Personal training — without the trainer

Good personal trainers do more than just teach you about exercise. They make sure that every visit you make to the gym counts, monitor your goals, keep your workouts at a steady pace and offer that last bit of motivation to fuel your progress when you begin to run on fumes. You can get a few of the perks of a personal trainer just by doing the following for yourself:

Set Very Specific, Targeted, Achievable, Motivating Goals

Ask yourself: What do I want to achieve with my routine? Have a body that looks like a swimsuit model? Look like an old high school photo? Be able to run a marathon in under five hours? Lose weight? Feel better? Walk longer?

Once you have that goal in place, figure out if it is achievable. Can you look like a swimsuit model? Possible? Then fine. Will you be able to run 26 miles in less than five hours? Maybe not. Or it might take several years to get to that point. Make sure your goals are “doable” within the time frame you’ve allotted.

Write Down Your Exact Workout

Once you’ve come up with a specific, realistic target, write it down. That’s what a trainer would do. What exercises should you be doing? What shouldn’t you be doing? What’s best for your intended goals? Write down the exercises you will have to do, how many reps and how many minutes you will have to do each one and how many days per week.

Bring a chart to the gym to check off each and every workout, or use a phone application. Remember to use a stopwatch for exercises that involve time.

Assess Every Week

Goals should be measurable, so you know if you’re on the road to success. For example, weighing yourself once a week tells you at a glance if you’re heading in the right direction. Write it down or use an app to keep track.

Take Measurements

Most good personal trainers will take body measurements during your first session. No reason why you shouldn’t do the same.

Neck: _____

Abdominal: _____

Waist: _______

Shoulder: _______

Hip: _______

Chest: ______

Thigh (Mid): _____

Arm: (L) _______ (R) _____

Blood Pressure: ___

Resting Heart Rate: ___

Take these measurements every month to track your progress.

Take a Fitness Assessment

Visit www.shapeup.org for a variety of fitness assessments. Take these every six weeks and note your progress.

Keep a Training Log

Write down everything you’re doing and take a look at the numbers every four weeks. Trainers know what your body is capable of doing not because of their expertise but because they’re taking the time to measure your successes and failures.

The best tools on the market right now are the apps for your phone. I like Fitocracy as a tracker. It’s free and loaded with wonderful features, including a social media component.

Do Your Routine Correctly

Plan your specific exercises and learn how to do them correctly. Many websites have fantastic, helpful instructional videos on how to do exercises correctly. The University of Florida offers Trainer Time, which offers instructional videos with personal trainers.

One of the best video libraries is from the American Council on Exercise — see its Kick Start Workout Guide and check out its complete library of great exercise resources. If you want to add yoga exercises to your routine, go to Yoga Journal’s extensive library.

Plan as You Rest

Instead of counting seconds between sets, use the time to start planning your next move. Grab the weights you’ll be using next; check how many repetitions you did during your last workout; ask the big guy in the racerback tank if he’s almost through with that bench. Thinking two steps ahead will keep you from wasting time during your workout.

Become a Real Personal Trainer

There is no reason why you can’t become a certified trainer yourself. Visit the websites of American College of Sports Medicine or American Council of Exercise.

Put Pressure on Yourself

Money can be motivating. You’re less inclined to skip a session for which you’ve already paid. If you need that kind of incentive to stay psyched, make a deal with a friend or significant other that you’ll pay him or her $5 every time you miss a scheduled workout. Or go on some of the betting sites. Sign on to Stickk.com, register, choose your goal (weight loss, exercise more, etc.), pick what’s at stake (e.g., money), get a referee and you’re done. Some sites, such as makemoneylosingweight.com, allow bettors to challenge one another.

Ward Off Distractions at the Gym

Having a trainer is the best way to keep people from interrupting your routine, because people are less likely to chat with you when they see that you’re busy. To achieve that same “I’m-too-involved-in-my-workout-for-the-likes-of-you” look, try listening to music on your smartphone. It might be a great idea to sign up for a music service such as Pandora or Spotify. That way you can always listen to music you love and create uplifting song lists just for your workout.

Buy Key Fitness Equipment from Online Classifieds

You can get a very good treadmill, elliptical, bike or any workout gear by looking online at eBay and Craigslist.org. Do your research to find good quality units, and test one first. Recently, I was able to buy a $4,000 treadmill for about $600. The best way to make sure you’ll actually use the equipment is to watch TV or do something special only while you’re on it. I pick a TV series (from DVR, Netflix, Roku, On-Demand or purchase) I haven’t seen and watch it only while I’m on the treadmill.

Keep It Fresh

Change your exercise routine and shock your body. Your body adapts to repetitive training stimuli. Change your routine every two weeks. Try some new exercises, and change the intensity of your workouts.

Charles Stuart Platkin is a nutrition and public health advocate and founder of DietDetective.com.