Last fall, I had the opportunity to do some personal training with my friend Haley Treco.  Haley is a friend of mine from college, and she’s also a certified personal trainer and nutrition and wellness consultant.  Had she not been someone I knew already, I don’t think I ever would have tried personal training.  I had a negative experience with the personal training at my gym (in the first session my trainer said “No more french fries.  Ever.” and repeatedly said “bas-LAM-ic instead of “bal-SAM-ic,” which I guess shouldn’t be such a big deal but this is my HEALTH here).  Even just the title of “Personal Trainer” brings to mind some sort of terrifying boot camp/Olympic games/marathon scenario where I pass out during the session and get trampled by an army of thin, sexy people.

Haley herself. See? Not scary! Just buff!

Luckily, Haley is nothing like those nightmare trainers.  I met with her a couple times a week for hour long workouts at her gym in Williamsburg, and she worked with me to develop a challenging (but not faint-inducing) all-around workout that I can do on my own.  The workout is a big improvement on what I had been doing at the gym (basically, half an hour of cardio followed by aimless weight lifting and a few crunches), and I’ve noticed tangible changes in my strength and muscle tone.

The most important thing about working with Haley is that I immediately felt like she was both realistic about what I could do and confident that I had the ability to improve.  So much of working out is mental, and it was critical to me that the person I was working with believed in my capabilities but wasn’t going to push me too fast to do things my body wasn’t ready for.  Haley believed that I was worth training, which sounds kind of gushy but I think is a big hangup for people when deciding whether or not to work out.  Her goal is getting you into the best shape for your body, not getting you to lose x number of pounds or get down to 0% body fat.

Another great thing about Haley: she is CHEAP!  Her rates are somewhat dependent on where you train (less if you train at her gym, more if she travels to yours, assuming your gym allows outside trainers), but they are less than half what the trainers at my gym charge, for much more personalized service.  She trains people of all genders, ages, and sizes.  If your New Years Resolution includes losing weight, getting in shape, or making more out of what you’re already doing at the gym, I seriously recommend training with Haley Treco.  Check out her business facebook page for more info, or email her directly at haleytreco AT gmail.com.