How to recognize a good Personal Trainer | Tips and Useful Comments
Personal Training, one of the most important factors in fitness, becomes even hotter as it’s been promoted by celebrities and well shaped stars of Hollywood.
It’s obvious that a good Personal Trainer would be the ideal solution to introduce you not only to the world of physical exercise but to a healthier way of life & thinking, as well.
A Personal Trainer undertakes a great responsibility to guide you to a “new world”, of health, wellness, mental and physical balance, undertaking to train you and to make you come close and accept him/her as a your own person.
The body and soul need apart of love and care, also need practice, empowerment, energy.
However, finding a good Personal Trainer is not an easy task.
Many specialized or even unskilled people, claiming to be personal trainers are available nevertheless, the question is who you could trust.
How you recognize a good Personal Trainer to avoid those “dangerous” or “ignorant”?
Table of Contents
Today’s article attempts to focus on this issue. The selection of a remarkable personal trainer.
In brief this article examines:
The Difference between Workouts WITH and WITHOUT Personal Trainer.
Necessary Training & Certifications of a good Personal Trainer
Some TOP Certifications usually showing a Well Qualified Personal Trainer.
Recommendations from Customers. Ratings. Testimonials.
Good “Chemistry” developing between Personal Trainer and Client.
Basic Procedure Followed by a Proper Personal Trainer
- Customer Evaluation
- Creation of an Operational Program
- Selection of an Interesting Training Program
- Long and Short Term Objectives
- Adoption of “Progress” as a Basic Training Line
- Correct Allocation of Time (Training – Rest)
- “Training – Diet – Sleep”: The Health triptych
- Ready to go.
Training With and Without Personal Trainer – Difference
For a person never trained with a Personal Trainer it would be difficult to understand the significant difference. A good trainer – in addition to experience and knowledge, also offers options (something that no one else can do).
Exercise is not an one-dimensional process. It could take many forms, developing different “faces”, to satisfy different tastes and to cover different levels of difficulty.
Exercise can evolve, change and must follow this line so does not get boring, not being a routine or a simple obligation.
An experienced coach follows the new trends in the field and offers the client smart, pleasant and innovative training experiences, to suit any taste and make the training more enjoyable.
Especially in cases where the training is aiming at losing weight or dealing with an injury, the factor of client’s positive psychology is even more important for achieving the goal desired.
A good Personal Trainer knows this and “invests” in it.
The profession of Personal Trainer is not a simple or easy job. It’s complex and demanding, requiring constant interaction with the client, understanding by the trainer, sociability, ability to anticipate the client’s wishes / fears / demands / insecurities / limits, along with its satisfaction.
The Personal Trainer is a coach but also an amateur psychotherapist, a mentor, a friend, an animator.
When you train with a personal trainer, you always have someone to “uplift” you when you feel “down” psychologically. Do you have someone to help you fight your fears, chase away the insecurities and break down your personal boundaries?
Do you have someone to help you achieve your goal (seemed utopian till yesterday).
Your goal becomes the trainer’s goal, an end in itself to make you succeed.
A good Personal Trainer is the “coaching animator / friend” needed during this difficult process.
Helps you avoid mistakes, training you to a healthy lifestyle with physical exercise and motivating you to want to become even better for you. To make you feel good.
Necessary Training and Certifications of a Trainer
A good trainer (Personal Trainer) holds certifications. The training of an instructor determines his/her subsequent course of work.
There are many certifications and degrees, each of different “potential”. Therefore, if you do not have some basic knowledge, it is not at all easy to find out / verify if he/she is professional with knowledge and special training.
Clearly, it’s not worth mentioning anything for a coach without credentials, as he/she apart of being unsuitable, can also be dangerous to a person’s physical health.
The training of a good Personal Trainer includes knowledge of nutrition, wellness, psychology, but also organizational skills.
It is important to attend seminars continuously regarding “new trends”, data and new techniques, so to update his/her background in a changing world.
Exercise has not been and never will be static.
A consistent professional trainer loving the job and respects the client, seeks to attend courses / workshops, bringing new life to the field of Personal Training.
TOP Certifications usually showing a Well Qualified Personal Trainer
As already pointed out, it is important that the Personal Trainer have adequate and valid certifications.
There are different levels of education “academies” for being able to distinguish the top trainers of the field.
Our team conducted an investigation, identifying the 3 best certifications of 2020 for a remarkable Personal Trainer.
Option No. 1: American Council on Exercise (ACE)
One of the most prestigious fitness training organizations in the world, The American Council on Exercise (ACE) produces more than 90,000 highly trained professionals each year with accreditation from National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).
A graduate of this organization receives special training (specialization) to enter deeper into the “needs” of a particular population group. Some could receive training for treating medical conditions / conditions (Medical Health Specialist), while others may aim to improve the client’s fitness / health / lifestyle (Health Coach).
Even following this specialization, the coach can receive additional specialization in a specific field, as overeating, yo-yo (continuous weight fluctuation), diabetes, being some of these directions.
A coach with specialization may end up targeting a smaller population, carrying more prestige and credibility, knowing how to use the basic “tools” for achieving a goal.
Option No.2: National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)
Another very notable organization, the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), receives very positive reviews, being appreciated especially in USA.
Having trained more than 1,300,000 fitness professionals, is currently working in more than 80 countries around the world.
This academy holds more than 30 years of experience in the field of wellness and sports and clearly aims at preparing remarkable professionals in the field.
The specialization of a professional varies and covers a wide range of interesting topics, issues of the time (trends) or timeless needs of the field.
However, depends on the individual to “go” as far as desires, to further his knowledge on an object / subject and to increase the value of his/her degree.
In summary, we can mention the general directions / certifications a graduate of the specific academy may receive:
- Certified Nutrition Coach
- G.E.A.R. Certified Coach
- Group Fitness Instructor
- Certified Personal Trainer
The academy is NCCA certified and is always a reliable choice.
Option No.3: National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)
Our 3rd option is an academy founded in 1978, a non-profit association with an interest in sports and wellness related professions.
The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) consists of more than 60,000 specially trained members / professionals in the field. Among these 60,000 members are:
- teachers
- coaches
- researchers
- muscle strengthening specialists
- sports scientists
- personal trainers
- tactics professionals (mentors)
The program supported by more than 65 notable employees with special training & certification, places special emphasis on training based on performance and continuous improvement.
This being one of the main reasons why educators aiming at guiding professionals in the field (athletes, champions, or even amateurs who aiming at continuous self-improvement), do show a preference for it.
Customer Recommendations. Ratings. Testimonials.
How to recognize a successful Personal Trainer?
Certainly from many and good reviews received.
A good trainer has happy clients, persons who highly recommend it.
Customers who themselves are the living proof of his/her good work.
A person who will recommend you to an instructor and will have proof of his/her health improvement and look, it is worth listening to him/her.
Especially since, this regards a decision that will cost you a lot of money and personal effort & effort.
Therefore, it is even more important to find the right person to invest in him/her.
In any case, before you end up “blind” to an instructor, do some research online, ask some acquaintances if they know him/her, If they know anything about his/her job.
A successful trainer will definitely have happy clients talking about working with him/her.
Good “Chemistry” between Personal Trainer and Client.
A good coach believes in you and wishes to see you happy with yourself.
Not without effort though, surely not allowing your fears and insecurities to “swallow” you, as will push you to improve, to discover that you can do more, to exceed your limits, to gain self-confidence.
A good Personal Trainer is your friend, trainer, animator. So as with a friend, the trainer should stick with you. If you feel something “does not work” between you and him/her, then just look for someone else!
The purpose is to develop a relationship of trust between you and him/her to help you finally overcome yourself in order to achieve the goals preset.
Basic Procedure Followed by A good Personal Trainer
Every good trainer has a procedure in its training. Below a number of key elements of a good workout:
- Customer Evaluation
He knows the client and tries to understand its desires, fears, goals and weaknesses, not only physically, but also mentally. A person without self-confidence, with many extra kilos, will initially not be easy to accept that its body has some “beautiful” elements necessary to be highlighted.
Depends upon the good instructor to “read” his/her client correctly, to find the way to make him/her stay consistent and determined in his/her goal.
- Creation of an Operational Program
Creating an integrated training program is very important. The difficulty, intensity, frequency of the trainings will depend on the evaluation of the trainer made specifically for this individual. The physical condition and the goal desired, determine the final training.
- Selection of an Interesting Training Program
There are several types of workouts. It is up to you and the experienced instructor to select the best that suits your taste. It is not unlikely, to have to try different ways of training before you finally come up with that one that makes a “click” to you.
- Long and Short Term Objectives
As mentioned, a key step before starting such a big & tough endeavor is to set goals.
Long-term goals (such as losing 30 kg, something certainly cannot be done overnight), but also short-term goals (such as initially managing to lose 2 kg in 15 days) to keep you focused to your final (long-term) goal.
- Adoption of “Progress” as a Basic Training Line
The experienced Personal Trainer will push you to “work” on your goal, but above all to “work” on yourself. Self-improvement is the only right way to succeed.
However, to achieve self-improvement, you must first believe in your common effort and therefore believe in your own abilities.
If your coach makes you believe that you can do better and chase it, then stick to him/her
- Correct Allocation of Time (Training – Rest)
A good trainer knows how hard a workout must be, but also knows even better how important the period of rest is, requesting and imposing it.
The right alternation of tension-calm will keep your body healthy and away from injuries.
- “Training – Diet – Sleep”: The Health triptych
A well-trained fitness professional will have a say in your diet and sleep, urging you to build a healthier program of your day, to keep your body and mind active and healthy, a program to nourish your soul and offer satisfaction and peace.
