Published: May 29, 2007 04:11 pm      

Could a personal trainer be right for you?

Somerset — Do you need some help boosting your workouts and reaching that next milestone? For some, an option might be to use a personal trainer.

The Blakley Family YMCA has six personal trainers — Monty Moore, Charlie Bailey, Autumn Edwards, Daniel Patterson, Carla VanHook, and Bret Howard — who can provide that extra help.

Training sessions can be conducted on an individual basis or in small groups of two to three people.

Trainer Charlie Bailey said some people who choose to use a personal trainer want to learn about the machines, lose weight, build muscle, or meet a specific goal, while others may do it for health reasons.

Those taking classes with a personal trainer can sign up for one, five or 10 sessions with fees ranging from $30 for one session, to $250 for ten sessions. As with other programming at the facility, financial assistance is available for the personal training programs.

Bailey said the initial process for beginning with a personal trainer includes filling out an assessment questionnaire and a visit to the gym to determine a person’s capabilities.

“Depending on their fitness goals (the person) might lift weights the whole time; they may run outside or take part in a boot camp,” said Bailey.

Trainer Daniel Patterson added that the trainers set sessions to the trainee’s likes and wants depending upon what goals they want to get out of the personal training sessions.

The trainers have helped train people as young as 14 and as old those in their mid-60s. Sessions are generally an hour each.

“It’s not a quick fix, but a lifestyle change,” said Bailey, of people who come in and start a new program.

Bailey said she would recommend people who are using personal fitness trainers to work with them three times a week.

Trainer Autumn Edwards added that for a person to see results, the trainers recommend working with them for three to six months. Even for a person who is in shape it might take that long if they are working to get past a plateau and reach a new fitness goal.

For the trainers, fitness was already an essential part of their lives. In order to help others, each decided to become certified.

“I can’t see myself doing anything else,” said Bailey, who explained she decided to become a personal trainer after she as able to achieve her own fitness goals and began teaching group fitness classes.

Bailey said it is very rewarding meeting her goals and she wanted to be able to pass that on to others. Her own 50 pound weight loss helps her relate to others with similar goals.

“We do it for the love of fitness and to be able to teach someone else there is an alternative and to encourage and promote a healthy lifestyle by showing people,” she added.

The trainers have to go through extensive training classes through the YMCA to become certified. During those classes, they learn about anatomy, physiology and nutrition. They also learn how to answer common questions concerning such things as diabetes and heart, knee or back problems, so they can help their clients.

The classes also help the trainers in spotting any red flags prior to beginning a training session with a new client.

Trainers may refer clients to their physician first to make sure it’s okay to begin the program, explained Edwards.

“Exercise helps pretty much everything though,” said Edwards.

“It’s not going to be a cure, but helps people deal with it,” she added.

Edwards recently decided to become a personal trainer because so much of everything in her life has revolved around health. Edwards said that she played five different sports while in high school, graduated with an exercise science degree in college and is working toward becoming a physical therapist.

Through being both a physical therapist and a personal trainer, she hopes to open communication more between the two fields.

“It’s amazing what the body can do,” said Edwards. “(And through exercising) essentially we’re training for life and extending life and the quality of it.”

Trainer Daniel Patterson has worked at the YMCA for three years and has been a trainer for two. He said he became certified from a desire to help answer people’s questions.

He explained that though they are trainers, they can still answer questions for people who are just working out, however if people want a list of specific workouts, that would fall under the personal training category and they should sign up for some sessions.

Patterson said to help those who are just beginning at the YMCA, the facility offers orientations for new clients at

6 p.m. on Monday nights.

Edwards said plans are in the works for a class at the YMCA to help women who may feel intimidated using free weights.

Patterson said one thing he would tell anyone wanting to get fit is they should do whatever activity they like. “If you like three or four different things, switch in between each day or each week,” he said. “That will keep your attention better.” n