Online exclusive: PSU offers personal fitness training

Portland State’s rec center has a staff of specialized personal trainers available to PSU students and staff, with the training offered at a fraction of the cost it would be off campus.

Portland State’s rec center has a staff of specialized personal trainers available to PSU students and staff, with the training offered at a fraction of the cost it would be off campus.

Not only are sessions set around the student’s schedule, but is also set at a pace that best fits each personal fitness level.

“It all depends what their goals are,” said Mark Fink, an athletic trainer set to graduate with a degree in community health. “All the sessions are going to be specific to the clients themselves.”

Fink added that personal trainers are often the extra incentive needed to get into shape, and is a great idea for those who have a hard time sticking to a self-demanding routine. A trainer provides the motivation and support that’s needed to keep up the pace, and each exercise is designed to help achieve a desired goal.

The goals set with personal trainers can be based around weight, size, health or just overall self-improvement. The trainer creates a comfortable relationship with their client, keeping track of their progress and setting up personalized workouts that will best work for the specific body type and person.

Whether looking to lose weight, tone the body or gain muscle, all these factors go into the planning of sessions with a trainer. Remember, it’s a personal trainer because the focus is only on the individual that is being trained.

When it comes to the results that can be seen in the body’s appearance, it’s almost impossible to determine because of the many different variables that affect physical progress. Genetics, metabolism, and the student’s current physical state will all affect the ending results.

The personal trainers at the Academic and Student Rec Center are all certified and experienced with nationally recognized organizations such as ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine), NASM (National Association of Sports Medicine) and ACE (American Council & Exercise).

According to Fink, getting connected with a personal trainer is easy and very convenient through the PSU rec center. The process is affordable and centered around each client’s needs. Before the actual sessions begin, a meeting with the trainer is made to give a better idea on what the sessions will entail.

The great part about the program is that PSU offers these sessions at a fraction of the cost of what a personal trainer would normally charge at any other fitness center.

Sessions are available in packages: three for $54, six for $102 and 10 for $160.

A personal trainer may require a change in diet if it’s considered to be a main stumbling factor in the overall health or physical being of the client. Results greatly depend on the consistency and commitment put toward each training session. Either way, a client’s overall health will be improving.

Getting started with a personal trainer is easy. PSU’s rec website provides all of the trainers’ descriptions and pictures. After selecting one, the next step is picking out a session package and a training schedule that works best for the student’s schedule. Each package comes with a free 30-minute consultation to help figure what the focus and goal of the sessions will be.

“We really try to get to know them, and make sure that we mesh well as a trainer with a client. If that connection isn’t there, they’re less likely to succeed,” Fink said.

PSU offers a fitness assessment test for $10 that helps determine current physical ability. The test will include a standing heart rate, blood pressure, body composition, aerobic fitness, muscular endurance, and flexibility test. All of these things will help determine a well-set fitness program designed specifically for the client.

“It’s a really awesome program, and definitely a lot cheaper [than other personal trainers],” Fink said. “We have about six trainers right now, an awesome staff that’s really knowledgeable and really friendly and a great facility. Everybody should come try it out.”