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Choosing a Personal Trainer
 Do
you need someone to kick you in the butt and get you into shape?
Do you need to be told exactly what to do and exactly how to do
it? It may be time to invest in a personal trainer.
A good personal trainer knows quite a bit about anatomy and the
workings of the human body, tailors his or her approach to the needs
of the client, and is able to work out an affordable plan for any
budget.
How do you choose a personal trainer who's qualified and can give
you what you need? The following guidelines will help you find the
trainer who's right for you!
Ask the personal trainer about their education and certification.
A personal trainer should be certified through a reputable fitness
organization such as ACSM, ACE or NSCA). An exercise science or
other related college degree isn't necessary, but the more education
your trainer has, the better your workouts will be.
What kind of programs does the personal trainer offer?
Ask the trainer what specific programs they offer. These programs
might include:
- Fat Loss
- Muscle Gain
- Strength Gain
- Increased Endurance
- Increased Energy
- Increased Metabolism
- Stability and Balance
- Nutritional Consulting
- Increased Motivation
- Goal Setting
What are your fitness goals?
Make sure you know what you want out of the program before meeting
with the trainer. Do you need to drop body fat or add muscle? Do
you want to increase your strength and flexibility? Make sure to
let your trainer know what your specific goals are and have them
tailor make a program for you.
Make sure the personal trainer asks you specific questions.
Your trainer should be asking you a lot of questions regarding
such things as:
- Your overall health condition
- Your fitness goals
- Your background or health history
- If you have any medical issues
- Your current height & weight
- They should take your current bodyfat levels
- Your current nutrition habits
How do you interact with the personal trainer?
Ask yourself if you are getting along nicely with the trainer
as you sit there a chat with them. Remember, you will be spending
some serious gut busting, sweaty and intense time with this person,
so make sure you get along with them. The last thing you want is
to walk out of a session because you simply can't stand the trainer.
Ask the personal trainer for references from other clients.
Get references (phone numbers, names) of past and current clients.
A great trainer will be excited to give you references of clients
who will provide positive feedback about them. If the trainer has
an issue providing these details, this is a red flag!
Get pricing details from the personal trainer.
Finally, get the pricing breakdown from the trainer and see
if they have a minimum of training sessions per week or month in
which you have to sign up for. A good trainer will provide a flexible
schedule to meet your needs.
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