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Showing posts with label Personal Training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Personal Training. Show all posts
Sunday, 30 April 2017
Friday, 27 November 2009
Training Books from F.I.S.H.
Foundations for a Better Physique and The F.I.S.H. Training Log are available from the Homunculus Books Store for £5 each or as a FREE download. Follow the link below.
http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=1604153
http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=1604153
Saturday, 31 October 2009
New Book Released
My new book "Foundations for a Better Physique" has now been released and is available either as a paperback or download from www.lulu.com
The book cuts through all the confusing information about training with weights to give you the best method, in my opinion, of training your whole body whilst preserving structural balance.
The book describes the six core exercises in great detail and tells you how to periodise your training for optimal results.
Invaluable information on motivation, rest, recuperation, training variables, and diet is also included along with record sheets for diet, training and physical measurements.
Paperback costs £6.25 and download £1.50
The book cuts through all the confusing information about training with weights to give you the best method, in my opinion, of training your whole body whilst preserving structural balance.
The book describes the six core exercises in great detail and tells you how to periodise your training for optimal results.
Invaluable information on motivation, rest, recuperation, training variables, and diet is also included along with record sheets for diet, training and physical measurements.
Paperback costs £6.25 and download £1.50
Wednesday, 19 August 2009
12 Week Body Transformation Challenge
Six clients have now started the 12 Week Body Transformation Challenge - all want to lose body fat and build or retain some muscle.
The recording of diet has been made as simple as possible - it involves selecting one of three choices per meal (6 a day including snacks), entering the letter and the time eaten. So far compliance is perfect.
Three people are training with me in the FISH studio but the others have elected to train by themselves following programmes I have written. They all have copies of the diet plan and record sheets and unlimited email support.
Whilst it is naturally ideal to do the challenge with a trainer, not everyone can spare the cost; but its amazing what can be achieved with a good plan, access to support, clear goals, and (most of all) dogged consistency.
Good luck to everyone. 2nd November is not too far away. 12 weeks out of your whole life is nothing, so you might as well succeed.
If you have any queuries please don't hesitate to contact me on derekprior@yahoo.co.uk
To view FISH Personal Training services and products please visit http://www.derekprior.com/
If you would like to participate in the challenge either with a trainer or by yourself send me an email.
Derek
Thursday, 3 January 2008
Happy New Year
Happy New Year to all our clients. If anyone is looking to change their lifestyle for the New Year, shed some weight, increase fitness, and achieve physique goals, then now is the time to do it.
Don't waste you money on a membership to a corporate gym - generally you'' get poor advice from poorly qualified instructors. Also, 95% of new gym members fail to use their membership within the first three months (but you are still tied in to the monthly rental for 12-18 months).
Your money would be better spent on Personal Training with one of our four (soon to be five) top quality and experienced trainers.
As a special incentive we are offering three sessions for the price of two during the month of January.
For enquiries, or to come and look around our studio, call Derek on 07871760054 or email fishtraining@yahoo.co.uk
Don't waste you money on a membership to a corporate gym - generally you'' get poor advice from poorly qualified instructors. Also, 95% of new gym members fail to use their membership within the first three months (but you are still tied in to the monthly rental for 12-18 months).
Your money would be better spent on Personal Training with one of our four (soon to be five) top quality and experienced trainers.
As a special incentive we are offering three sessions for the price of two during the month of January.
For enquiries, or to come and look around our studio, call Derek on 07871760054 or email fishtraining@yahoo.co.uk
Wednesday, 7 November 2007
Sensible Bodybuilding
If you would like to improve your physique by developing lean muscle mass and losing excess body fat our trainers have the expertise to help you.
Bodybuilding often gets a bad press - usually due to the preconception that illegal steroids are involved.
At FISH we prefer the natural approach. In partnership with our clients we work out optimal training, nutrition, and supplement plans to ensure that you achieve your goals. We make sure that you don't overtrain and offer education in the importance of appropriate rest and nutrition. We also make use of a whole array of training protocols and advanced techniques to ensure you continue to make progress.
For those who don't want to grow bigger, just leaner, we offer body sculpting training and specialise in protocols for maximising fat loss using resistance exercise.
Initial consultation, including measurements, is FREE.
Personal Training for 1 hour costs just £25 (£15 for half an hour).
We also design gym programmes, bodybuilding programmes and nutritional plans for your own use.
Contact us now for your FREE consultation at fishtraining@yahoo.co.uk
or telephone Derek on 07871760054
Saturday, 7 July 2007
F.I.S.H. & Fat Loss
Strange times have been afoot at FISH of late. Derek has been absent a lot due to increasing his involvement with the Eating Disorders project for the Trust. This has left Melody doing the brunt of the training. A number of regular clients dropped out over the past month due to other commitments and things looked grim for a while. However, Derek and Melody registered for Body for Life and decided to use the extra time to focus on their own goals. Almost immediately old clients started coming back and new ones appeared! Personal Training is often like that - it tends to run in cycles (and seasons).
There are now five of us doing Body for Life and the results are already good (Derek has lost nearly 3% body fat, most of it in the last two weeks). We've also been keeping "body blogs" on bodybuilding.com and have had a lot of support from other mmbers there.
Mark Jobbins continues to build up his own client base and is proving very successful. He's becoming a bit of a regular feature at the studio.
Good luck to Melody, Jo, Caz, Sheree (and the BN23 clan) with Body for Life etc. Hopefully we'll post some update pictures here over the next couple of months.
There are now five of us doing Body for Life and the results are already good (Derek has lost nearly 3% body fat, most of it in the last two weeks). We've also been keeping "body blogs" on bodybuilding.com and have had a lot of support from other mmbers there.
Mark Jobbins continues to build up his own client base and is proving very successful. He's becoming a bit of a regular feature at the studio.
Good luck to Melody, Jo, Caz, Sheree (and the BN23 clan) with Body for Life etc. Hopefully we'll post some update pictures here over the next couple of months.
Wednesday, 20 June 2007
Body For Life at FISH
Our special summer promotion this year is to take you through the Body for Life programme (as per the Bill Phillips book and challenge).
For only £50 per week you will receive 3 one hour Personal Training sessions that will follow the Body for Life programme. You will also receive guidance with the nutritional side of the programme.
Ideally, the programme lasts 12 weeks but you are free to decide how long you wish to follow the programme. The aim is to reduce body fat and increase muscle tone for that lean, summer body look.
We will also be offering a special on the German Body Composition programme of Charles Poliquin. For £60 per week you will receive 4 Personal Training sessions modelled on the German Body Comp program, which is designed to maximise fat loss whilt building lean muscle tissue. You will also receive a nutritional programme to complement the training.
Once again, 12 weeks is desirable for optimal results but you will achieve a great deal even with a few weeks.
To take advantage of these offers, and to give yourself the chance to actually achieve the results you want, email fishfitness@tiscali.co.uk or telephone 07871760054. You can also text or email your phone number and we will call you back.
For more on Body for Life visit: http://www.bfl-uk.com/
Saturday, 2 June 2007
Training Offer
F.I.S.H. is going from strength to strength. We now have three popular Personal Trainers and a fourth will be starting in July. Most of our clients train twice a week, with some training up to four times a week. Everyone has their own progress folder detailing weight, measurements, goals, and records of every single workout,
If you want to lose weight, build muscle, improve fitness or just improve your health then we can help. At our fully equipped studio you will be able to train with full privacy - only you and your trainer will be in the studio during your session.
To book a FREE no obligations consultation email fishfitness@tiscali.co.uk. The first three people to respond will also receive one hour's FREE Personal Training session following the consultation.
Wednesday, 11 April 2007
Persoanl Training Difficulties 1
One of the factors sometimes overlooked by Personal Trainers, and I have been guilty of this, is that of adherence and readiness to undertake a particular programme of exercise.
I tend to work very scientifically. After the initial sessions, which focus on technique and adaptation, I tend to formulate a programme designed to achieve optimal results most efficiently. Generally this involves compound exercises such as bench press, military press, squats, dead lifts, leg press, lat pulldowns (or chins for those who are strong enough), dips (again if strong enough), bar biceps and a triceps exercise (often pressdowns unless the client can perform dips or lying extensions).
I usually start with fairly high reps for safety reasons and to perfect exercise technique. Gradually there is a move towards lower reps and more sets. At some point there is a shift to a split routine in order to accommodate the increased work load.
Coupled with this is an optimal nutrition programme. Those clients who have managed to adhere to both elements have shown dramatic improvements within weeks.
However, most clients are not ready to train this way. The majority have only just reached the "action" stage of change. They still need motivating, they need to feel good, they need variety, fun, and progressive achievement if they are to keep coming back.
I'm never really comfortable with this. I tend to work on the premise that the client should get the best results for their money. The downside, though, is that is the client isn't meeting all their other, psychological needs, they will never move to the all-important "termination" stage, where they become exercise junkies. If they don't enjoy the sessions, or if they work too hard at first, they simply won't continue. This situation is bad for them - they'll soon return to old ways, and bad for the trainer - your ex-clients will generally inform others that they tried training with you but it didn't work.
In the early stages of training almost anything will bring some results. Therefore I think the emphasis should be on variety and enjoyment. If the trainer is particularly attentive, they can tune in to what works for the client and make changes accordingly. As long as the trainer keeps records of the session progressive overload can still be planned for.
In summary, it is not always the best approach to plan only the most efficient programme of training. The client has to be ready for this, and some never are. Perfectionism is great for those who are ready, but in the early stages, at least, variety, fun, and motivation are the keys.
I tend to work very scientifically. After the initial sessions, which focus on technique and adaptation, I tend to formulate a programme designed to achieve optimal results most efficiently. Generally this involves compound exercises such as bench press, military press, squats, dead lifts, leg press, lat pulldowns (or chins for those who are strong enough), dips (again if strong enough), bar biceps and a triceps exercise (often pressdowns unless the client can perform dips or lying extensions).
I usually start with fairly high reps for safety reasons and to perfect exercise technique. Gradually there is a move towards lower reps and more sets. At some point there is a shift to a split routine in order to accommodate the increased work load.
Coupled with this is an optimal nutrition programme. Those clients who have managed to adhere to both elements have shown dramatic improvements within weeks.
However, most clients are not ready to train this way. The majority have only just reached the "action" stage of change. They still need motivating, they need to feel good, they need variety, fun, and progressive achievement if they are to keep coming back.
I'm never really comfortable with this. I tend to work on the premise that the client should get the best results for their money. The downside, though, is that is the client isn't meeting all their other, psychological needs, they will never move to the all-important "termination" stage, where they become exercise junkies. If they don't enjoy the sessions, or if they work too hard at first, they simply won't continue. This situation is bad for them - they'll soon return to old ways, and bad for the trainer - your ex-clients will generally inform others that they tried training with you but it didn't work.
In the early stages of training almost anything will bring some results. Therefore I think the emphasis should be on variety and enjoyment. If the trainer is particularly attentive, they can tune in to what works for the client and make changes accordingly. As long as the trainer keeps records of the session progressive overload can still be planned for.
In summary, it is not always the best approach to plan only the most efficient programme of training. The client has to be ready for this, and some never are. Perfectionism is great for those who are ready, but in the early stages, at least, variety, fun, and motivation are the keys.
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.
Tuesday, 6 March 2007
Are You Serious About Changing Your Body?
At F.I.S.H. we take great pride in our knowledge and experience of using weight training to change body composition. Whether your goal is to lose body fat or increase muscle mass we can help you with all aspects of training and nutrition. We always start with technique, ensuring that all exercises are safe and effective. We then make progressive demands on the tensile strength of muscle fibres and on the respective energy sustems to elicit the desired training effect. Through manipulation of training variables, nutrition and rest we can help you to make the most of growth hormone production to build lean muscle and eliminate body fat.
If you think you have the dedication to transform your body, and if you can commit to three or more training sessions per week then we would like to hear from you. To kick start the opening of the new studio we are looking for four people willing to undertake the body composition challenge and share their progress with visitors to our blog. The four people selected will receive a substantial discount on Personal Training sessions for the period of the challenge (12 weeks).
Please email fishfitness@tiscali.co.uk for further details.
Friday, 2 March 2007
Melody's Personal Training Maladies
I feel like giving up. I’m angry with people for letting me down tonight.
I am worried about money now, I had it all just about covered.
I am really stressed out about putting together that bloody piece of equipment, I nearly broke my back trying to do it, not to mention all the broken nails!
I didn’t have any food with me because I was going to go to Waitrose on the way to Ian’s and get some food.
Feel like eating one of Del's protein bars, given up chocolate for lent, but it’s not that that stops me it the thought of getting a telling off from Del!!
Perhaps a bag of crisps or, sod lent and get an inviting creamy chocolate bar (or 2), well after all I am hungry and I have a good thousand or more calories to eat by the end of the day!
My hands are cold and I’m sick of listening to that same CD, the floor is a mess, needs hovering, I need to do all the washing up, and there is a bloody trolley full of rubbish outside that I need to get rid of……..
Kathy has such kind words for me about my training, Anne is chuffed to bits she’s lost half a stone and 6% body fat. It’s great, but unless I get more honest and committed clients like them it is all going to fail. I feel despairing about this, I have to lose a stone at least before I think anyone will look at me and want to train with me and pay the full price. So why does my mind want to sabotage and go and eat crap just because my mood has been changed by circumstances that I cannot control right now?
Yes weight loss is going to be slow and steady, I weighed myself tonight and I was down another pound, felt depressed that is wasn’t down by 3 pound or more, OH GET A GRIP, WHAT DO I SAY TO EVERYONE ELSE? a pound down is better that a pound up, and a pound of fat takes up a good fistful of flesh!!
Well, found the high calorie Dr Kargs crackers, high in protein too so munched one of them for dinner, oh OK I lied I had 2. Well it was supposed to be my dinner.
Still pondering on the miserable mood, considering the blow it tonight attitude.
When I realise I need to challenge myself and decide to write it down get it all out, and get it into perspective.
Now how about I write a nice friendly, but informing letter to all my clients who are buggering me about.
Then drink a big glass of water (always makes me feel better some how)
Then tidy up, wash up, hoover up, so we’re ready for action tomorrow?
Make a plan of actions for the week as far as getting classes running and new clients in the door.
Then god forbids What about TRAINING?????? What on a moody day? Turn this crap day into the best day I have had??
I turned it around, all by myself. And from now on it will just get better and better. There’s still a lot of hard work and crap turn-able days ahead, but I am going to do it. I am going to get fit and feel great again and make a good decent living from a job I love doing.
the end. (until next time)
I am worried about money now, I had it all just about covered.
I am really stressed out about putting together that bloody piece of equipment, I nearly broke my back trying to do it, not to mention all the broken nails!
I didn’t have any food with me because I was going to go to Waitrose on the way to Ian’s and get some food.
Feel like eating one of Del's protein bars, given up chocolate for lent, but it’s not that that stops me it the thought of getting a telling off from Del!!
Perhaps a bag of crisps or, sod lent and get an inviting creamy chocolate bar (or 2), well after all I am hungry and I have a good thousand or more calories to eat by the end of the day!
My hands are cold and I’m sick of listening to that same CD, the floor is a mess, needs hovering, I need to do all the washing up, and there is a bloody trolley full of rubbish outside that I need to get rid of……..
Kathy has such kind words for me about my training, Anne is chuffed to bits she’s lost half a stone and 6% body fat. It’s great, but unless I get more honest and committed clients like them it is all going to fail. I feel despairing about this, I have to lose a stone at least before I think anyone will look at me and want to train with me and pay the full price. So why does my mind want to sabotage and go and eat crap just because my mood has been changed by circumstances that I cannot control right now?
Yes weight loss is going to be slow and steady, I weighed myself tonight and I was down another pound, felt depressed that is wasn’t down by 3 pound or more, OH GET A GRIP, WHAT DO I SAY TO EVERYONE ELSE? a pound down is better that a pound up, and a pound of fat takes up a good fistful of flesh!!
Well, found the high calorie Dr Kargs crackers, high in protein too so munched one of them for dinner, oh OK I lied I had 2. Well it was supposed to be my dinner.
Still pondering on the miserable mood, considering the blow it tonight attitude.
When I realise I need to challenge myself and decide to write it down get it all out, and get it into perspective.
Now how about I write a nice friendly, but informing letter to all my clients who are buggering me about.
Then drink a big glass of water (always makes me feel better some how)
Then tidy up, wash up, hoover up, so we’re ready for action tomorrow?
Make a plan of actions for the week as far as getting classes running and new clients in the door.
Then god forbids What about TRAINING?????? What on a moody day? Turn this crap day into the best day I have had??
I turned it around, all by myself. And from now on it will just get better and better. There’s still a lot of hard work and crap turn-able days ahead, but I am going to do it. I am going to get fit and feel great again and make a good decent living from a job I love doing.
the end. (until next time)
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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