10 Things You Must Know Before Hiring a Personal Trainer
A good personal trainer can help you achieve your fitness and health goals, while exceeding your expectations along the way. A bad trainer can simply be a big waste of your time and money. The demand for personal trainers has steadily been on the rise over the past several years and with that so has supply.
Personal Trainer
Edinburgh For men
With so many options available to you today it can be quite
daunting to know which trainer is the best for you. Truth be told there are a
lot of phony and incompetent trainers out there today who make a great living
off of their clients' ignorance. But there is a way to protect yourself from
these types of trainers and we have provided it for you today.
So before you ever hire a personal trainer make sure that
you have all the answers to these 10 very important questions:
1) Are you physically and mentally ready to start an
exercise program with a personal trainer?
It can be quite easy to forget about the most important factor
when hiring a personal trainer-YOU. Are you willing and ready to dedicate and
commit yourself to a trainer and their program? The trainer will fully expect
complete dedication from your part.
Readiness for change is a critical part of the equation when
determining whether or not you will ultimately be successful or not. A few
simple questions to ask yourself before going forward should include:
• On a scale of 1-10 how much are you committed to change?
• Why do you feel you need a personal trainer?
• Why do you feel a personal trainer will help you be
successful?
Remember in the end it will be your attitude and effort that
makes all of the difference. No matter how good the trainer or their program is
if you do not bring your best on regular basis the outcome will be less than
what you had hoped for. Don't waste your time and money on something you are
not ready for.
Take home point: Commit to change first, find out a trainer
second.
2) Are your goals and expectations realistic?
We all want to transform our bodies into a better version of
ourselves but you will frustrate yourself and the trainer alike if you expect
to change overnight. Changing the body is a process which takes time and hard
work. Whether your goal is to become stronger or to lose body fat your trainer
should be able to outline a realistic timetable for you to reach your goals and
expectations.
Be leery of trainers who make big promises, such as massive
weight loss in a short period of time or super strength and speed gains in only
a few weeks. If they truly understand the process of physical adaptation then
they will be honest and open to you about what is realistic and obtainable.
Take home point: A good trainer will not tell you what you
want to hear but what you need to hear.
3) Does the personal trainer have a college degree in a
related field (exercise science, sports science, and kinesiology) or are they
certified by a highly reputable certifying agency?
Preferably the trainer has a college degree as it shows they
have a high level of knowledge in fitness and in human anatomy and physiology
and how the body adapts to exercise.
If the trainer only has a certification it needs to be
understood that not all certifications are created equal. There are certain
certifications that can be obtained literally within a weekend's time while
others take months of preparation before taking on the certification exam.
Trainers are a dime a dozen these days as anyone with a few
bucks, half a brain and weekend could obtain the title certified personal
trainer. The title doesn't ensure the ability. Don't give away your trust just
because someone tells you they have a certification or even a degree. These
should be minimums and mandatory, but the selection process should never end
there. Just because they know something does not mean they can apply it. Ask
them about their education and certifications? What are they? How long did it
take them to obtain them?
Take home point: Stick with trainers who can actually give
you the honest scientific facts not hype and hot air.
4) Does the trainer actually have real world experience
working with people like you?
There are basically two types of bad trainers out there. The
first has very little education and knowledge and haphazardly puts workouts
together. While the second has a lot of knowledge but very little experience
applying that knowledge. You need to look for a trainer that has both the
smarts and the looks. Sorry, I mean the smarts and the experience. And when we
say experience we mean with people like you. Every client and client population
is different. They have different needs and goals and their exercise programs
should reflect that.
We all know plenty of individuals who have years of real
world experience but still sucked at what they do. So please ask the trainer
about his clients' success. Ask for testimonials and anything else that would
prove that his/her ability to work with individuals like yourself would be a
success.
Take home point: Has the trainer been there done that
before, if not what other reasons did they give you to trust them?
5) Does the trainer take a careful look at your
health/training history and perform evaluative tests to assess your fitness
prior to beginning training?
If you're not assessing you're guessing. Before you ever
begin exercising with a trainer they should perform a health history and some
sort of physical assessment on you to assess your current health and wellness.
Understanding a client's abilities and limitations is an absolute critical
factor when designing training programs that are most appropriate and useful
for a client.
The golden rule for a personal trainer should always be to
do no harm. Assessments decrease the risk of doing more harm than good. Ask the
trainer beforehand if they perform assessments on their clients before
beginning an exercise program. If they do ask them what type of assessment they
will be conducting. If they do not perform an assessment ask them why they do
not think it is necessary?
Take home point: If you are not being assessed the trainer
is guessing. Make sure this is a normal part of the process.
6) What is the trainer's training philosophy?
Make sure that you know for a fact that the trainer has a
plan of action for you. This should include some type of organized approach to
their training program and how they plan on progressing you from week to week
and month to month. A trainer should never just shoot from the hip when
designing workouts. An unprepared trainer means an unprepared athlete or
unimpressed client.
• How do they track progress?
• How do they decide what is important to track?
• How do they organize their client's training programs?
• Are the programs individualized for every client?
• What are they all about, in other words what is their
philosophy on training in general and specifically with you?
Take home point: You need to understand what the trainer's
goals are for you and exactly how they plan on taking you there.
7) What does the trainer expect from their clients?
Before ever giving a trainer any of your money make certain
you know what the trainer expects from you. Some trainers expect their clients
just to show up while others expect them to be there 10 minutes early warmed up
and ready to go.
• How many days per week does the trainer expect you to be
able to work with them?
• Are the trainer's expectations of what you need to be
eating on par with what you deem as realistic and reasonable?
• How hard does the trainer push their clients and is it the
type of intensity you are looking for?
Take home point: Make certain the trainer's expectations are
realistic and reasonable for you to meet.
8) Is the training atmosphere comfortable and motivating?
A training facility should be like a second home;
comfortable and inviting yet inspiring and motivating. Not all fitness
facilities are created equal. Sometimes there is little the trainer can do
about this but it still can make a huge difference in what you are taking away
from your training sessions. Make certain you ask where the majority of the
workouts will be taking place and then see if it is the type of environment in
which you feel you could thrive and be yourself.
For example, a power lifter probably would be pretty upset
if it turns out the gym he signed up to train in has no barbells and almost all
machines and middle aged recreational mild mannered clients.
Take home point: Make sure you fit-in before you sign on the
dotted line.
9) Does the trainer's personality and attitude feel right
for you?
There are a lot of trainers out there. You have the right to
work with one which you genuinely enjoy being around. It should not be an
either/or type of thing when seeking out a trainer, where you are forced to
pick between a trainer which you really don't like but is good as what they do
versus a trainer which you really get along with but aren't so good at what
they do.
You are going to be spending a lot of time with your
trainer. Personal time at that, they will regularly making you do things that
might not be that fun, regularly telling you what to do and correcting you on a
regular basis. It always seems to hold true we learn better from people we
respect and get along with.
Take home point: A trainer should be a coach and a friend,
make sure they are someone you can respect and actually stand to take orders
from.
10) Does the trainer let you try before you buy?
How many people buy a car off of the lot without driving it
first? Then why would a trainer expect you buy hundreds of dollars worth of
personal training before you ever get behind the wheel and got to experience
what they were all about.
Ask the trainer if they have any free or low cost trials?
They should have something in place which allows you to try their services for
no or low cost before signing-on for a longer commitment.
Take home point: Ask about a free or low cost test drive
before you buy, this should always be an option for you.
There you have it, 10 critical questions to help you make
your decision when choosing a personal trainer or other fitness professional.
Remember quality is king and if you want the best in your area, you need to do
your homework first. Visit https://www.aspersonaltraining.co.uk/
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