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Showing posts with label Personal Trainer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Personal Trainer. Show all posts
Sunday, 30 April 2017
Sunday, 11 March 2007
F.I.S.H. Calling Personal Trainers
If you are a freelance Personal Trainer with Level 3 REPS registration F.I.S.H. would like to hear from you. Our fully equipped studio is available to rent on a "pay as you go" basis. There are no contracts and no fixed rent: you simply pay a percentage of each session you give at the studio.
Personal Trainers are encouraged to bring their own clients to the studio and may also advertise their own Personal Training business both at the studio and on our blog site. Due to the high volume of Personal Training currently undertaken by F.I.S.H. we may also be able to refer new clients to freelance Personal Trainers using the studio.
For more information, and to come and look around, please contact Derek on 07871760054 or email fishfitness@tiscali.co.uk
Friday, 9 March 2007
How To Find a Good Personal Trainer
There are hundreds of Personal Trainers out there, some excellent, some good, some average, and some down-right dreadful. As with any other profession it is not enough to go by qualifications. To be an effective trainer the individual needs to have passion and commitment, organisational skills, inter-personal skills, deductive reasoning, a commitment to continuous learning, and empirical knowledge.
Unfortunately I've witnessed a lot of bad Personal Trainers. Some barely seem to watch what their clients are doing and either don't recognise or don't care about poor exercise technique. At best these trainers are ineffective, at worst they are negligent and even dangerous.
The first quality I tend to look for in a trainer is attentiveness: they need to be constantly observant. They must scrutinize every aspect of their client's exercise performance and must filter out everything else going on around them (except for being aware of potential hazards).
This attentiveness needs to be present when discussing goals and taking background. It is made manifest in active listening skills: the client must feel that they are being heard, valued, and respected.
A good trainer will also be a diligent record-keeper. This will ensure that the client progresses at each session (if they do not progress each time they are wasting their money). There must be clear plans of what the client wants to achieve and how to get there efficiently and safely. The trainer should regularly discuss these plans with the client and make adjustments depending on the response to different aspects of the programme.
The trainer should also be sensitive to anything that makes the client feel uncomfortable or embarrassed and seek to minimise or eradicate these things.
The trainer should also be able to provide a rationale for exercise choices and training parameters. They should be open to discussion and honest about the limitations of their expertise. A good trainer is never satisfied with their own level of knowledge and should continuously push the boundaries of their own understanding and practice.
It is not enough for the trainer to have a sound academic knowledge - they should experience the exercises and regimens for themselves wherever possible. They must be able to speak from experience.
A good trainer will avoid over-training the client (I have known trainers who insist on excessive use of particular exercises that leave the client barely able to walk for days afterwards). They must also be knowledgeable about the importance of rest and nutrition.
If you are looking for a Personal Trainer check for the following:
1. Registration with the Register of Exercise Professionals at Level 3; some big gyms employ level 2 gym instructors and then pass them off as Personal Trainers.
2. Observe them training others and watch for attentiveness, exercise correction, record-keeping etc;
3. Find out about their own training. Do they look like they train?
4. Ask for any testimonies or speak to their clients yourself. What results did they get?
5. Request a free consultation. Were you listened to? What approach did the trainer recommend? Does it make sense? Ask them for a rationale and evidence base for their suggestions.
6. Check the fees and cancellation policy.
7. What records will the trainer keep? If they take no notes at the consultation forget training with them!
8. Observe them, observe their clients. Look out for posture, conditioning, exercise performance. Fit clients, or those making progress, often indicate a good trainer.
Once you find a good trainer stick with it. Good trainers are of immense value and will get you results beyond anything you could achieve by yourself. A Personal Trainer should be an invaluable resource, motivator, technical instructor and guide.
The keywords are attentiveness; safety; efficacy; diligence; reliability; commitment and a passion for training.
Unfortunately I've witnessed a lot of bad Personal Trainers. Some barely seem to watch what their clients are doing and either don't recognise or don't care about poor exercise technique. At best these trainers are ineffective, at worst they are negligent and even dangerous.
The first quality I tend to look for in a trainer is attentiveness: they need to be constantly observant. They must scrutinize every aspect of their client's exercise performance and must filter out everything else going on around them (except for being aware of potential hazards).
This attentiveness needs to be present when discussing goals and taking background. It is made manifest in active listening skills: the client must feel that they are being heard, valued, and respected.
A good trainer will also be a diligent record-keeper. This will ensure that the client progresses at each session (if they do not progress each time they are wasting their money). There must be clear plans of what the client wants to achieve and how to get there efficiently and safely. The trainer should regularly discuss these plans with the client and make adjustments depending on the response to different aspects of the programme.
The trainer should also be sensitive to anything that makes the client feel uncomfortable or embarrassed and seek to minimise or eradicate these things.
The trainer should also be able to provide a rationale for exercise choices and training parameters. They should be open to discussion and honest about the limitations of their expertise. A good trainer is never satisfied with their own level of knowledge and should continuously push the boundaries of their own understanding and practice.
It is not enough for the trainer to have a sound academic knowledge - they should experience the exercises and regimens for themselves wherever possible. They must be able to speak from experience.
A good trainer will avoid over-training the client (I have known trainers who insist on excessive use of particular exercises that leave the client barely able to walk for days afterwards). They must also be knowledgeable about the importance of rest and nutrition.
If you are looking for a Personal Trainer check for the following:
1. Registration with the Register of Exercise Professionals at Level 3; some big gyms employ level 2 gym instructors and then pass them off as Personal Trainers.
2. Observe them training others and watch for attentiveness, exercise correction, record-keeping etc;
3. Find out about their own training. Do they look like they train?
4. Ask for any testimonies or speak to their clients yourself. What results did they get?
5. Request a free consultation. Were you listened to? What approach did the trainer recommend? Does it make sense? Ask them for a rationale and evidence base for their suggestions.
6. Check the fees and cancellation policy.
7. What records will the trainer keep? If they take no notes at the consultation forget training with them!
8. Observe them, observe their clients. Look out for posture, conditioning, exercise performance. Fit clients, or those making progress, often indicate a good trainer.
Once you find a good trainer stick with it. Good trainers are of immense value and will get you results beyond anything you could achieve by yourself. A Personal Trainer should be an invaluable resource, motivator, technical instructor and guide.
The keywords are attentiveness; safety; efficacy; diligence; reliability; commitment and a passion for training.
Monday, 15 January 2007
Personal Trainers
Personal Trainers sometimes come in for a great deal of criticism in the bodybuilding magazines. 
Sometimes this is due to the almost delusional beliefs of the writers in their own expertise. Often, however, their remarks have some validity, although they are seldom qualified.
Years ago, anyone could claim to be a personal trainer - the industry was not regulated. Generally, these days, trainers have to train for about a year (some organisations offer intensive, fast-track, training that takes only 3-4 months).
The training itself is rather good and involves practical and theory tests. However, it is possible to become qualified and yet have no commitment to the ongoing training, reading, personal practice, and experience that are essential to becoming an effective, safe, and reliable trainer. The Register of Exercise Professionals goes some way towards remedying this by insisting on continuous education accreditation, but even this does not make up for a lack of true passion for training knowledge and practice.
There is another caveat when it comes to personal training: some of the big gyms employ fitness instructors (who possess a level 2 qualification that implies competence in gym inductions and in formulating a basic gym programme) and then pass them off as personal trainers. These companies have their own training packages which they offer to customers as "personal training" and are shameless in doing so. Often these same gyms encourage genuine personal trainers to practice on their sites for an extortionate rent but then proceed to undermine their businesses (often the trainers are sub-contractors) by selling their own products, which are facilitated by level 2 gym instructors. The customers are short-changed (some would say defrauded) and the level 3 trainers are under-cut and often go out of business.
There are, nevertheless, some extremely effective trainers, but you have to know what to look for.
Essentially, a good personal trainer is 100% attentive. This means that they listen to their clients, particularly in the setting of SMART goals, and that they also watch their clients at every moment, identifying errors in technique or gauging intensity and when it is time to stop a set or exercise due to technique starting to deteriorate.
The trainer should have a good knowledge of muscle and lever functions and attachments and should be able to identify the most effective exercises for a given goal. They should pay attention to detail - posture, exercise form, range of motion, resistance, repetition speed and smoothness, rate of perceived exertion etc.
The trainer should intervene when there are potentially injurious factors, such as the rounding of the back during a dead lift, and they should continuously attempt to focus the client on the exercise by using appropriate levels of correction and encouragement.
If the trainer is asked to justify a particular exercise choice they should be able to do so - and should not feel threatened by the request. There must be a rationale for training approaches, and the training should always be the most effective, whilst being safe, for the client's individual goals.
I would also expect a trainer to have sound nutritional knowledge, an understanding of health related issues, and good communication skills (especially active listening).
One last thing to look for in a trainer is their commitment to their own training. A good trainer should be in regular training, but more than that, they should be always on the lookout for furthering their knowledge and experience. They must be forever questing for better practice, better technique, and better understanding of the needs, and wants, of their clients.
Qualifications are never enough: they are the bare minimum. Watch the trainers with their other clients; assess them as they work, or as they train themselves, and only when you are happy with what you observe should you place yourself in their hands. Once found, however, a good trainer is invaluable.
Sometimes this is due to the almost delusional beliefs of the writers in their own expertise. Often, however, their remarks have some validity, although they are seldom qualified.
Years ago, anyone could claim to be a personal trainer - the industry was not regulated. Generally, these days, trainers have to train for about a year (some organisations offer intensive, fast-track, training that takes only 3-4 months).
The training itself is rather good and involves practical and theory tests. However, it is possible to become qualified and yet have no commitment to the ongoing training, reading, personal practice, and experience that are essential to becoming an effective, safe, and reliable trainer. The Register of Exercise Professionals goes some way towards remedying this by insisting on continuous education accreditation, but even this does not make up for a lack of true passion for training knowledge and practice.
There is another caveat when it comes to personal training: some of the big gyms employ fitness instructors (who possess a level 2 qualification that implies competence in gym inductions and in formulating a basic gym programme) and then pass them off as personal trainers. These companies have their own training packages which they offer to customers as "personal training" and are shameless in doing so. Often these same gyms encourage genuine personal trainers to practice on their sites for an extortionate rent but then proceed to undermine their businesses (often the trainers are sub-contractors) by selling their own products, which are facilitated by level 2 gym instructors. The customers are short-changed (some would say defrauded) and the level 3 trainers are under-cut and often go out of business.
There are, nevertheless, some extremely effective trainers, but you have to know what to look for.
Essentially, a good personal trainer is 100% attentive. This means that they listen to their clients, particularly in the setting of SMART goals, and that they also watch their clients at every moment, identifying errors in technique or gauging intensity and when it is time to stop a set or exercise due to technique starting to deteriorate.
The trainer should have a good knowledge of muscle and lever functions and attachments and should be able to identify the most effective exercises for a given goal. They should pay attention to detail - posture, exercise form, range of motion, resistance, repetition speed and smoothness, rate of perceived exertion etc.
The trainer should intervene when there are potentially injurious factors, such as the rounding of the back during a dead lift, and they should continuously attempt to focus the client on the exercise by using appropriate levels of correction and encouragement.
If the trainer is asked to justify a particular exercise choice they should be able to do so - and should not feel threatened by the request. There must be a rationale for training approaches, and the training should always be the most effective, whilst being safe, for the client's individual goals.
I would also expect a trainer to have sound nutritional knowledge, an understanding of health related issues, and good communication skills (especially active listening).
One last thing to look for in a trainer is their commitment to their own training. A good trainer should be in regular training, but more than that, they should be always on the lookout for furthering their knowledge and experience. They must be forever questing for better practice, better technique, and better understanding of the needs, and wants, of their clients.
Qualifications are never enough: they are the bare minimum. Watch the trainers with their other clients; assess them as they work, or as they train themselves, and only when you are happy with what you observe should you place yourself in their hands. Once found, however, a good trainer is invaluable.
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