The following article was submitted to Fight Quality by Tyler Read from ptpioneer.com.
Muay Thai which is commonly referred to as the “art of eight limbs” is best learned from a training coach. The martial art is best known for its tremendous power, maximum efficiency, and raw simplicity.
Muay Thai is one of the most popular forms of martial arts. The reason for this is because it has been proven to be effective. It utilizes a beautiful combination of kicks, punches, knees, and elbows with fluidity and grace.
If you can afford it, personal training is a good option. It allows you to receive individual attention. Being in the presence of a coach who you can work with can help you to maximize your fitness and training methods. P
As with everything, there are pros and cons of personal training. Before you opt to hire a personal trainer, it is important that you take note of the pros and cons of personal training.
Pros
Practice and accountability
A personal trainer will watch you practice and exercise. If they notice that something is wrong, they will correct you. These days, a lot of things can be learned from watching videos on popular streaming websites such as YouTube or Udemy.
However, if you develop a bad habit or do something wrong, it will not be possible for the people who make the videos to correct you.
It creates a sense of accountability. When one learns something on their own, it can be difficult to maintain a sense of accountability.
Failing to maintain a sense of accountability over time can eventually lead to one losing interest and dropping the training altogether.
By hiring a personal trainer, you will have a schedule which you will have to follow. People are generally more likely to follow a schedule if it involves meeting with someone else.
Physical Conditioning and Motivation
A personal trainer will take your physical condition into account when choosing the best routines for you. They can thus devise a workout plan and training methods which will be suitable for your own needs and condition.
A personal trainer will motivate you. Often one can get demotivated when they are doing this on their own, especially as seeing progress can be a slow process.
A personal trainer who is good at their job will regularly guide and encourage you to stay positive at all times.
Better results and diet
You will likely see better results sooner. If you do something on your own, especially as a novice, you will make errors and progress may be a slow process.
In the worst-case scenario, you may see no progress at all. By hiring a personal trainer, you are dealing with someone who is experienced in the field and who knows what it takes to achieve progress.
A personal trainer will allow you to set realistic goals. When people try to learn new fitness or physical activities, they often either under-estimate or overestimate themselves.
Over-estimation can lead to one over-exerting themselves and could cause early burnout and demotivation. With repeated failure, an individual may give up on their health and wellness objectives. A personal trainer will help you to establish realistic fitness goals.
Fitness trainers will assist you with aspects such as diet and extracurricular activities which can aid you in learning Muay Thai. In addition to refining technical aspects of the discipline, they will be able to suggest foods to eat and exercises which you can perform to refine your skills.
Cons
It can be a bad experience
The process may not be fun if you don’t get along well with the person. There may be some personal trainers who you may not be able to establish a personal connection with.
If this happens, you may lack motivation and want to give up on learning Muay Thai early. It is always important to read reviews of the personal trainers you want to hire and to make sure that you get to know them well before hiring them.
Hiring a personal trainer can be expensive. A personal trainer is devoting valuable time to you and will give you individual attention during that period.
An experienced personal trainer is unlikely to be cheap. The best trainers will generally charge a fee which they feel is fair for the service which they are providing.
The costs of hiring a personal trainer could range from as low as $50 to as high as $200. It ultimately depends on factors such as the experience, status, and qualifications of the instructor.
Not all trainers are great
Just like it is with a lot of different professions, some will be better than others. Some may just be concerned with making money rather than adding value to the lives of the clients whom they assist. Finding out which ones are good, will require extensive homework.
You may have to speak to others who practice Muay Thai. If you find an instructor that you are interested in, perform a Google search on them to see their qualifications. A good place to search as well is on a professional online networking forum LinkedIn.
Some may try to take shortcuts and rip you off. Some fitness trainers may try to take the quickest methods to progress. This most often will not lead you to achieve your true potential. Weighing the pros and cons of personal training should be important with those who are learning Muay Thai.
If you consult a personal trainer, you should also try and get reviews of what you are learning from other people who are knowledgeable about the form. If a lot of people say bad things, it will be a red-flag and a sign that you should consult someone else.
Before you hire a personal trainer, you should try and see them in action. A good personal trainer should have a good physique. If they don’t, it is likely that they don’t take their own fitness seriously.
How can you trust someone who does not take their own fitness seriously with improving your fitness? They should also be friendly and eager to help you.
Tyler Read
Tyler Read is the owner of ptpioneer.com which is a website dedicated to helping people get started in the personal training industry. He helps people discover, study, and pass their fitness exams. Check out his free videos for the latest trends.
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The views and opinions in this article are those of the guest author and are not necessarily representative of Fight Quality’s own views. We welcome guest posts from knowledgeable and passionate writers, but have no affiliation with the author or connected companies/products.