What to Ask When Looking for a Personal Trainer By Gemma R Hughes

I get asked this question all the time. It’s difficult to find a quality Personal Trainer!First I’ll start by defining what I think a “Quality Personal Trainer” is.
A Trainer should be knowledgeable in fitness (of course) but that is the bare minimum. They need to have an arsenal of safe and effective exercises to pull from and know modifications for each exercise to make them fit ALL clients at ALL levels. They need to have an understanding of injuries and physical limitations, body mechanics and Kinesiology. Is the trainer a good listener? Professional? Trustworthy? Honest? Caring? INSURED? Do they perform a detailed health history and have you sign an informed consent prior to your first exercise session? Do they ask you what YOUR fitness goals are before you start?

Any Joe Schmoe can go online and become a Personal Trainer in a weekend. I’m not kidding or exaggerating one bit. They’ll have a certificate to show that they are a Certified Personal Trainer. It is up to the consumer to be educated on which certifications are reputable and which ones are not*. Ask to see the trainer’s certifications and insurance. Some people train clients without ANY education or certifications in fitness at all.

Accredited certifying companies require that Personal Trainers receive continuing education (called CECs or CEUs) every year or two in order to renew their certifications. Ask your trainer what courses they have taken recently, you could even ask to see the completion certificates from those courses. These courses ensure that the trainer is staying up to date with all the scientific research in the fitness industry and acquiring the latest and greatest knowledge to train you in the safest, most effective way possible.

Before you give a Personal Trainer cash or a check for any number of sessions in advance you need to know about them. I hear so many horror stories of “trainers’ who get this money and are never heard from again. Please do your homework.

Also, get to know the trainer. Make sure they have the type of personality that you won’t mind spending one to five hours with each and every week. If their personality annoys you to death, you’re not going to enjoy your sessions. Is their communication style the type that motivates you? Do you like their energy? These are important things to think about. You can usually figure this out within the first “assessment’ session.

Take the time to educate yourself a little to ensure that you’re getting your monies worth with your Personal Trainer and that you don’t get ripped off. And, please if you have any questions or concerns feel free to email me. I’ll be more than happy to help. fitnessbygemma@yahoo.com

 

* My list of reputable and accredited Personal Trainer certifying agencies: American Council on Exercise (ACE), Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA), International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA), The Cooper Institute, The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), NSCA, CSCS, and BS/MS degrees in Exercise Science, Exercise Physiology, etc. Please note that I am not the supreme expert of Personal Training certifications. If you have a question about a certain certification email me and I’ll be happy to research it and let you know. This is the list of certifications that I know to be very educational, professional and require more than one weekend of reading.

 

Gemma Hughes holds a BS in Exercise Physiology, ACE and AFAA certifications and holds CEC completion certificates in numerous areas such as Zumba, Special Populations, Plyometric Training, and many more. For a complete list please visit her website at www.fitnessbygemma.com