The Five Qualities You Should See in Your Personal Trainer
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics has stated that between the years of 2008 and 2018 the employment of fitness workers is expected to increase 29%, this is faster than the average for all other occupations. Knowing this means that more and more people are looking at getting into the fitness industry. If you are looking for a personal trainer then it is becoming very important that you know what to look for in a personal trainer.
Right now more than 5 million Americans use a personal trainer to help them get fit and stay fit. Personal trainers aren’t just for Hollywood A-listers. Everyone that has a desire to get motivated, to lose weight, keep the weight off and enjoy their exercise routines should have a personal trainer. This doesn’t mean that every fitness trainer out there is legitimate. Unfortunately just as in any other industry there are scam artists and people pretending to be personal trainers. To help make sure you hire the best personal trainer for you, here is a list of what you need to be looking for.
Check Their Education
As stated already, anyone can claim to be a personal fitness trainer. According to the experts though the only way to truly judge the skills of a personal trainer is to look at the amount and the type of education they have gotten. Ideally you want a personal trainer that at least has a bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology, health and wellness, sports medicine, physical education or anatomy. A degree in one of these areas will tell you that the personal trainer at least posses in depth knowledge about the mechanics of the body and exercise, as well as the training that is required to provide safe and reliable instruction.
Respected Certification
The majority of personal trainers claim that they are certified, this doesn’t mean that you should trust the certification. Ask to see their certificate and look to see if it is from one of the two respected certification bodies for personal trainers: NSCA or ACSM (The National Strength and Conditioning Association and The American College of Sports Medicine, respectively.)
Keep in mind that there are over 300 certifying agencies, there are many of those that simply send an e-certificate for the right price, even you could apply for one.) To make sure that the personal trainer you are getting ready to hire is the right trainer for your body asks the following questions:
- What type of requirements did they have to meet to be certified?
- Was there a written and practical exam given?
- What educational requirements did they have to meet to be certified?
Experience Equals Quality
This doesn’t mean that there aren’t new personal trainers out there that can’t do an incredible job, that have the education and the proper certification. However, generally speaking, the more experience the personal trainer has the better quality service they provide. The best way to tell a quality trainer from a trainer that you should pass on is to pay attention to knowledge level and competency during your sessions in combination with their level of experience.
What you really want to pay attention to is their ability to admit any gap in knowledge they have. For example if the personal trainer claims to be an expert in nutritional areas when they actually do not have any experience in nutrition or training in nutrition. This can be dangerous for you the client. The mark of an expert is someone that can send you to the appropriate source on issues that they are not knowledgeable about.
Exceptional Observational Skills
A quality personal trainer should be able to watch your every movement during a session and correct your form or performance whenever needed. Your personal trainer should also be paying attention to subtle signs of dehydration and overexertion and take the appropriate action. Your personal trainer should also determine your health status before each and every session. They should be asking you about your:
- Sleep
- Emotional Status
- Nutritional Intake
They should also monitor you through the training sessions by checking your progress, a change in progress could signal a health issues that needs to be addressed to avoid injury.
Excellent Communicators
Your personal trainer should be able to communicate clearly to you your exercise process. You should be able to talk to your personal trainer and discuss fitness goals and where you are at progress wise, so that you can adjust goals if need be.
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The Five Qualities You Should See in Your Personal Trainer
