What is a personal trainer? – frequently asked questions about personal training explained
A personal trainer is a fitness professional, who have qualifications in the art of physical activity, who prescribes exercises, motivates and sets goals individually, taking into account the physical conditions and the objectives of each of their clients.
Personal trainers help clients achieve their goals by delivering safe and effective training sessions usually through one-on-one fitness sessions.
Some certified personal trainers work in gyms, some personal trainers provide sessions on line while others like myself offer personal training sessions in person at your home, or virtually.
Personal trainer certification varies, some personal trainers like myself do 3 year degrees, while others do a level 3 personal trainer diploma in 6 weeks.
One thing to note is that the fitness industry is regulated, to ensure that no matter what type of certification held by the fitness profesional, the trainer can deliver effective exercise programs safely.
Goal of personal training
To understand this lets look at what their goal is. The goal of a personal trainer is to give guidance and support to a potential trainee to help them achieve their fitness goals.
A personal trainer is a mentor, coach and a friend and will use all necessary resources and technology to help his trainee.
You will have access to all the knowledge the trainer can offer, in order to achieve the best results in the shortest possible time, and in the most efficient and safest way possible.
When you hire a trainer, he/she is expected to:
- Design an exercise plan according to your goal.
- Guide you through your training: This is not only to raise the daily routines, but verify, step by step, that the exercises are carried out in the right way. It is important to note that a poorly executed exercise could eventually lead to an injury.
- Teach you about the exercise, your muscles and the general function of the training plan:
- Your trainer will educate and inform you of the science behind the routine, why you should perform certain exercises. The purpose of a personal trainer is not to train you for the rest of your life, keeping you in ignorance, but to empower you and teach you about health and fitness
- Motivate you: Motivation is an essential part of any physical change. A coach should not only be a fitness professional but also an accomplished motivator. He/She has to have the ability to empower you to achieve your goals and to avoid temptation and laziness.
- Inspire you: Physical transformations involve forming new habits. Habits that are for life if you want to keep your body in optimal condition for years to come. That is why the work of a professional coach does not end when you drop the dumbbells, no. Your trainer has walked the path and therefore knows the temptations and emotional adversities that entails the goal you are after. For that reason, he/she will always be there to inspire you.
Who should get a personal trainer?
Having a personal trainer is highly recommended for those users who have don’t like to exercise or need extra guidance to guarantee result.
Personal trainers are also recommendable to those who want to go a step further in their level of fitness , performance, or for those who have an injury.
What is a personal trainer and what are a clients expectation?
Currently there are several types of clients that want a variety of things from personal trainers, and their main goals are; improvement of physical condition, weight loss (a majority), increase in physical performance (increase of strength, resistance or speed etc.).
Other clients want specialized coaches in some sports like Golf, football, triathlon, running, etc.
What does personal training consist of?
Consultation
A personal trainer will sit down with you to understand the goals you want to achieve. These can be weight loss, muscle definition and toning, maintenance, and so on. The training plan will vary depending on your goal.
Fitness assessment
The second thing a personal trainer will do is assess you to see if you are at risk of a potential injury due to lack of flexibility or muscle weakness.
The trainer will also test your fitness levels to ensure that the programs they devise on your behalf are not too difficult.
This is important because although you may want to be pushed hard, you don’t want to be pushed so hard that you get injured. Your fitness levels need to be built up gradually.
Postural Assessment
A personal trainer will also assess your posture to see how they can improve you in this area. Bad posture can lead to injuries and could also be the cause of aches and pains that you may experience day to day. A personal trainer will try to take away some of this pain and reduce your risk of injury.
Advantage
One of the main reasons for failure of people who join the gym is the lack of willpower to be consistent. This is a problem that mostly affects beginners. These are probably the people that need a personal trainer the most.
If you hire a personal trainer it ensures that you obtain the best possible results and helps prevents plateaus. In addition, a good personal trainer will strive to improve your technique
Disadvantages
One of the main problems of a personal trainer London is the price of getting one, as it is an additional service to the price paid for the gym. Another factor is that not all personal trainers have the same qualification.
This can pose a danger to you as it may lead to you wasting money and time. For this reason, anyone who is interested in hiring a personal trainer should investigate his/her qualification, and above all, experience.
Is Online Personal Training cost Worth it?
Online personal training can mean anything from adhering to a customised program using programs and digitised spreadsheets.
It may even involve you sending videotaped workouts to a coach for feedback on your form, intensity and weight selection.
But is it worth the price in the long run?
If you hire a personal trainer at your gym and you have an appointment at the gym, it makes you go.
Your trainer will push you in the sessions to do things with your body that you didn’t think was possible.
It is better to have a personal trainer than to go it alone, but what is the main difference between an online trainer and one in a gym
Cost of a personal trainer online
Employing an online trainer is less expensive than seeing one in your local fitness club for a few reasons:
- You don’t need to pay for a gym membership
- You don’t have to buy expensive equipment for the house if you don’t want to
- The cost for one month of training can be less then half what you would pay for a personal trainer in the gym.
There are some things to consider when you hire an online personal trainer.
- You may want to consider building a home gym, and there is a cost attached to this.
- Where will you train? In your home, at the gym or in your park?
- Online personal training cost
I currently work with clients both online and in the gym. I charge £65 ($91.57) per one-hour session, but the cost one month’s online personal training is £120 ($170).
The difference in price is because I don’t have to:
- Pay a percentage to the gym
- Travel to client’s houses
- Buy equipment for sessions
- Benefits of online personal training for you
- What do you get for your monthly fee:
- Weekly consultations
- Continuous Email Support
- Telephone support
- Weekly fitness programs Emailed to you
Another advantage of online personal training
Another advantage is that you get to choose the one personal trainer whose philosophy gels the best with your beliefs, values, goals and personality.
In a gym, you can access the best trainer in that gym. With online personal training, you can find the best personal trainer in the world for you.
It doesn’t matter where this trainer is on the planet, whether they are in Germany, Canada, South Africa or Papua New Guinea.
You can have access to your trainer all the time.
Disadvantages of online personal training
There is a lack of focus and attention to detail that you can only get from face to face sessions.
However, you can upload a video of yourself doing a complicated exercise like a squat.
However, it is not the same as seeing it in real time and correcting there and then on the spot.
Furthermore, there are some things that you may struggle to learn and sometimes to have someone there watching and correcting you can speed up that process.
You will be monitored on a weekly basis with online personal training. However, it is nice to ask a question there and then and get an immediate response.
Is online personal training right for me if I lack self-motivation?
The short answer is no. There are just some people that online personal training is not suited.
If you are very determined once you set your mind to a goal, but you need someone to give you a plan and structure, then online personal training, is right for you.
Also, if you have had a lot of injuries in the past or you lack awareness of how your body moves you are going to have problems with your form for some exercises.
Bad form can lead to injuries, and injuries can slow down progress.
It may be best for you to seek a personal trainer in the gym or to train with a friend who knows what they are doing in the gym.
How to become a personal trainer – How qualifications affect cost
So, what are the personal trainer qualifications, should an ideal personal trainer possess in the UK? Let us check that in detail.
While selecting a fitness trainer in the UK, ensure he or she has a Level 3 diploma in Gym instruction and personal training qualifications.
Likewise, if he or she has a level 2 certificate in fitness instructing and gym-based qualification too, he is eligible.
Many might also possess an additional advanced diploma with years of experience that you might consider.
Awarding bodies of personal trainer qualifications
Bodies like Central YMCA, City guilds, and Active IQ organize the various courses, and they have a lot of value.
If the trainer has personal trainer qualifications in taught or vocational programs, you can consider hiring them.
Other requirements for personal training clients to look for
· Look for Memberships: Many fitness trainers might have memberships at the Register of Exercise Professionals or REPs from National Register of Personal Trainers (NRPT). To become a member, the trainer must have displayed great skill.
· Professional CPR Certification holder: If the fitness trainer possesses the certificate of being an expert or a professional Cardio pulmonary resuscitation, then he or she will be benefiting. This is a requirement in personal trainer qualifications from most of the modern fitness centres across many parts of the world.
· Look for Great recommendations: Along with the personal trainer qualifications, look for recommendations. Is the instructor a great motivator, or does not take no for an answer? It is essential when you are finding it difficult to stay slim or fit in the long run. If the trainer gets recommendation from people who have seen visible changes in their fitness levels, take them seriously. We all need that kind of motivation from time to time.
· Help in Making Lifestyle Changes: While selecting the trainer, it is not just enough to check if he or she has personal trainer qualifications. They should be urging you to work out, sweat it out, and even help you get the confidence to leave behind your old lifestyle.
Make sure to talk with the trainers and learn about the personal trainer qualifications before signing them up. It makes sense to see and find more about them, and how they can help you embark on the journey.
Book a consultation
If you want to lose weight please book a consultation with me. You will get a 30 minute consultation to discuss your lifestyle and nutrition habits, and a free 60 minute training session.
Conclusion
Personal fitness trainers work with clients to help them achieve there health and fitness goals. There are different types of trainers depending on where they work.
Personal trainers may work in gyms, in your home or online to deliver safe and effective exercise sessions. The cost of working with a personal trainer can vary depending on location, qualifications and the type of training they offer.
If you are considering working with a personal trainer, make sure the personal trainer holds a suitable qualification.