After years of working out on our own, we visited MOVE Private Fitness to see what a little professional guidance could bring to our usual gym routine.
We’ve been going to the gym once or twice a week for the past couple of years. We know our way around the equipment, have our usual workout routines, and generally think we know what we’re doing. Or at least, that’s what we assumed.
Despite being regular gym-goers, neither of us had tried personal training before. So when we had the opportunity to visit MOVE Private Fitness, we were curious to see what difference having a coach would make.
Interestingly, our session didn’t start with a workout.
Instead, our coach took some time to understand our lifestyle, from our eating habits and daily energy intake and expenditure to our sleeping patterns and exercise routines.
We also received some practical advice on small changes we could make right away, along with healthier habits to work towards in the long run.
It was a nice reminder that staying fit isn’t just about the hours spent at the gym, but also what we do outside of it.
The workout itself was probably the most eye-opening part of our visit. Having been regular gym-goers for years, we thought we had a pretty good grasp of the basics. But as it turned out, there were a few things we’d been doing without giving them much thought.
Our coach picked up on some of these habits while watching us go through our usual exercises, particularly our squats and deadlifts. From the way we positioned ourselves to the weights we were using, a few adjustments were needed.
What surprised us was how something as simple as changing our posture or adjusting the weight could make us rethink exercises we’d been doing for years.
It’s easy to fall into a routine when you’re working out on your own, and even easier to assume you’re doing everything correctly when nobody’s there to point out otherwise. That is why coaching goes a long way, even if you’re shy about it.
Another thing we really appreciated was having the space to ourselves. Anyone who’s been to a commercial gym knows the occasional struggle of waiting for equipment, or feeling slightly rushed when someone else is waiting for their turn.
At MOVE, we didn’t have to worry about any of that. We could focus on our movements and the coach’s instructions without the usual distractions. The studio was also clean and well-maintained, with equipment that appeared relatively new. It made the whole experience comfortable and enjoyable.
Is Private Training Worth It?
For beginners, having a coach to guide you through the basics can make working out a lot less intimidating. For regular gym-goers like us, it also provided an opportunity to identify habits we might have overlooked and make better use of our existing routines.
Those with specific fitness goals may also appreciate having a more personalised approach rather than figuring everything out on their own.
Would we give up our regular gym routine for private training? Not necessarily. We still enjoy the flexibility of exercising independently. But, our session at MOVE certainly gave us a different perspective on how we’ve been training.
In fact, a combination of the two (private coaching and a regular gym membership) may prove extremely valuable to someone who wants to get into the rhythm of becoming fit. After all, going to the gym regularly is one thing. Knowing how to make the most of every workout is another.
Article penned by: Lin Taerin
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