I've met far too many people that have had negative experiences with Personal Trainers. Unfortunately, I can't say that I'm surprised.
The sad truth is that the Personal Training industry isn't regulated nearly enough.
Quite literally, a person can obtain a certification to train people via the internet in matter of days if not hours.
Scary stuff. The majority of the people that choose this certification route work at the larger franchised gyms. Gyms that have a massive number of members. Often these gyms offer at least 1 free PT session to new members. This means there are thousands of people in the US at risk for serious injury everyday.
One study showed that 80% of Personal Trainers surveyed, stated that their main source of exercise and fitness information is 'fitness' magazines such as; 'Ironman', 'Muscle Mag' etc. For true fitness professionals, this is mortifying.
For two reasons: 1.) Most of those magazines are written by and for people using anabolic steroids or body builders that ingest large doses of shit supplements. Which means the volume and exercises in the programs found in these magazine are fairly insane. Put simply, magazines are not written for the average trainee.
2.) Because 80% of PTs get awful information and put it to action with new members- the new members more often than not have a bad experience with that trainer. Which means that educated professionals like myself have to work hard to undo the damage done by these hacks. Most of my initial meetings with clients are spent trying to gain their trust in the fact there are people in this industry really help clients change their lives for the better on a daily basis.
So when you join a new gym and get a free session or decide its time to get serious about your health and find a fitness professional, ask these simple questions.
How long have you been a Personal Trainer? - Obvious enough right? This is an important because even the biggest hack will pick up some useful information along the way from people who actually know what they're doing. Also, it shows a level of dedication to the industry and helping people.
What certifications have you obtained - ACSM, NASM, ACE, CHEK Institute & CSCS are some of the major players and require the trainer to spend REAL time studying and passing a very challenging test. Of course there are a few other certifications that have some value, especially some specialized certifications like the US Track & Field cert that James' possesses and the Chek Holistic Lifestyle Consultant cert that I have.
- When was the last time you attended a fitness & wellness convention/seminar or did a correspondence course?
This will help you figure out whether or not it is a priority for the trainer to stay on top of their game in an ever evolving industry. New science and information about fitness and wellness comes out on a daily basis, it is our responsibility to stay current in order to help our clients achieve their goals and more importantly keep them safe.
Do you have any testimonials from your clients? - Testimonials provide you with important information about the person you're entrusting with your body and potentially your money. You can find a few testimonials about me in older blog posts.
These are just a few tips,I hope that they help.
One last thing to note, is that if you are going to do in-home personal training - it should always be done with me or if you live in a nother state, then make sure the trainer has liability insurance.
