Establish yourself as a Professional Trainer

When clients think of hiring a personal trainer, below is some valuable advice people consider.

Oprah practically lived with one, Madonna conceived a baby with one, and Richard Simmons, well, we aren't sure if he is one or not.

Personal trainers-seem as though every nook and cranny of every health club is bursting with these enthusiastic fitness buffs just waiting to take the old and forge the new. But before people start to believe that a personal trainer is their panacea to a better body, they consider some your options. How do they know the perfect trainer, or does such a think exist? What kinds of expectations should a prospective client have? Do they really need one at all? These are just a few of the many questions people ask themselves before investing their money.

Assess their Needs

"Is this something they absolutely need?" If it's a matter of a client trying to keep up with the Joneses or it's the only way they can think of to get some "quality time" because you are a cute trainer, people may just save their money. Better reasons to seek help include recognizing that their training has reached a plateau, experiencing decreased motivation or being uncertain of their own ability to reach their desire fitness goals. The right trainer can also be a godsend if they have a specific medical condition, their coming back from an injury or preparing for a competition, or they are simply looking for a change in routine.

An Informed Consumer

Once they have decided why they need a trainer, you can tackle some of the more serious issues-what are their specific goals, what kind of program will help them achieve fitness goals safely. First things first, though: Can they afford to spend between $50 per one-hour session? This fee may vary depending on special deals or specific training needs and location, so take it into consideration.

Keep in mind, though, that a trainer is the best investment they can make in safely improving their level of fitness. A qualified personal trainer is an efficiency expert for the human body to maximize the time spent in the club and use every minute that they are in there to help achieve their goals. Almost anyone can help you get stronger, but there definitely are safer and more effective ways to do it.

The Key to clients finding the right trainer is to approach the decision-making process as if they were trying to find someone to care for their precious child or beloved pet! Some of the important qualities to look for:

1. A program would be based on safe practices.

2. The ability to communicate affectivity. Do you get the sense that you could motivate clients to accomplish their goals?

3. Contractual agreements will be set up. Make sure that all contractual agreements are in writing, fully explaining all payments, missed sessions and liability information.

Becoming the right personal trainer

Imagine a client arriving at the health club for they're first exercise experience with they're new trainer "Lenny", a muscular, tanned, no-fat-to-be-found-anywhere image of human physical perfection. Lenny flashes them a reassuring smile as he leads them toward the workout area of the club. The client is feeling a little nervous and excited while thinking: "Boy, I'm in luck. This guy really looks like he knows a lot about diet and exercise."

After Lenny briefly questions them about their goals and lifestyle, he has the client warm up for a few minutes on a treadmill. Before they can catch their breath, he starts the client on a series of strange and difficult exercises. Suddenly, the client begins to feel queasy; waves of nausea wash over them, making the clients legs feel weak and wobbly. But Lenny doesn't seem to notice that the client is feeling ill - he's too busy encouraging the client to "go for the burn!"

Determined not to look like a total wimp, the client says nothing and somehow manages to endure the entire session. Finally, when it's over, the client crawls to your car, grabs the carsick bag and drives home. After several days of suffering from painfully sore muscles, they find themselves saying "if this is what I have to go through to get in shape, forget it."

Horror stories like this happen quite often, so knowing how to evaluate a personal trainer makes good sense. Credentials and education are important factors for qualification, but before they consider hiring a personal trainer, be aware of there two common misconceptions:

1. Certification does not imply that a trainer has experience or proven abilities; it verifies only that an individual has achieved a passing score on a written test. The most reputable organizations are the American College of Sports Medicine, the National Strength and Conditioning Association, American Council on Exercise, and National Academy of Sports Medicine.

Most Certifications must be renewed every two years.

2. An awe-inspiring bodybuilder or fitness buff may not be equally awesome instructors. Although many bodybuilders and fitness buffs are often experts at training themselves, this does not necessarily translate into a talent for instructing others. Actually, some bodybuilders are specifically unqualified to be personal trainers because of their adherence to a "no-pain no-gain" mentality. Yet an intelligent, educated bodybuilder may be the best trainer you'll ever find because of his or her unique expertise, extensive experience and commitment to personal excellence.

Once you verify a trainer's qualifications, find out what his or her exercise philosophy is and what exercise methodology he or she will apply to your training. This information may help you develop a clear idea of what you're getting yourself into before you hand of any money.

Never mislead clients into purchasing training sessions by making inflated claims of false promises about what you can do for them. If a trainer guarantees that clients can lose up to 30 pounds of fat in 4 weeks, they should ask themselves at what cost to their client's health? Anyone who promises clients results that can't realistically be fulfilled without resorting to drastic measure is not offering a worthwhile service.

Focus on the Individual

How do clients know if their trainer is giving them quality service? First, take the time to find out what the client's specific goals are and to take note of any prior fitness programs, health problems and current or previous injuries.

The trainer should always be focused on the client and paying attention to their exercise techniques, especially when they do exercises like squats, dead lifts, barbell rows, military presses and other compound movements that can be difficult to learn and can potentially injure a client's lower back. If you frequently stares off into space or show little or no involvement with your client while they're exercising, you may be putting your client at risk for injury.

When a client performs any given exercise for the first time, you should frequently ask what sensations their experiencing. This enables you to help them develop their mind body awareness so that they can recognize and interpret the various muscular sensations they feel during exercise. Developing this awareness will help them prevent potential training injuries and maximize training efficiency. To maintain safety, a trainer should not allow clients to:

1. Lift a weight in an uncontrolled manner with bouncing and jerking movements
2. Go to failure and use maximal weight on exercises they aren't familiar with
3. Perform an exercise with uneven foot or hand placements,
4. Train when they are obviously ill.

These practices are both dangerous and nonproductive.

In addition, the difference between actually enjoying or dreading their exercise experience may depend on how well they like their trainer's personality. The right trainer can make fitness enjoyable and habit-forming. Keep in mind that if they need a lot of emotional support, continuous motivation and personal attention, a military-style trainer like Lenny would be the wrong choice. Chances are they'll end up feeling discouraged, or worse, totally disillusioned with exercise. Yet if they are competitive and what to be challenged, they'd probably be well matched with an intense trainer who pushes them to the limit. Try to get an idea of what the client's supervision style is like. And don't be shy about telling your client what they need to stay motivated.