"I've been working out for years...why should I work with a trainer?" I hear similar comments a lot and sometimes I even take it personally, but the truth is it's a valid question. Working with a personal trainer can seem like an expensive luxury to some, but let me assure you, its a great investment in your health and well being!

The first thing I do when someone is interested in training with me is ask them about their goals. More often than not their answers are vague and poorly thought out. The common thread that binds all people who work with trainers is that they either feel they can't train safely or at the proper level of intensity on their own. It doesn't matter whether the person is brand new to working out or has been a lifelong fitness fanatic, either will benefit from the guidance a trainer will provide. That guidance may consist of any of the following:

• New exercisers get fitness programs tailored to their precise needs and desires assuring progress without exposing themselves to injuries by learning the safest and most effective way to perform each movement.
• Trainers assist in formulating specific and attainable fitness goals — the essential road map to long term fitness gain.
• Exercisers with medical conditions can get a program coordinated with their doctor or physical therapist. Trainers are experienced in dealing with a wide range of exercise limitations.
• Need help sticking to a program? Trainers make workouts fun. They make the best of all workout partners. They work around your schedule — and they never look for excuses to skip a workout. They motivate, encourage and keep routines fresh.
• Not making any progress? Trainers know lots tricks for getting you to that next level. They know all the best exercises and newest techniques.

But don't just take my word for it, here's what some real people are saying about their work with a personal trainer:

• This year I hit the half-century mark. I had been a swimmer for a number of years, but was still battling with that middle age spread, and felt that I wasn't making the types of gains I wanted to see. I decided it was time to do something about that and as a birthday present to myself, to see if I couldn't make some changes in the way I look and felt. My original goals were to decrease my body fat to 10% and in turn to gain control over that middle aged spread. The regimen that my trainer set up for me included weight resistance training three days a week, with cardio interval workouts on the days in between. I do my workouts at 6 am as it fits best with my schedule and is a good way to start the day. In order to achieve the goals I set, it was necessary to change some of my eating habits. My trainer helped me in selecting nutritional supplements and designing a diet that helps to achieve my goals (although I have an occasional chocolate chip binge). Like anything else in life, it takes both commitment and patience to reach those goals. Because you are so close to the situation, you are not cognizant of the changes that your body is undergoing and a trainer can provide an objective perspective to help you attain your fitness goals. —John L.

• The training I have done with my trainer has transformed me both physically and reconnected me emotionally to a part of myself that has lain dormant these past few years. I have lost body fat and gained muscle, getting closer in my life to an ideal of fitness I thought I would never attain. I have stretched farther physically with my trainer's encouragement, enthusiasm and support, I have also stretched farther in other aspects of my life. My personal relationships, business plans and general outlook in life have all undergone a boost as I see more of what it is possible to achieve. Although I am generally determined to reach my goals, partnering with my trainer on fitness goals helps me stretch the extra distance I would not reach for alone. —Shari L.

Bryant Howard BA, MA, CFT, SPN — Bryant is certified through the International Sports Sciences Association. He is both a Fitness Trainer and Performance Nutrition Specialist. He also holds certification in CPR and First Aid. He has trained competitive athletes for ten years and offers personal and group training sessions in the Portland, OR area. Bryant Howard owns Performance Fitness Training