There are many great and beneficial reasons to hire a personal trainer, but there can also be hazardous and disheartening results if you do not choose the right one!
Nowadays, there are persons who feel that they are personal trainers on the basis of leading their own exercise team at home or at school, doing a one week course in fitness training or simply having a great body. The task of choosing a fitness trainer should not hinge on what they wear or the way they fit into a muscle shirt. That just does not cut it; you are putting yourself at risk!
Mark Thompson has been an experienced certified personal trainer for the past 15 years. He has taken great pleasure in training and helping individuals to build muscles, lose or gain weight, change their lifestyle or get that healthy body they desire. Buzzz recently had a chat with Mark to get some real insight into the world of fitness training and some of the things to consider before choosing a personal trainer. His advice was more than helpful, to say the least…read on!
Why should someone consider hiring a personal trainer?
A person should consider hiring a personal trainer if they lack confidence in the way their body looks and feels and if they are not motivated to stick to a steady exercise programme. With a personal trainer, there is the benefit of greater development and you will be encouraged to develop a lifestyle that promotes good health.
Who is a true personal trainer?
A fitting personal trainer is one who is experienced and certified by a fitness training institute. He or she is capable of personalising a programme that will benefit their client’s health and fitness in getting them to reach their targeted goal, whether this is to gain, loose or maintain their weight.
A personal trainer is also one that has your best interest at heart and knows what he or she is doing when it comes on to your health. They should know the ideal number of weights you need for strength training. For example, if a person is disabled, you have to know what exercise to put them on in order not to cause any medical problems.
What qualifications must a personal trainer have?
They must be certified under the NFPT, which is the National Foundation for Personal Trainers. It is based in the United States, but certification from any other internationally recognised institution is also acceptable. The personal trainer almost falls into a category that is similar to a physician. He or she must have CPR and First Aid certification, so that in the case of an emergency or complications, your personal trainer can competently assess the situation and carry out the appropriate response. They must also be able to instruct their client on moving towards a proper nutrition or diet to achieve their goal.
What type of rapport should a personal trainer have with his/her client?
The personal trainer must start with a one-on-one consultation with their client to first see how comfortable the client is around them. If the client seems comfortable, the personal trainer can start a workout session to show how supportive they are of the client. Then, they should put the client on a dietary plan. The personal trainer should listen and be honest with their client. The personal trainer should also track and assess the progress of their client.
What is the training process like?
After consultation, the client is normally placed on a diet plan, depending on their goal. Then we start the extensive training to get the body in shape. For beginners, three days per week is recommended. In the exercise programme, 70 per cent goes to your diet, while the other 30 per cent goes to the amount of exercise you do. For someone who comes in for a session that lasts for an hour and a half, they would be taken through some thorough exercise. This would be the case, for example, if they want to lose 20 pounds in three months.
Is the gym fee more expensive than the fee of a personal trainer?
Personalised training normally costs more than the gym fee. If the personal trainer works at a gym, his or her client will have to pay to use the gym. This is like a membership fee. The client will then pay the personal trainer a separate fee based on their fitness needs.
Everyone wants improved health and a body that is in great shape. If you are not able to afford a personal trainer or even the gym fee, you can start by doing your own little exercises at home. When training, you should eat right and not over do your exercise. You’ll avoid muscle injury that way. You can also purchase magazines that contain pointers on achieving your health objectives. In the long run, all this effort will result in you looking better and feeling healthier.