How to tell if a personal trainer is good?

To make sure your workouts are safe and successful, look for the following in your personal trainer: Certification. Your trainer should be certified by one of the several organizations that certify personal trainers. Make sure the certifying organization is recognized by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). Your personal trainer should have an educational background in exercise science, kinesiology, or another subject that covers anatomy and physiology. CPR & first aid certification. Working out is relatively safe, but accidents can happen. Make sure your personal training candidate knows what to do in an emergency. You may also want to ask if the gym has an automated external defibrillator (AED). Liability insurance. Make sure your potential coach is properly insured, just in case. Get everything in writing. A great personal trainer will give you paperwork that outlines the details of your relationship including fees, cancellation policies, liability, and other important information. You may want to ask them: What is their motivational style and demeanor? Working with a coach who offers positive motivation is best. Avoid coaches who use negativity to motivate their clients. How much experience do they have? Find out about their past work experience in the field. Can they give you references? Contact their references to find out if their past clients have had positive experiences. You can also read reviews online.

If you decide to purchase personal training, that means you’re going to be spending a good chunk of your time with a fitness professional. You develop a relationship and trust with this person. A trainer becomes a friend or even apart of your family. You should feel that a personal trainer cares about you and has your best interests at heart. A personal trainer must be able to relay information effectively. Overall, a trainer should be able to explain the purpose of an exercise, scientific concepts, or answer your general questions in ways you can understand. A trainer should have experience. Look for trainers that have at least 1-2 years of experience. A personal trainer should be solely focused on you during the session. They should be two steps ahead and calculating how you may react to an exercise. A trainer should be able to adapt to your needs. Your trainer should act as your rock, be your motivation, and set an example. In order for someone to be a personal trainer, they must have a certification. Typically, the more experience a trainer has, the better they will have honed their communication skills, adaptability, and training style.

Your trainer never looks at their phone during a session. Any coach that texts, browses the web, or takes calls (unless it’s an emergency) while working with you is not worth your time. Your trainer knows exactly how to motivate you. If your trainer always seems to know exactly what to say and how to say it when the going gets tough, you probably have found a real gem. Your trainer doesn’t just count reps, but keeps a close eye on your technique. So if your trainer is watching you closely, constantly stressing proper form, and reminding you to stretch and squeeze, you know he or she is interested in getting you maximum results. Your trainer demonstrates each exercise and explains exactly which muscles are affected. If your trainer is getting their hands dirty and leading by example, you can definitely check off another box on the “pros” list. Your trainer asks you relevant questions throughout the workout. Questions such as, “How are you feeling?”, “Is the weight too light or heavy?”, and “Are you feeling the exercise where you should be?” must be asked many times during a session to make sure everything is on track. Your trainer is creative. So if you find yourself looking forward each day to what your trainer has in store for you, make sure you keep them close. Your trainer is punctual and engaged entirely with you from beginning to end of every workout. So, if your trainer is always ready for you upon your arrival and gives you their full attention and focus from the first to last rep, you may have found the perfect trainer.