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I get asked a lot: How many hours a week do I need to see results?
The answer can vary... a lot. There are many factors involved, such as:
The recommendations below are not necessarily the number of sessions you should have with a coach in a given week, but the amount of work needed to see reasonable results. HOW TO GET 'RESULTS' You can get great results with an online coach, in-person coach or with a group class, or simply following a training plan but not every option is suitable for everyone. Online training or 'Remote Coaching' as I like to call it, is suitable for an individual who is comfortable going to the gym, or wants train at home on their own. It is defiantly a more cost effective option, but I would encourage most beginners to consider getting a coach for the short term so that you know for sure that you are moving correctly, You will also require a level of self motivation to be successful with remote coaching. My remote coaching options do include video analysis and video demonstrations to help make sure that you are doing all the movements correctly and tracking to ensure that your progress is monitored. If you are confident with exercise then you should only need to see your coach for coaching sessions and accountability, this can make remote coaching a very cost-effective way of getting a personalised programme. If you require more accountability, motivation or technique specific training sessions then you may prefer an in-person coach, or a combination of the two. Rehabilitation Coaching
For any kind of rehab coaching, particularly back pain I would recommend seeing a in person coach to learn or re-learn good form and technique to ensure that you are lifting and moving as safely as possible.
This could be as simple as learning how to picking things up and sitting and standing correctly. For the best results, you should see a coach who has a very good understanding of how the body works and how it should be moving. Very small private group classes with a specialist can work, though individual programmes with a personal coach would be best.
AVOID LARGE GROUP FITNESS CLASSES AT ALL COSTS. If you are training for rehabilitation and are not comfortable with weight training techniques it can be very difficult for the coach to see and check everybody during that class. Unless you have an awesome coach (like me :-)
Make sure the coach you are planning on going to see has a proven track record of helping people back into fitness and check that the person who recommended you is not broken!
Training with me?
In my sessions, you will be repeating movements (with perfect technique) and be working on overall strength and mobility which is time consuming slow and sometimes frustrating work. I make it fun where I can, I have excellent cheese jokes. I recommend that clients coming to see me for rehabilitation see me around 3 times per week for an hour for at least the first few months. This allows enough time to teach you how to warm up properly and get a proper strength and possibly cardio workout in. Nutrition will also be important to help with rehabilitation and muscle repair. Should you have additional goals such as fat loss then nutrition will be your main vehicle to achieve this. You may need to put off your goals for significant muscle or performance gains until your rehab is completed, particularly if you are post surgery or trying to avoid having it. Post Surgery This can be a contetious subject as you most likely have been advised to avoid any phyical activity. In my opinion if you are post surgery then you can still benefit from learning about technique, nutrition and lifestyle. If you lift shopping bags or pick things up of the floor then you should learn how to do this is a controlled environment with good technique. Obviously, if you are post surgery then there will be no burpees or heavy squats and deadlifts for some time! I am a strong believer that exercise is the best medicine for most situations.
For a beginner with no experience in the gym, I would recommend a minimum of 2 sessions focusing on weight training per week with a coach, this will help to start building and maintaining muscle and strength.
You will also need at least 2 x 30min HITT (High-Intensity Interval Training) with your coach, in a group, or on your own. An additional commitment to walk, run, take the stairs or do some home bodyweight movements at least 30mins per day outside of coming to the gym will also be hugely beneficial. Your willingness to learn about nutrition and track food intake will make a huge difference to your ability to lose body fat. Doing fitness alone will only go so far in helping you lose body fat. Building Muscle
If you are a beginner, going to see a coach at least 3 times per week would be beneficial to make sure you have your technique correct and are able to avoid injury. You may want more sessions with your coach, or be able to repeat the sessions on your own.
Nutrition will play a big part in your ability to build muscle, it is not just about eating everything you see! Depending on your previous training experience you can expect to build approximately 0.5-1 kg of lean muscle mass per month. Be wary of others who claim that you can do more than that in a shorter time frame. Building muscle and losing fat should be done in a healthy way so that it will last for the long term. Be aware of the number on the scales, muscle really does weight four times as much as fat! If you are thinking of signing up to a programme which says you will 'lose or gain weight rapidly' keep in mind that you could be losing muscle rather than fat (which would make you light) or retaining water rather than gaining muscle (which would make you heavy)! Avoid anything which measures your progress by measuring your weight on scales. Performance Athletic Training
For performance athletes, or those looking to compete in a serious event then you can expect to spend approximately 8-10+ hours training per week.
Your training plan will not just reflect the sport you are planning to compete in but include a comprehensive strength and conditioning programme to complement your sport specific training. This will help you maintain overall strength and account for pre-hab and mobility work. Nutrition will obviously be important to maintain peak performance, energy levels and good health. Generally speaking, most performance athletes are happy training on their own, unless they need specific help with technique or rehabilitation, this can be achieved with online coaching or small group coaching with personalised routines. I hope that gives you a better idea of what to expect when you head out to start changing your life this year and achieving your goals. Everything worth having will take some effort. If you would like to find out more about my training then click here and get yourself booked in for a chat. Bye for now! Coach Ben Price |
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