Getting into shape is hard. It takes a lot of effort and commitment as well as a lot of knowledge about health and exercise. For these reasons, many people hire personal trainers to keep them on track. If you’re thinking about getting a personal trainer to jumpstart your fitness routine, here are some of the things you can expect.

He/she will ask you a lot of questions.

The first thing you can expect when you meet with your trainer for your first session is a lot of questions. They’ll ask about  your fitness goals like if you want to lose weight, or build muscle, or if you want to have a healthier heart (or all three). Personal trainers need to know a lot about you before they can start to help you reach your fitness targets. Understanding how you want to benefit from hiring them, helps them create a plan that will work for you. Also, as someone who’ll be working with you personally on a regular basis, they’ll want to get to know you. This is the first step in developing a friendly, professional relationship.

He/she will test you.

After getting an idea of who you are and what you want, your trainer will give you a physical fitness test. This can be intimidating. Still, this is an important step. Your trainer needs to know where you are physically so the exercise plan that is developed is appropriate for you. You don’t want your coach to tell you to run for 30 minutes when you can only do 15.  And you really want to know your baseline in order to track your progress. The physical fitness test will help you and your trainer come up with realistic short term and long term fitness goals.

Your trainer has to know about your current health.

You have to be honest about your health.  If you spend the weekends watching movies and eating takeout, it’s time to ‘fess up. The results of your tests won’t lie. So when you trainer asks you about your diet, you’ve got to come clean. Honesty can help you achieve the most out of your sessions with your trainer. Not only will they know what they’re working with, you’ll also be able to accept your current state of health and work forward from there.

They will push you, and it might be uncomfortable.

Working with a trainer isn’t going to be a walk in the park. You’re hiring someone to help you get your rear in gear, so one of the things you can expect is for your trainer to push you. There will be times when they push you hard, and, sometimes, you’re not going to like it. But the point of having a trainer is to motivate yourself.  When you hold yourself back, your trainer will encourage you forward. You’ll get tired and you’ll feel sore, but you’ll realize you can do things you would have never tried by yourself.

It will be intimidating.

Getting into shape is an uphill climb in more ways than one. With a trainer, you have someone watching you the whole time, pointing out every mistake. It will be intimidating, embarrassing, and sometimes a bit scary. The reality, however, is that your trainer isn’t there to criticize you, they’re there to teach you how to do your regimen correctly for your greatest benefit and to keep you from injuring yourself. For example, lifting weights with a bad form can lead to serious injury.

They will tell you what to do, even when you’re outside the gym.

Health extends well beyond the gym, so one of the final things you should expect is that your personal trainer will have activities and assignments for you to do even when you’re outside of the gym. For example, if you want to lose weight or build muscle, exercising isn’t enough; you have to have the correct diet that to supplement your workout. Also, don’t be surprised if your trainer encourages you to exercise while you’re at work or at home. You won’t get far if you only plan on living a healthy lifestyle when your trainer is around.

Hiring a personal trainer is a big step towards living a healthier life. It’s a commitment that isn’t easy to make. They will test you, push you, and tell you what to do. But they will also guide you, cheer you on and teach you what you need to know to reach your goals. Remember that at the end of the day, a trainer’s job is to help you become a healthier version of yourself.