Personal training has come a long way in the past few years. Gone are the days of a trainer setting you up on a Nautilus machine, and counting repetitions while you perform the exercises.
A good personal trainer will have an initial appointment with you to find out your goals, assess any injuries, and find out your likes, dislikes and past exercise experiences. If you fill out a health questionnaire, make sure the trainer doesn’t just “collect it”, but make sure they look it over and discuss with you, any medical issues or potential problems.
A qualified personal trainer should be able to spot a person’s weaknesses, and assess and recommend exercises for rehabilitating and preventing common athletic injuries.
Today’s trainers should be able to provide a wide range of exercises for you with a variety of training equipment. This will target different muscle groups, and keep training challenging and fun!
“Functional Training” and “Interval Training” are two phrases that have almost become cliché in the fitness industry today. Interval training is exercising at a high intensity for a short period of time followed by a longer duration of lower intensity exercise. It is beneficial for people with less time availability, but should only be recommended for those already at a high level of fitness. Functional training is performing exercises that simulate your everyday activities, or are specific to your sport.
Picking a Pro: Look for credentials. There are so many certifying bodies, that credentials can look like alphabet soup, and all certifications are not equal. Five of the major certifying groups are: the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), the American Counsel on Exercise (ACE), and the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA). Requirements for personal training certification vary widely, with those from the ACSM and the NSCA being the most rigorous. A trainer with a degree in fitness will be top notch!
People looking to hire a personal trainer can expect to pay anywhere from $60-$80 an hour and up.
Get References: Whether you are looking to train in a gym or you will hire the services of a private trainer, ask for references. A good trainer should have a portfolio of references, or at least be able to provide you with some contact numbers to reach past clients. Ask about results, demeanor, overall satisfaction of the client’s sessions with your trainer.
You are going to be paying good money for the services. Make sure your trainer comes highly recommended.
Fire Your Trainer! If you are not happy with your trainer, don’t be afraid to question them or seek the advice of another Fitness Professional. If your trainer is constantly late or cancels appointments, doesn’t give you their full attention during every session, or your personalities just don’t synch (too hard-core; too much talking), it’s okay to look elsewhere.
Keep in mind that results will vary from client to client, and you may not see results for even a month! If this is the case, ask your trainer why you are not seeing results yet, but don’t blame this one on the trainer right away!
In-Home Training: If you don’t belong to a gym, don’t worry! There are lots of trainers who will come to your home or office, many of whom will bring all of the equipment to you. Keep in mind that these trainers usually charge more, but you have to weigh out the convenience of training in your own home, and not having to buy equipment or a gym membership.
If any trainer tells you that you need to buy certain equipment before they train you, look elsewhere.
Medical History: Before you start training, you should go through an “interview” process with your potential trainer. The trainer should ask you your medical history. If they don’t, or if you fill it out on a sheet, but the trainer doesn’t even look at the medical history, beware.
During this interview, make sure you ask any questions or discuss any concerns that you have. Think of it as you interviewing them, not the other way around.
With over 300 National Personal Training certifications out there, it is important to know what you’re getting into. Take your time, do your research and check their references. If you do all of this, you’ll better your chances of having a successful outcome with your trainer.
Wes Norris is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). He has a Bachelors Degree in Exercise Science and over 5 years working in a Physical Therapy/Hospital setting. Wes currently works for Hartford (CT) Hospital as a Fitness Specialist and teaches for a National Personal Training Certification.
You can visit Wes’s site at [http://www.AllAroundFitness.org].
