Making the decision to work with a qualified personal trainer to achieve your fitness goals is one of the smartest ways to ensure that you don't quit. Over the past 14 years, personal training has evolved and continues to evolve into more of a necessity; as opposed to the traditional perspective that limited personal training and trainers to "exclusive" clientele. As general illness and physical disfunction have increased, so to has the number of personal trainers that are available to the general public. Recognizing the opportunity to capitalize on the times and to fulfill the public need, personal trainers, and health & fitness businesses are popping up everywhere. My goal is to provide you with the information that you need to make an informed decision when you hire your personal trainer. Here are five easy steps to finding and hiring your ideal personal trainer.
#1. Don't take millionare advice from someone who's broke. Your personal trainer should absolutely be in better shape than you!
I see it and hear it everyday. Everyday I walk into a gym and without fail I walk by two people in the middle of their workout, who are talking about exercise or nutrition. Often times I'll over hear what their talking about. A woman will ask a guy at least 50 to 60 lbs. heavier (overweight) than herself how he does a particular exercise or how he eats. While his belly figures out which way to go around his tightly snapped leather weight belt, he says "What you want to do is 3 sets of 10 repetitions. Increase the weight as you go. That's how you do it." It never ceases to amaze me how people will take advice from people that are worse off than themselves. Sure...every once in a great while you can find a "diamond in the rough", but more often than not, the best millionare advice comes from millionares themselves; just as the best fitness advice comes from those of us who are in great shape.
#2. Make a commitment to yourself. Set realistic expectations for yourself, and then follow through.
First, It is important to make a commitment to yourself before you even contact a potential personal trainer. Before you ever meet with your personal trainer you should know exactly why you are working out (personal goals). In addition, you should go into your personal training experience expecting to invest at least a few months (3 to 6 months) into your program to ensure that you give yourself and your personal trainer the opportunity to transform you. Your body and your mind will adapt progressively. Ask yourself how long it took you to get out of shape, and then commit to a program that is equal in length. Remember...this is a long term investment into yourself...your'e worth the commitment.
#3. Be an informed client. Do your due diligence and compare personal trainers. Hire your personal trainer with these criteria in mind.
Experience: In my opinion experience should be the greatest determining factor when choosing any professional in a service oriented business. I have met hundreds (if not thousands) of p.t.'s in my time as a trainer. The BEST trainers I know have gained most of their real (applicable) knowledge in the act of training. Education and continued education are certainly imporatnt factors, but remember this when you choose your trainer...degrees and certifications prepare you to be successful. However, what makes a good trainer great is the way that they apply the information they have accumulated.
Education & Certs: As I stated in the previous paragraph, certifications, education and continued education are important factors to consider when choosing a personal trainer. Your personal trainer's ability to understand the anatomy and how it functions is crucial to the success of your program. We all have different body types, so it's essential for p.t.'s to know how to manipulate your body effectively. The proper application of movements will ultimately determine how you redefine your body, and will also determine whether or not you maximize your time or incur unnecessary injury. There are generally three national certifications that are recognized in most corners of the fitness industry as the "cream of the crop"...ASM, ACE and NSCA. Although these three certs are recognized by most high end gyms and fitness programs across the country, it is not say that p.t.'s with other certs are not credible or qualified to assist you with your goals. Application, application, application!
Cost: How much your personal trainer costs you is obviously pertinent information. However...I placed cost at the bottom of this list because it should not represent the sole basis for your decision. Afterall...chances are real good that the mindset that says "cost above all" is probably what got you where you are. Your body is not a garbage disposal...and it should'nt be treated as such. I'm not asking you to spend money that you don't have. I'm asking you to do a better job of investing the money that you do have. The personal training industry functions similarly to the way that the food industry functions. You get exactly what you pay for. You can buy a .99 cheeseburger, but the only guarantee that we can offer you is that it's not 100% meat. You get what you pay for. Maybe its time for you to value your personal trainer / your body / your mind.
#4. Ask for testimonials & referrals. Good personal trainers have tons of testimonials from previous and current clients, and referrals should be easy to get. Satisfied clients are eager to share their experience with anyone who's willing to listen.
Always review testimonials and ask for two or three referrals before committing to a new trainer. If you were referred to a p.t. by a friend, then you might feel comfortable trusting that friends judgement. As confident as I am in my own business, I always insist that my clients don't simply take my word for it. Please feel free to talk to my clients (previous & current) and listen to what they have to say about my abilities as a professional trainer. For trainers there is no greater validation, and for prospective clients there is nothing more ensuring than a testimonial or a referral from someone who can relate to your position.
#5. Always go through a physical assessment before you make a commitment to work with any personal trainer.
The assessment is the tool that effective trainers utilize to distinguish themselves. Most p.t.'s don't have advertising budgets, so this one hour (sometimes more) meeting is a p.t.'s advertising ground. The assessment is an invaluable tool because it allows for two very imporatnt things to take place. First, it provides you (the prospective client) with the opportunity to interview the p.t. If you intend on working with a p.t. for 3 to 6 months, you should like him/ her. The p.t. / client relationship is no different than any other social relationship. We have to have trust, respect and effective communication; and ideally we should get along...at least well enough to function effectively! Second, the assessment gives the p.t. the opportunity to determine your physical and psychological readiness. Although most p.t.'s are not certified to psychologically assess clients, after several years in the industry we begin to gain a better understanding of the general psyche of clients. The assessment also provides the p.t. with the information that is necessary to design an effective program for clients. Compiling pertinent information about the client and applying it effectively is what distinguishes great trainers from everyone else. You will know that you have made the right decision for yourself at the conclusion of your assessment.
-R
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