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Why Hire a Personal Trainer in 2023?

You might be asking yourself…. Why hire a personal trainer?

It’s simple – a real, in-person, experienced certified personal trainer and/or coach will do more for you than any online fitness influencer, fitness trend or fad diet.

Are you in the same place as you were last year?

Have you struggled to achieve your fitness goals or to stay consistent?

Are you struggling with figuring out what to do in the gym?

Are you struggling with motivation?

Have you wasted money and time on trendy fitness or fads that only lasted a short period of time and didn’t stick?

Did you get injured and are leery about returning to exercise or physical activity?

Do you want to learn how to perform exercises with proper technique, so you don’t get injured?

Do you want to learn how to maximize exercise efficiency and time?

Are you struggling with daily aches and pains?

Do you spend the majority of your day sedentary or sitting at a desk?

If you answered YES to any of the above questions, then you definitely would benefit from the expertise and knowledge of a certified personal trainer.  Hiring a SVPT certified personal trainer can create a customized exercise plan, and help you execute that plan so you can achieve your fitness goals, and improve your health to live your best life now and in the future.


1. Assessment

If you aren’t assessing, you are guessing.  Many of you are doing exercises and programs that just aren’t suited for your lifestyle, body mechanics, fitness level, or goals. This is why many exercise and see no real progress, or struggle to achieve specific goals.  Assessments can teach you about the imbalances, strengths and weaknesses in your body and help SVPT personal trainers create an exercise program that is individually suited to you so you can train to your full potential, without wasting time and risking injury.

2. Knowledge

Knowledge is power.  Hiring a personal trainer is an investment into your future self. During your sessions, you will learn the how and why to train effectively, efficiently, and safely. We educate you so you can take away as much knowledge as possible, so when the time comes you can train on your own, and do so with confidence. We expect you to leave the nest eventually, in fact that is our goal, is to have you feel so educated and confident, that you can train on your own.  When you leave the nest it means we have done our jobs in teaching you how to train properly.

3. Motivation

We can’t do the work for you, but we can help find what motivates you to work.  Everyone has their reasons for exercising but we all struggle with training motivation at some point. A personal trainer can give you the extra push and remind you of your reasons when you struggle. You don’t have to feel good to get moving, you have to get moving to feel good.   Motivation is created, not found. 

4. Accountability

Accountability is strongly tied to motivation. A personal trainer can keep you on track with your goals. Life can get in the way, and usually the first thing to be sacrificed is exercise, when really when life is busy and stressful the best thing you can do is move your body. Consistency is the key to success, and having someone to hold you accountable can keep you consistent.

5. Goal Setting

Sometimes we want everything all at once, but that is usually a little unrealistic and overwhelming. Our personal trainers can help you set realistic and attainable fitness goals that are in-line with your lifestyle, fitness level and budget.   We meet you where you are at, and map out a strategy to help you be successful.

So now that you know the WHY, learn what you should be looking for in a personal trainer and check out our blog from January 2018 – “What Makes a Good Personal Trainer?”  https://www.svptfitness.com/makes-good-personal-trainer/

Shara Vigeant, BA, NSCA-CPT*D, CFSC

Gym Anxiety to Gym Confidence

Move from Gym Anxiety to Gym Confidence by understanding what exercise can do for you. 

One of the biggest obstacles to exercise and fitness for beginners is gym anxiety. We get it, starting up a new fitness routine and walking into a gym can be terrifying.

You feel like everyone is looking at you.

You feel like you are being judged based on your appearance.

You are scared to move your body incorrectly.

You don’t know what to do.

You don’t know how to use the equipment.

You are scared you are going to fail.

All of these feelings lead to anxiety and hesitation to even step foot in a gym and start an exercise routine.  The best thing to combat gym anxiety is CONFIDENCE. 

Confidence can be built by hiring a certified personal trainer in a private facility to start your fitness journey. We have many clients who come and learn from us first so they are confident enough to exercise on their own. 

Our personal trainers teach, inspire and motivate you with proper coaching and education.  There is nothing that will boost your self-esteem and gym confidence more than knowledge.  In the sessions we educate you about exercise, exercise technique/form and debunk fitness myths, so when you are on your own you can move and train with the confidence of knowing that what you are doing is correct, effective and safe. 

Gym confidence can also come from surrounding yourself with a community of people that support you and build you up.   The wonderful thing about SVPT is privacy and a supportive body-neutral community.  There is zero judgement and only high-fives.  When you walk in, you are surrounded by people who are or have felt the same as you.  Everyone in our facility is starting somewhere, learning, and showing up every day to improve their fitness, health and life.  Everyday clients at SVPT are cheering each other on. 

Another tactic to help decrease gym anxiety is to research.  Researching gyms can also boost confidence because you will walk in knowing what to expect, rather than the unknown.  Look into the gym you want to join and ensure that their culture and environment is in line with your values.  Find your tribe, find the culture you want to be a part of and makes you feel supported.  Does the gym have support systems for newbies?  Another tip is to call the gym and ask when the gym is less busy so you can attend when there are less people there. 

If you are hitting a public gym, have your training plan ready.  Review it before you go there so you can walk in and execute.  Consider bringing headphones with your favourite playlist that gets you pumped up.  Blast that play list and zone out. 

Lastly a great way to build some confidence is bring your tribe to the gym with you. Get a buddy system – find one or two friends, family members or your spouse to join you in your fitness journey.  A fitness buddy can be a great support system and also add some accountability. 

Find a personal trainer, find a community, find a support system and find a gym that makes you feel good.  Before too long you will find yourself 3 months into your fitness journey, owning the gym, moving your body and crushing your goals. 

Shara Vigeant, BA, NSCA-CPT*D, CFSC

The Best Personal Trainers and Private Gym in Edmonton

As SVPT fitness + athletics enters our 15th year of providing private personal training to Edmonton, we are confident saying we are the best because of the success we have had over the span of 14 years, including surviving an oversaturated fitness industry, a recession, a pandemic, and now into recovery.  We have persevered because we have consistently evolved our skills, focused on our clients’ progress and ensured client experience a top priority. 

With a combined 60+ years of personal training experience and coaching in our facility, we have always believed that our clients deserved the best personal training service from real education, knowledge and experience when it comes to investing in your health, fitness and wellness. 

We surveyed our clients and asked what keeps them coming back, what they love about our private exclusive gym, and our certified personal trainers.  So rather than telling you what we think our secrets to success are, we will tell you what actual clients say and feel about SVPT.

What keeps our clients coming back?

Our Coaches / Certified Personal Trainers

  • Build trust with clients
  • Clients Are Part of the Process
    • It’s a relationship, not a dictatorship
  • Sessions are fun, while still challenging
  • Willingness to go above and beyond
  • Attention to detail
  • Professionalism – on time and prepared
  • Attentiveness
    • Full attention (no phones on the turf!)
  • Innovative
    • Always learning and growing
  • Invested in client goals and overall health
  • Expertise
  • Education
  • High level coaching on technique and form
  • Listens to feedback
  • Friendly

Our Gym

  • Clean (this was mentioned a lot!)
  • Privacy – not open to the public
  • Well maintained
  • Body positive environment
  • Welcoming
    • All ages, genders and fitness levels supporting each other
  • Positive Vibes
  • Spacious – never over crowded
  • No pressure sales
  • No membership fees
  • Diverse clientele
  • Comfortable – not intimidating
  • Fair pricing compared to other gyms (especially big box gyms)
  • No diet culture
  • Community feel

SVPT is a welcoming, all-inclusive and body positive training environment with no diet culture and judgment – all fitness levels and ages are always welcome.  We engage in problem solving with our clients to help them achieve outcomes and goals more effectively and efficiently. From day one we have believed that clients deserved science based program design and attentive coaching, with their needs, goals and lifestyle top of mind. 

We encourage a culture of kindness, understanding and support – we meet you where you are so you can implement fitness in your life and make it stick long term.

We are most proud of our innovation and growth throughout our 14 years of business. 

SVPT was the first to bring turf to general population for fitness /exercise.

SVPT was one of the first to introduce the concept of semi-private personal training.

SVPT was the first to create the concept of small group training (instead of big bootcamps – quality over quantity). 

SVPT has consistently hosted top rated educational workshops and events with some of the best fitness professionals, practitioners and coaches in the fitness industry.

We understand the power we have to help people improve their quality of life through fitness, and with that power we understand there is great responsibility, and we don’t take it lightly. 

We are consistently learning and growing as fitness professionals and as a team, improving our practical and coaching skills, so we can provide you with the most innovative and effective solutions for your health and fitness goals. 

Do the best you can until you know better.
Then when you know better, do better.
– Maya Angelou

Looks like we are giving away our secrets to success, but the reality is, this is to help our industry as a whole – to elevate the legitimacy of certified and educated personal trainers. 

We can change people’s lives and have a lot of power to help them do this. 

Thank you to all of our clients and patron over the past 14 years, we are grateful for what you have taught us.  We wouldn’t be here without you!

COVID-19 Guidelines – September 2022

Please take note of our guidelines and protocols in place to keep you and our team safe, so we can continue to help you with your mental and physical health.

Client Guidelines

  1. First and foremost, if you have any of the following symptoms: fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, chills, painful swallowing, runny nose, feeling unwell, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, unexplained loss of appetite, loss of sense of taste or smell, or conjunctivitis – DO NOT COME IN.  Please do not put the SVPT team and clients at risk.
  2. Upon entry, please be sure to CHECK-IN on the tablet to ensure you are keeping everyone safe by answering the COVID-19 Screening.
  3. Masks are not required. However, if you are welcome to wear a mask if it makes you feel more comfortable. SVPT trainers are no longer required to wear masks but will do so at your request. We will happily oblige and wear a mask for your session if that is what makes you feel safe and comfortable.
  4. Upon entering the gym, please wash your hands and/or use hand sanitizer provided immediately.
  5. If you feel the need to cough or sneeze, please do so into your elbow, then wash or disinfect your hands immediately. Please don’t touch your face.
  6. Please wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before you leave.

PLEASE keep physical distancing in place as much as possible in common areas.  Your trainer will make sure your session is being distanced from others.

 

Trainer Guidelines

Every day at SVPT we will be ensuring that the gym, turf, all equipment, and hard surfaces are cleaned and disinfected to help protect you and our SVPT team.

With Health Canada approved disinfectant spray and/or wipes we will:

  1. Disinfect all training equipment and high touch surface areas used with the client in the session immediately after use;
  2. Disinfect the training area and all hard surfaces immediately after every client session;
  3. Disinfect bathrooms and/or showers hourly, or more, based on usage; and
  • We will be making sure that equipment used during the session will not be shared with other clients.

Any trainers that feel ill and have cold or flu symptoms will not be training clients and staying home and seeking COVID-19 testing.  If anyone in the trainer’s close social circle or family are ill, or have symptoms such as cough, sore throat and fever, they will stay home and seek COVID-19 testing.

 

If at any point during your visit to SVPT you feel unsafe or that our level of sanitization and distancing needs some attention, please reach out to Shara Vigeant IMMEDIATELY