Like pumping iron, personal training has made a difference in my life. Over the many years I’ve been at this I have crossed paths with scores of cool people I would never have met, some of whom I’ve gone on to forge lasting friendships with. Earlier this summer I attended the high school graduation of the daughter of my longest team member; when I first met her she was a kid with braces playing hopscotch! But no matter whether my partnership with anyone lasts two days, two weeks, two months, or two years, I like to push, and praise, and teach. And yeah, laugh too. Where is it written that you can’t have fun and sweat?

While sometimes I’m a backboard for a teammate’s frustration at a stubborn body part that will not yield; and while it is true that more than once I’ve had a mild epithet thrown my way for pushing someone too hard…the fact remains that not from anyone, not once in 20 years, have I ever heard the words, “Gee, Rob, I’m really sorry I started training.”

All right, I digress. If you can swing a personal trainer, wonderful and good. But please—let common sense dictate. Be wary of a trainer looking for a huge commitment up front. A complimentary session to see how you click is not an unreasonable request from your end. If the trainer balks at that, walk away quickly. A good trainer will be eager to show you he’s for real. Once he’s got your money it’s too late to find out that he routinely shows up late or blows off appointments altogether, or spends your training session with an eye on his cell phone. In fact having a trainer is not unlike having a doctor or an accountant. Find a relationship that works—for you. If you see results and look forward to your sessions, then chances are you’ve struck personal training gold.

One further note: A good trainer does more than train—he educates. When I took over the training of a gal who had been with her former trainer for over a year, she could not tell me what exercises he’d had her do for her triceps—she was confused as to where her triceps even were! To my thinking, this trainer had let his client down by making her wholly dependent upon him. Imagine a language teacher having you memorize sentences in French without teaching you what they mean! How are you to survive in France should you ever choose to visit? This poor lady was lost without her trainer—obviously the way he wanted it.