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TOP 10 Qualities of
a Personal Trainer ...
- Holds Certification and
Education. A quality Personal Trainer holds
a Master of Science Degree in Exercise
Physiology or Kinesiology and/or obtains
certification from a well-recognized body, such
as the American College of Sports Medicine
(ACSM), the American Council on Exercise (ACE),
the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)
or the National Strength and Conditioning
Association (NSCA). An advanced degree indicates
that a Personal Trainer is capable of taking
initiative to develop programs and understand
methods of research and investigation. A
certification indicates that a Personal Trainer
is keeping current with trends in the fitness
industry and meets necessary safety and
efficiency standards.
- Watches Closely. A
quality Personal Trainer watches a client
closely to correct technique errors, maintain
safety and to watch for signs of overexertion. A
quality Personal Trainer also keeps a close eye
on the environment to watch for dangers in the
gym or outdoors.
- Networks with Medical
Professionals. A quality Personal Trainer
DOES NOT act independently to treat sports
injuries or recommend diets, drugs or
supplements. When a client reports pain, there
should always be a reference to obtaining the
proper medical help from a physician. Ideally, a
Personal Trainer who is helping someone return
from a sports injury is working with a client
who has seen an Orthopedic Specialist and a
Physical Therapist or Chiropractor. Only a
physician can diagnose medical problems and
direct the most effective treatment plan.
However, since Personal Trainers are often
observing clients for greater time periods, they
are often very effective in contributing to the
diagnosis and treatment strategy.Whenever a
diet, drug or supplement is discussed, a quality
Personal Trainer will also recommend that proper
medical help from a physician be obtained.
- Understands
Programming. Programming can have many
components: cardiovascular endurance, weight
control, strength training, flexibility and
sports specificity (coordination, speed, skill
acquisition). A Personal Trainer adjusts the
combinations according to your daily life
activities, goals and needs.
- Understands
Evaluation. When necessary, a quality
Personal Trainer may recommend an evaluation of
current fitness statistics (aerobic capacity or
maximum oxygen uptake, body composition,
posture, blood pressure, etc.). Knowing how you
rate, can help you understand where you are
going with your goals and when you can expect to
reach your goals. A quality Personal Trainer
also knows risk factors, signs and symptoms that
may bring a recommendation to visit a
physician.
- Stays Current, but Avoids
Gimmicks. A quality Personal Trainer does
not rush into every latest fitness fad or hype.
Whether the consideration is a fitness product,
technique, routine or nutritional supplement; a
Personal Trainer will remember that time is the
true test. Being the first on the block
regarding fitness could mean a heart attack,
illness or injury -- or just a plain old waste
of money.
- Keeps Personal
Testimonial in Check. What's good for your
trainer may or may not be good for you. Human
bodies are as unique as they are similar. No two
pairs of legs are exactly the same, except in
identical twins. Bone length, knee angles, joint
range of motion, muscle attachments are often
different. Quality Personal Trainers will
mention what works personally for themselves,
but they should not be obsessed that their way
is the only way to train. Watch out for Personal
Trainers that don't give both sides (the
advantages and disadvantages) to the science
behind a training technique. Watch out for
simplistic, short answers with scare tactics
that don't teach the rationale of your
program.
- Upholds
Communication. If your Personal Trainer
doesn't listen to what you want, you might not
get the program that addresses your needs.
Likewise, if a Personal Trainer can't
communicate effectively, you won't be able to
understand what to do. Also, your trainer should
motivate you by positive, not negative,
reinforcement. A quality Personl Trainer will
never make you feel inadequate or incompetent,
but some discipline is necessary to keep
sessions from turning into mostly chat and no
work.
- Has the Experience. A
quality Personal Trainer must have the
experience to bring a wealth of information to
your program. There are no magical minimum years
of experience, since some trainers have better
organizational skills and pick up the routines
faster than others. Most importantly, whatever
the experience level, a Personal Trainer should
not pretend to know everything. A good Personal
Trainer will admit when they don't have an
answer, but can follow through with good
resources behind the scenes. These resources
include speaking with other Personal Trainers,
Health Professionals, looking up topics in their
own Personal Library, or checking legitimate
Internet sites.
- Presents Compatibility
and Reliability. When all is said and done,
you have to get along with your Personal Trainer
and trust your Personal Trainer. A quality
Personal Trainer can adjust to most types of
personalities and can advise according to
individual learning styles. But, some Personal
Trainers may have too much or too little
personality for their clients. A trainer style
that works great at 10:00 a.m. might not work as
well at 5:00 a.m.
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