What Makes A Good Personal Trainer

I was working along side another personal trainer today if you want to call them that. However they inspired me to pick up and write a long awaited blog. The trainer’s clients walked into the gym for the first time and the only thing the trainer said was “what do you want to do today”? Really? Come on, no assessment, no goal planning, no hi nice to meet you, no lets figure where we have to go with your new training program. The client’s response was “Aren’t you the trainer? You tell me”.

Now that personal training is not only for the movie stars of California and the pro athletes from Sunday night T.V., how do you go about spending your hard earned money and get the best possible bang for your buck for your very own personal trainer?

In today’s world there are so many quick ways to take a Certified Personal Trainer course. There are also many reputable organizations producing highly qualified and educated trainers. I started training 12 years ago now and started like most with the weekend course that literally taught me nothing. After taking said course I was left for this hunger for more knowledge on the body and how it works. I then took many different courses to really find out what exactly each individual and I stress individual needs to reach their goals. What I am getting at is that, whoever you select first ask about their certification, for references and about their education, as well as their experience in the field.

The next most important thing I can stress is that you have to “mesh” with your trainer, feel that you can trust this individual to keep your safety, goals and best interests at heart. Never hesitate when it comes to questioning why you are doing what you are doing and make sure you ask as many questions as possible. Choosing the right trainer for you is as important as choosing the right doctor. You are putting your body, well being and physical development in their hands. You need to ask yourself “Do they really know what they are doing”.

If your trainer does not do a thorough fitness assessment consisting of physical movement and a comprehensive medical health history then RUN! If your trainer doesn’t know anything about your past and current physical state then how can they design a proper program for your individual goals and needs? I see so many trainers start a new program with a trusting client and they never assess them to figure out what to work on and what not to do to prevent injury or worse. For example, if you have high blood pressure and your trainer doesn’t know this and they decide to have you do any overhead movement, your chances of passing out are at high risk. Your trainer should ask as many if not more questions then you will have about your physical well being. If I'm going to create a truly safe and effective fitness program for you, I need to know what your body has been through. I like to use a functional movement screen consisting of muscle strength and flexibility as well as some kind of cardiovascular fitness test to assess your heart and lung health.

Your assessment will also consist of a discussion about your goals and your present food plan. You are doing this because you do have goals in mind correct? A good trainer will listen carefully to you, assessing how realistic your goals are and help you to put them in a proper time frame. The food planning may not be something they have knowledge in. If not, they should have someone to refer you to. Trainers are not required to be trained in nutrition; however, many, like me, opt to get certified in that area as well.

This step is not necessary but I always explain to my new clients the method of program design and the phases of periodization. It gives you a good ideal of where you are going, how long it will take you to get there and why you are doing these specific exercises to reach your short, mid and long term goals. Explaining this also helps you understand the method to my madness. I find it makes things a whole lot easier to understand when described easily and properly.

A few questions I always ask outside of the above listed:

• What are you currently doing for exercise?
• How often are you performing these activities?
• Do you have a lot of stress in your life?
• What fitness objectives would you like to accomplish?
• What are your top 3 goals?
• Have you ever had a personal trainer in the past?
• What did you like and dislike about your personal trainer?
• What would you like from me to improve upon your past experience?

In the end always remember, you are their boss (to an extent). You have hired them, so don’t be afraid to fire them. Use your gut. If for any reason you feel that this is not the trainer for you, you are probably right. Depending on the condition you started out in and how accountable you are holding yourself outside of the time you spend with your trainer, the length of time in which you will see results will vary. You should in about 4 to 6 weeks, feel firmer and have an increase in flexibility and energy.

Be safe, enjoy your workouts and make sure your trainer has your best interests at heart.

JJ Confalone