Anyone that has ever wanted to improve their health and well-being has gone through the process of attempting different ways to get into fitness, whether it’s buying a gym membership and never using it, trying a new sport or even something as simple as going for a regular walk or bike ride. These things are sometimes hard to stick to and finding the extra motivation to get you in the swing of things is often difficult to achieve by yourself.
That’s where hiring a personal trainer is a perfect way to have someone to push you in the right direction and provide that extra spark, because after all being a positive influence is one of the main jobs of a personal trainer.
If you decide that a personal trainer is something you may be interested in, looking for and finding the right personal trainer for you can often be a daunting task. The health and fitness industry is no different than any other industry. There are many qualified people of all levels and also many people who claim to be qualified just to make money. If you are one of those people that is tired of wasting their time in the gym and want to hire a personal trainer to start seeing results, then how do you know that you are hiring the right person?
There are many questions on what makes a great fitness trainer and what you should look out for before starting with one. , so hopefully when you do begin your search for one you can ask all the right type of questions to get the help you need and deserve.
Practice what they preach
Anyone working in the health or fitness industry should practice what they preach if they are to be taken seriously. You may find a trainer that knows everything about health and fitness and the knowledge to help others achieve their goals but for them to gain respect and credibility they should look the part. If they are going to help you reach your health and fitness goals and critique your diet and lifestyle, the least that they can do is be a positive role model that is physically fit and healthy.
The opposite is also true though. Just because people look great physically does not always mean that they will have the proper knowledge to help you achieve your goals. If something works for them, it does not mean it will necessarily work for you. Many people are blessed with good genetics and would look good no matter what they do.
Qualifications
A person’s credentials can often be an important clue about their competence as a personal trainer. Firstly you want to make sure your trainer is qualified. A university degree or certification from various organisations forms a solid foundation of knowledge, but there are also many great trainers in the industry that don’t have either. The minimum requirements your fitness trainer should have is Certificate III and IV in Fitness/Personal Training. This will make sure they not only have a great understanding all things health and fitness but that their knowledge has been put into practice. Every personal trainer should also have their Senior First Aid Certificate and be in possession of a first aid kit for every session in case of emergencies.
All personal trainers should be attending workshops and training courses to make sure their qualifications and knowledge is up to date and to ensure they have a variety of skills to further improve your sessions. Some of the courses and workshops available specialise in: Boxing, Older adult, Kids, Rehabilitation, Group, Boot camp, sports specific, weight loss and nutrition.
Depending on your specific requirements, there may be other important questions whose answers will determine whether a certain personal trainer is qualified to answer your needs.
- How much experience does this fitness trainer have?
- Do they know anything about nutrition or just follow the basic Australian Dietary Guidelines?
- Will they be able to accommodate for any specific medical conditions that you may have?
- Do they promote or encourage the use of drugs to accomplish your goals?
- Are you looking for a personal trainer who is knowledgeable in a specific sport?
- Do they still study, regularly attend seminars and workshops or do research on a regular basis to stay on top of the latest research available in the fitness industry when it comes to training, nutrition, injury prevention, supplements, ECT?
Registered and Insured
It is a must for all personal trainers to be registered with an Australian fitness industry such as Fitness Australia and Kinect Australia where they are recognised as an exercise professional.
Having Public Liability/Professional Indemnity Insurance is also a big must for all trainers. Make sure the personal trainer has their own personal liability insurance. It is extremely rare for an experienced personal trainer to ever harm a client enough to warrant a lawsuit but it is still important that they possess the required insurance, to ensure they operate in a safe environment for you to train in.
Consultation
When starting with a personal trainer you should receive a health and fitness consultation before you start. Your trainer should go through a simple form to discuss your fitness goals and your previous exercise and medical history as well as discussing how your sessions should be run to give you the results you need. Once more is known about your specific goals and exercise history you can then be matched up to a fitness trainer that suits you.
Testimonials/Reviews from Past & Present Clients
Most successful trainers will have some success stories which they will happily share about their client’s success stories. Look at what other people say about the personal trainers.
MaxNRG’s growing list of personal training reviews from clients.
A learning Experience
Most people want a basic understanding of nutrition and exercise. They want to know what they should and shouldn’t be eating and what they need to do to be healthy. The problem with the health and fitness industry is there are so many misconceptions, half truths and contradictions coming from magazines, the internet, books and the media that many people don’t know what to believe.
The service that a trainer provides can be defined in many ways but should involve more than just handing you a training program and holding your hand while you work out. Although most people are just looking for a personal trainer to guide them through an exercise and fitness program to ultimately reach their specific goal weight or certain fitness level, you may actually want or expect more than that, AND YOU SHOULD!
Perhaps you want to learn about proper weight training technique or how to improve your cardiovascular fitness, how to eat better for health, eat better for improved sporting performance, manage or rehabilitate injuries, or maybe just someone to motivate you. The experience you have with a personal trainer then will become an educational one and not just purely about exercising.
It’s quite reasonable for you to have several questions when you first start out exercising or when beginning a new fitness regime. You may want in-depth answers to help you understand the reasoning behind the decisions that are made about your training plan. These sorts of discussions can help improve the relationship you have with your trainer and increase your own level of commitment to your training. Over time you will eventually develop basic knowledge putting you in a better position to make your own decision in relation to exercise and healthy eating in your daily life without having to refer to your trainer every step of the way.
Personality
You want a trainer that you are going to get along and feel comfortable with. Most training sessions are generally one on one or small groups so having a trainer that you can trust will not only make your sessions more enjoyable but also something you look forward to. Most trainers should be easy going, be approachable, be highly motivational, able to inspire, and most of all come to your sessions with a smile and a positive attitude.
Commitment
When beginning a new fitness regime you make a commitment to yourself and your trainer about changing your life in a positive way, and that level of commitment should also be made by your trainer. They should be making a commitment to you and your goals and will be with you every step of the way no matter how big or small that goal may be.
Able to Adapt
There are a few ways trainers need be able to adapt to any situation or individual. Everyone is different and personal trainers need to be aware that not everyone wants to be trained the same. You may be someone who wants to have high intensity sessions where you are pushed hard for every minute of the session or you may want a low key but effective session, and your trainer should be able to adapt your training program to suit your personality. At the same time your trainer should still be able to provide an effective session that will enjoy.
The weather can be a factor for outdoor training, through the wetter colder months, but there is no reason why you cannot keep you sessions going. You and your trainer should have a backup plan in place in case the weather is too harsh to exercise outdoors and at worst case be able to reschedule your session to the next day so you don’t fall behind in your training.
Comfortable
You want to feel comfortable during your sessions and your trainer should be accepting of each individual no matter what shape, size, beliefs or who they are. A trainer’s focus should solely be to get you fit and healthy and have you reaching the goals you are after. You also do not want to be forced to do something that you don’t feel comfortable doing, and your trainer should conduct you sessions where you feel comfortable in your surroundings so you may concentrate on your training session without any added perceived pressure.
Fitness Program and Variety
To get your desired result, your trainer should set up a program according to your goals no matter how big or small. Your initial sessions will start off at a relative level to your previous and current training ability. Although it is fantastic that you have taken the first step to start living a healthier life, you still must allow time for your body to adapt to the training workload otherwise more often than not injuries occur. Once your technique is correct and the correct recovery protocols are in place your trainer should slowly increase the intensity of your workout and give you more challenging exercises to perform. The last thing you want to do is have boring and repetitive training sessions, each session should be different to the previous session to keep things interesting and moving towards your fitness goals.
Feedback and follow up
Keeping track of your goals is a great way to provide motivation to keep going with the training and it is also a great way to view the changes that have been made in your progress as you pursue your ultimate goal. You trainer should be constantly be asking and check with you on how you are feeling and if you would like to change anything about your current exercise regime. This way you’re going to enjoy your training and be another step closer towards the results you want.
Enjoyable and Effective
Enjoyable and Effective, it is what makes a great trainer. You want to be able to enjoy your session and have the occasional laugh whilst still knowing that you are getting an effective training workout. You will be more likely to stick with it and feel much better about yourself if your sessions are enjoyable and fun.
Value for Money
As mentioned earlier and what matters most is you want to get good value for money. A good trainer should have all the attributes mentioned above and that extra wow factor! Their knowledge, commitment, enjoyment and the big one, motivation should be second to none and make your fitness routine easy with no hassle!
Conclusion
Finding a suitable personal trainer is a worthwhile investment to help you reach your goals, but you are the only person who truly knows what you want.
If you don’t think you’ll be happy with a particular trainer, keep looking. Armed with a little bit of knowledge about what you should be looking for in a fitness trainer, you should now be able to make an informed choice to the type of personal trainer you deserve.
MaxNRG Personal Training is a mobile personal training company that operates throughout Melbourne. All our trainers are highly qualified and are the types of trainers who are willing to go above and beyond to be excellent and truly help people. Our goal is provide the best personal training services in Melbourne, Australia and transform the bodies of our clients to reach the exercise and fitness goals they are after.
To learn more about how we can help you, simply fill out our easy online contact form HERE or call us on 0403-741-278 and a member of our personal training team will discuss how we can provide the best possible support for you to succeed. Also visit First Aid Training Brampton. That knowledges can help in fitness classes of gym.
