weight each day, or .67 grams per pound.  (Ex: If you weigh 240 lbs, then you should consume 160.8 grams of protein per day.) Females need to consume 0.7 to 0.8 grams per pound of body weight a day. (Ex: If you weigh 130, you should consume 91 grams of protein per day.)
3. Track your body weight and body fat. Be sure to take measurements with a measuring tape every 4 weeks.  This will help keep you motivated by seeing results and keep you on track for success.
4. Change up your rep range, tempo, sets and exercises every 4 weeks so that your body doesn't adapt and become overly efficient.  This is probably the only time being inefficient is good.  Keeping the body working out inefficiently will keep it stimulated, work new muscles and keep you from getting bored with your workout. Remember though to make sure you’re paying attention to your form no matter the rep range or tempo. Always be in control of the weights.
5. On that note, don’t be afraid of using less weight if it means keeping the right form. You want to push yourself but you don’t want to hurt yourself.
6. If you’re not sure how many reps you should be doing or if your weight is too low, a good rule of thumb is to consider how challenging the last 4 reps are for you in each set. They should be much harder, almost to a point where you need a spotter but without breaking your good form.
7. Get plenty of rest.  Sleep at least 8 hours per night. You grow when you’re asleep, so that's when your body recovers from the breakdown of muscle fibers from a workout.