What to look for in a Personal Trainer

You’ve finally decided to get some professional help and guidance with your fitness goals. Regardless of how novice or advanced your training program is, an astute personal trainer will help you raise your level up a notch. Now comes the tricky part. You begin your search for a personal trainer in Sydney that suits your needs. Needless to say, it’s easier said than done. How can you get a real insight of someone’s work from just talking to them? What sort of questions should you ask? Luckily, the team and I at Rushcutters Health are very familiar with the personal training scene in Sydney and have your back on this one! Below are 7 vital aspects that you should look into when making this important decision.
Experience: You’d want to be on the lookout for a personal trainer in Sydney that has accumulated a vast experience throughout his or her coaching career and avoid working with someone who is just starting out. You definitely don’t want a BIG sales pitch of ideas that end up not working at all. A personal trainer who is yet to complete a proper tutelage would be prone to doing so. You need to target someone with a proven track record. For instance, if you are leaning towards competing in a half marathon and the personal trainer happens to be an experienced runner, then you are more likely to get a good result.
Coaching Style: Coaches have different methods when pushing and motivating their clients. They might come from schools that advocate the use of positive reinforcement, challenge-issuing, or military style screaming and shouting. Different approaches suit different people. Some people would not be too fond of being shouted at, whilst others would feel more motivated and really swing into high gear. Hence, this is why you need to consider what motivational style you prefer most before meeting with a personal trainer in Sydney. Do you want a nonchalant, laid back approach, or someone who is cracking the whip?
Personality: The ideal personal trainer should possess the 4 P’s – personable, patient, passionate, pedantic. Being personable means being a people person. This implies being friendly, approachable and optimistic. Patience is a very important trait for someone who has just recently started working with you as you work through the learning in new exercises and make a few mistakes along the way. Passion is a must-have quality for someone who is trying to inspire others to unlock their full potential. Finally, pedantry is a positive trait in a trainer as they constantly look small adjustments to help make a difference.
Reputation: Is your potential personal trainer respected in the Sydney fitness community? Is the trainer’s name well-recognised in the area you live at? Does the trainer have 50+ 5 star google reviews and testimonials? Does the trainer’s work speak for itself? These are all key questions that you should ask when trying to figure out which trainer to pick. A good tip would be to ask about past, or present clients with a similar goal to yourself. Ask them about their program and how they tailored it towards their goals.
“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and 5 minutes to ruin it.” – Warren Buffet
Philosophy: Based on your age, fitness level, aspirations and any previous injuries, your personal trainer might recommend certain exercises to be most beneficial. As long as the movements are not harmful, you should be open to ideas your trainer suggests and entrust them to guide you safely towards a positive outcome. Great trainers will aim to educate you as to why they recommend a specific workout plan based on science as well as ‘trial and error’ with other clients.
Education: As the sports and fitness industry continues to evolve swiftly thanks to additional research and technology, smarter safer coaching techniques are developing too. The great trainers are the ones that stay up to date with the most recent tech innovations and research studies. Your personal trainer should acquire strength and conditioning certifications that adhere to national guidelines and well track down courses around psychology and nutrition. The more a trainer specializes and studies, the higher chances you have of working with someone who really knows and understands their craft. Also, it would be a huge boost for you to work with personal trainers who is educated in such as injury prevention and pre and post-natal fitness.
They practice what they preach: A personal trainer’s duty, more often than not, is to set an example for his/her clients. If a trainer preaches about cutting fast food and the importance of staying lean, then he/she better live up to that standard as well! How on earth are you supposed to get inspired and then go about fulfilling your true potential if you’re surrounded by trainers who smoke on weekends or don’t look the part? The most credible personal trainers are the ones who put their ideas and philosophies to the test themselves. At the end of the day, you want to avoid trainers who don’t practice what they preach.