Choosing a personal trainer can be a great decision. If you find it hard to stay motivated or you need guidance and want to learn how to perform exercises correctly and safely then choosing a personal trainer could be a very wise investment
As a Dublin personal trainer myself I have put together a quick list to show what to look for when looking for a personal trainer .
Education: Your personal trainer must have done some type of training through a professional organization. Knowledge of how your body works is important since they will be responsible for your safety and will be in charge of your training and nutrition.
Even know eductation is important don’t pick a personal trainer just for his qualifications . You can never substitute experience and I know many personal trainers and coaches who are less “qualified” than me ,but know more than me from experience.
The same goes for me their are plenty of personal trainers out their with different courses and classess under their belt ,but again that doesn’t count for shite if they haven’t got the expereince and a good track record .
Good communication skills: Try and do a little spying on your future Personal Trainer , If He/She works in a Gym or health club ,Then go and see what their like with their current clients.If they are shouting thinking their on some TV show or acting the idiot then start looking elsewhere.
First aid and CPR trained: A Personal Trainer should be CPR and First aid Trained Period . If not then they haven’t bothered themselves to get Certified or haven’t renewed their Certification.
Monitoring .Will your progress be monitored ? Does Your Personal Trainer record what you are doing in your workouts ? Does He/She have a record of all your measurements etc . All these are basic things a Personal Trainer should be doing and if they aren’t then stay away . If they haven’t got a program and some basic measurements then they clearly don’t have a clue and amateur.
Word of mouth.This is a great way to find a good Personal Trainer . A Personal Trainers reputation speaks volumes about them. Ask friends, family and fellow gym buddy’s about who they’ve worked with and trained . Look for testimonials about their experience with past and present clients including how long it took them to reach some of their clients goals.
Appearance. Is your Personal Trainer in good shape ? If not , then the chances are their not going to know how to get you in shape . If the Personal Trainer is looking good then chances are He/She has tried and tested a lot of training methods and will know all the tricks and tweaks to get your body into shape.
Experience. How long has the Personal Trainer been personal training ? The more experience they have the better for you . You don’t wan’t your trainer trying things out on you and learning his trade . You want quick results and somebody who had delivered them time and time again . Obviously you will pay more for a more experienced personal trainer , but as the saying goes if you pay peanuts you get monkeys .
Make your money an investment not a gamble . Pick a good trainer and not an antelope .
Yours truly
Jay Farrant
Certified Personal Trainer & Specialist in exercise Theraphy .
Former Army PTI & FSMS Physique Athlete .
The ABS Gym Dublin