All the advantages and benefits of personalised training

Having the help and advice of an expert is essential to increase performance and to achieve goals.

Practicing any athletic discipline on a regular basis is one of the cornerstones, along with diet, emotional management, and restful sleep of a healthy lifestyle. As Francisco Payán, SHA Wellness Clinic´s Fitness Supervisor, tells us, “Physical exercise is healthy”, but there are a thousand different ways to practice it. For this reason, it is important, especially when you are starting out, to have the knowledge and experience of a personal trainer to guide you, advise you and motivate you during the process’ ‘.

The personal trainer is an indispensable figure because they can adapt routines in real time, the number of series and repetitions, the intensity or the load both to the physical conditions of each one and to the goals based on what you want to achieve. Training is not the same if you want to lose weight or if you are looking to gain muscle mass. “The first thing we do at SHA is a functional assessment of the host to analyze their physical, metabolic, anatomical, and structural state, to understand if they have recently suffered injuries, if they have muscle shortening and how are their ranges of motion and flexibility. Afterwards, the guest tells us what their goals are, what they hope to achieve from the personalised training and their preferences. And, from all this data, we design a complete personalised plan that, on one hand, adapts to the physical condition and, on the other, guides you to achieve goals and to improve problems”, affirms Francisco.

A very common mistake that most people make is to start training with a standard exercise table, without taking into account either the physical state or the objective pursued. Francisco warns that in these cases, the most common thing is that the person gets bored, loses motivation and quits within a few days. Instead, a personal trainer will constantly monitor you and adapt the routine to each one’s physical condition and preferences, increase or decrease the intensity as needed and change the type of exercise (isometric, cardio, strength, etc.) according to the evolution. In addition, the personal trainer also teaches you how to breathe correctly, when to rest and when to force the machine. Another common mistake is to repeat the training program with the same exercises and the same intensity for several months. To improve both physical performance and recovery, it is best to change routine every two months. Thus, you prevent the body from getting used to a specific stimulus, therefore improve in other aspects and reach your maximum potential”.

Of course, physical exercise is only the first part of training. As the SHA expert assures, “Recovery is essential to restore energy reserves and to prevent future injuries. And yes, all of us who practice sports have muscle pain, caused by micro-tears of muscle fibers and a very effective defense and protection system for the body. Even though there is an urban legend (completely false) that states that drinking water with sugar helps to combat them, the only way to recover from stiffness is through restful rest and healthy and balanced food”.

Lastly, Francisco gives us some advice for all those who take advantage of lunch to go to the gym: “If you had breakfast at 7 or 8 in the morning and you are going to train at 2 pm, it is convenient that at mid-morning, you eat some easily digestible food, such as a healthy snack or a protein shake. In this way, the organism will have energy reserves and you will be able to perform at your best. Once the training is finished, have yourself normal meal.

If you want to know more about the SHA Physical Performance Area, click here