January is now over, and for most of us the fervor of following our New Years’ Resolutions is beginning to fade. The goal most people have when it comes to fitness is to stop the vicious cycle called “yo–yo” weight management. As explained in past issues the number one problem across the board when it comes to getting fit is a lack of education, particularly in the hunt for the right expert to help you along the way!
There are a few stereotypes of bad trainers you need to look for before signing on with a fitness expert. The first stereotype is “the weekend seminar Trainer”. Unfortunately there is a very broad spectrum of methods to become a Personal Trainer. You could be working with a person who simply attended a two day seminar and has no prior experience. So firstand foremost, look for a Fitness Expert who has the proper Qualifications. The top five Certifications in the nation that a Personal Trainer can carry are:
- National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)
- American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
- The Cooper Institute of Scientific Research(CI)
- International Sport Sciences Association (ISSA)
- American Council of Exercise (ACE)
Trainers can also get degrees in a wide array of disciplines such as Kinesiology, Physical Therapy, and Sports Science. Lastly you want a personal trainer who has at least one year of hands on experience, because you can study all day long but if you don’t know how to apply it in a real worldsetting then your knowledge is of no use.
The “Rep Counter” has become a very popular phrase used in explaining away many incompetent personal trainers. “Rep counters” tend to not worry at all about tracking your progress or educating you on the importance of the different steps of your program. They simply throw you on a machine and say,“Push!” followed by 10...9...8 and so on. The problems with this type of trainer is that first of all you’re paying a personal trainer to transform your body as well as educate your mind, not justcount reps for you.
Gauging the first steps of your program and then your progress involves a comprehensive assessment of your abilities and health concerns, followed up with a reassessment of these tests every 8–12 weeks. If you’re not accurately tracking progress you may not be getting good results, if at all.
Another stereotype of poor fitness experts is “The Mingler”. This person is distracted by the people around them instead of the one person they should have full attention on… their client. You need to be able to observe your trainer’s attentiveness to you at all times. A great trainer will focus on you exclusivly, comment on form on all movements, persistently update and challenge you at all workouts, and constantly motivate and encourage you every time you see them!
The next kind of trainer to keep an eye out for is “The Know it All.” The problem with the “know it all trainers” is that in the health and fitness industry you must continuously update your knowledge. So if at anytime your trainer claims to know it all, you know that at some point they will not be able to progress past their current level. This in turn will halt your progress. A goodtrainer should do research weekly to advance you through your individual needs. Great Trainers are constantly growing their knowledge whether it is in special populations or scientific studies that will advance their ability to steadily provide more challenging fitness programs.
We saved the best for last, “The Drama Queen”! When you hire a personal trainer you’re hiring someone who should help to alleviate the day’s stress not add to it. “The Drama Queen” tends to involve you in personal baggage instead of helping you feel comfortable and confident and focused onthe day’s workout. A great Personal Trainer is worried about how your day has been. They go out of their way to make you feel comfortable, and will focus on your daily struggles in order to help you attain your goals!
Finding the right Personal Fitness Expert may appear challenging but the truth is if you look for a person who first off has a passion to better people’s lives, second has pursued the right methods of qualification; and third actively works to be attentive to client’s needs and goals at every workout then you are well on your way!
Once you think you have found the right person for the job, make sure they evaluate your beginning abilities, health concerns, and goals; and follow up by reassessing your progress every 8–12 weeks!
