What to Expect in Your First Month with a Personal Trainer

Here we are. Either you're starting to look for a Personal Trainer or your first session is coming up. Congratulations, this is a big step in your fitness journey. I'll give you a good glimpse under the hood of what to expect in your first month.

Your First Session

We're going to assume you've gotten the small talk out of the way and you're about to start your first session. The first session will most likely feel easy. That's on purpose. Your coach is likely feeling you out, getting a baseline for your sessions moving forward. Think of this as a test drive. You never red line the car on the first go. Same for you. You also want to be sure to be honest about how your body feels. If you're not comfortable with a certain exercise, tell your coach. If an exercise hurts, tell your coach. If you forgot about an old injury that you don't want to aggravate, tell your coach. By now, you get the point but you need to be overly communicative with your coach early on. Don't wait until a month in to tell them your back is bothering you to the point of having to take some sessions off.

You're Going to Be Sore

Totally normal. You'll be using muscles you likely haven't used before or at least in a while. Expect to feel it 24-48 hours after your first workout. Don't freak out and think you're injured. Soreness is normal. Pain is not. If something feels sharp or wrong, that's different. You can always push through soreness. Talk to your coach about nutrition and ways you can limit feeling sore for too long. This phase is about getting back in touch with your body. When to give more. When to rest. It's imperative you start learning these things about yourself. Your coach will guide you and push you, but you ultimately are the final say when it comes to keeping yourself safe and healthy.

Managing Your Expectations

No, you're not going to see a six pack show up after the first week. With that said, you may see some "newbie gains" initially. This is the phase where your body is reacting to a new stimulus and adapting to the new environment you've put yourself in. A lot of that early strength is actually your nervous system getting more efficient at using muscles you already have, not new muscle being built. The bad news? This wears off after 1-2 months. Your body will have adapted to the new stress and you'll hit what feels like a plateau. Don't get discouraged. From this point forward, this is where the real changes are made. Your body composition is shifting, your metabolism is adjusting, and the results are compounding. You just can't see them day to day because you look at yourself in the mirror every morning. Consistency will be the biggest key to success.

How Often Should You Train?

This is something you should have already discussed with your coach, but you should really plan to train 2-3x a week for the first month. You want to try and get all the cobwebs dusted off and make the most of your first month. Remember, this is your calibration phase. What's working, what's not. You don't need to commit to five days at the gym. If your coach is telling you this, RUN. 2-3x a week is the best way to keep your body fresh and not get burnt out.

What to Bring and What to Wear

This might sound basic but people genuinely stress about it. It's a great question to ask your coach. For clothing, athletic shorts/leggings and a breathable top will make for a comfortable workout. Don't worry about matching sets or trying to look perfect. I can promise you that your coach doesn't care nor does anyone else in the gym. For your shoes, just wear athletic sneakers. Running shoes are typically not great because of how squishy and high some of them sit. You're most likely going to want a flat soled shoe but this is going to depend a bit on the type of training you're doing with your coach. Water water water. Bring a bottle (bigger than you think you need). Especially early on, you're going to want to hydrate as much as you can. If you know yourself well enough and you need a snack, bring something light that has some quick sugars.

You Got This

Your first month is going to be tough. It should feel that way. Don't be discouraged. If you still have more questions after reading this, reach out to your coach. They will have all the answers for you and put you in a spot to succeed. You are taking a huge step in your fitness journey and I applaud you. You got this. Go have some fun. The results are worth it, I promise.