The Pros and Cons of Virtual Personal Training
June 28, 2020
With Covid- 19 and social distancing, there has naturally been a huge increase in virtual personal training. The fact that people are getting a virtual personal trainer for the first time is a good thing! There are not very many options right now.
However, as things start to return to normal, there are pros and cons to virtual personal training to be considered.
Pros:
- Accountability- With all personal training, accountability is a big reason people see such great success. It is no different with virtual training; you are still paying for a session and scheduling your time with a personal trainer and that keeps you accountable to your workouts.
- Ease of scheduling- When you do not have to go anywhere, it’s pretty easy to make that appointment at the right time and stick to it.
- Learning new ways to get active- Whether it is a pandemic, a snowstorm, or lack of babysitting, there are times when we cannot leave our home. Virtual personal training has taught many people many different ways they can get a great workout from their home; even if they don’t have any exercise equipment.
Cons:
- Increased risk of injury- Although a personal trainer is still there to guide your form, it is not the same as spotting and correcting form for a client in person. Especially if you have limited experience in exercise, proper form through virtual training can be challenging and risky.
- Limited exercises- Although there are hundreds of bodyweight exercises that are terrific ways to increase your strength and stamina, there are still limitations when you do not have a lot of exercise equipment. For optimal health, we should do dynamic workouts that include several different pieces of equipment to adequately hit every muscle and every mode of exercise.
- Not a great way to track progress- Most people are concerned about the scale and their pant size, which can certainly be tracked from home. But at Axio Fitness, we care about so much more than your pant size. For optimal results, it is ideal to have a professional to track things like strength, endurance, heart rate, flexibility and body composition. Although many things can be tracked from home, it is better to track progress in several different ways to adjust an exercise program accordingly.
At Axio Fitness, we offer the best of both worlds! Virtual personal training is an option, but we also have private, fully equipped training rooms. No audience, no spreading germs and no distractions. Many clients call us their “home away from home.” If you are interested in personal training but unsure about virtual training or going back to a crowded gym, give Axio Fitness a call today!
Share Post
Our Recent Blogs
Your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) represents the total number of calories your body burns at complete rest to carry out basic life-sustaining functions, such as breathing, circulating blood, and repairing cells. Because RMR accounts for up to 75% of your total daily calorie expenditure, finding ways to elevate it is key to long-term metabolic health and weight management. Building lean muscle mass through weight training is the single most effective strategy for permanently boosting your RMR. Muscle tissue is metabolically active, meaning it requires constant energy just to maintain itself. As you increase your muscle mass, your body inherently burns significantly more calories 24 hours a day, even while you sleep. While traditional cardio workouts are great for burning calories during the actual exercise session, they do almost nothing to increase your resting metabolic rate once the workout is over. Resistance training, on the other hand, fundamentally upgrades your metabolic engine. By lifting weights and increasing lean muscle, you transform your body into an efficient, calorie-burning machine long after you leave the gym. Axio Fitness has been boosting RMR’s for hundreds of older adults in the Mahoning Valley for years. If you want help getting started on the proper weight training program for you, we are here to help!
The squat is the king of lower-body exercises, but poor form can stall your results or cause injury. Here are three common squat mistakes and quick fixes to improve your technique today. Knees Caving Inward (Valgus Collapse) The Mistake: Your knees collapse inward as you drive up from the bottom of the squat, placing unnecessary stress on the knee joint. The Fix: Screw your feet into the ground and actively push your knees outward so they track in line with your second toe. Heels Lifting Off the Floor The Mistake: Shifting your weight onto your toes causes your heels to rise, reducing power and straining the Achilles tendon. The Fix: Drive your weight back into your heels and mid-foot. If ankle mobility is tight, elevate your heels slightly on small weight plates. Rounding the Lower Back (The "Butt Wink") The Mistake: Losing a neutral spine at the bottom of the movement tucks the pelvis under, stressing the lower back. The Fix: Brace your core like you are about to take a punch, sit back into your hips, and only squat as deep as your form allows without rounding. Fixing these small cues will protect your joints and help you build strength faster. If you need help with proper exercises for progress, Axio Fitness is here to help.
Just like lifting weights strengthens your biceps, getting your heart rate up trains your cardiovascular system. Your heart is primarily made of cardiac muscle tissue, and regular physical activity challenges it to adapt, grow stronger, and operate far more efficiently. When you engage in aerobic exercise—like brisk walking, running, cycling, or swimming—your working muscles require more oxygen. To meet this demand, your heart must pump blood faster and harder. Over time, this consistent workload causes the heart’s main pumping chamber (the left ventricle) to expand slightly and build stronger muscular walls. With each contraction, a conditioned heart can push out a larger volume of blood—a measurement known as stroke volume. Because it delivers more blood per squeeze, it doesn't have to beat as frequently to keep your body supplied with oxygen. Key Benefits of a Stronger Heart Lower Resting Heart Rate: A efficient heart pumps more blood per beat, allowing it to beat fewer times per minute while you rest. Reduced Blood Pressure: Stronger heart muscles pump blood with less effort, reducing force on your arterial walls. Enhanced Endurance: Better oxygen delivery means everyday activities like climbing stairs feel significantly easier. Lower Cardiovascular Risk: Regular exercise improves circulation and helps prevent arterial plaque buildup, drastically reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke. Investing just 150 minutes of moderate activity a week builds a resilient heart that supports a longer, healthier life.
Strength Through Menopause Perimenopause and menopause bring wild fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone. That hormonal roller coaster can cause brain fog, stubborn weight gain, mood shifts, and sleep loss. While cardio is great for endurance, picking up heavy weights is a powerful movement habit for balancing your midlife hormones. As estrogen drops, muscle mass declines and insulin sensitivity decreases. Lifting weights changes the game: Tames Insulin Spikes: Muscle acts as a sponge for glucose. Building lean muscle improves insulin sensitivity, keeping blood sugar stable and reducing abdominal fat storage. Lowers Cortisol: Overdoing cardio sessions can elevate cortisol (the stress hormone), driving weight retention. Short, focused resistance training helps regulate cortisol levels instead of spiking them. Protects Bone Density: Estrogen loss accelerates bone loss. Progressive overload from weights signals your bones to lay down new tissue, keeping osteopenia at bay. Boosts Mood and Human Growth Hormone (HGH): Heavy lifting triggers endorphins and stimulates natural HGH production, improving energy, deep sleep, and mood stability. You don't need to spend hours in the gym. Two to three strength workouts each week will give you the benefits you need. By prioritizing strength over endless cardio, you work with your changing biology rather than against it. Axio Fitness can give you the accountability and direction you need to get started on a strength training routine.
Leave a Reply
Your email address will not be published.
Required fields are marked *
