Tom@foresight
03-26-2008, 04:36 PM
What to look for in a Personal Trainer
So you have decided you want to get fit, you know you need a Personal Trainer, but where do you start?
Here is my quick guide to the main things to look for in your future trainer (in no particular order)!
Register of Exercise Professional’s (REP’s) registered - REP’s is a government backed organisation that works with Skills Active to set qualification levels for fitness professionals. A personal trainer should be registered on REP’s at level three. You can check this by filling in any potential trainers details on the Member Search section of the website (http://www.exerciseregister.org/).
Insurance – Any trainer should have a minimum of £2,000,000 liability insurance. You should always check the policy to see it is in date and covers everything you will be doing with your trainer (e.g. some policies exclude sports massage).
Qualifications - As stated above, by your trainer being registered at level three on REP’s you can be pretty sure that their training is at the correct standard. To check out individual qualifications and what they cover you can look at the training providers web site for more details. You should also look for a trainer who is continually updating their skills. This is done by Continuing Professional Development (a requirement of REP’s). You should check out the trainer’s profile and look for them continually adding to their qualification list.
Experience Level – For a trainer to give you best results they should have at least three years experience in the industry. This level of experience means that they will have honed their skills, allowing you to get the best possible training.
Equipment - The trainer needs to have a good range of equipment that will allow you to have a challenging workout, however the amount of equipment is not always the be all and end all, body weight sessions can be killers if done right!
Cost - You need to look for a trainer that is within your price range, remember that the most expensive is not always the best. Have a look at a few trainers to gauge what the average session price is in your area.
One of the most important things is that you can get on with the trainer that you will be working with. So if you can arrange a meeting or have a chat on the phone (before you start paying!) it should give you a good indicator if you will click. You and your trainer need to be able to communicate well to ensure you get the very best out of your training sessions. Don’t be afraid to try a few trainers and see which one you connect with, many training companies will offer initial sessions or consultations for free. This will allow you to meet the trainer you will be working with.
All in all the most important factor is that your sessions are fun, as this will make it so much easier to motivate yourself, and most importantly keep training!
Web Links:-
Register of Exercise Professionals (REP’s) – http://www.exerciseregister.org/
Tom Godwin is the Managing Director of Foresight Fitness Services, based in Manchester. He has been working within the wellbeing industry for 10 years, and works with a wide range of clients to help them achieve their wellbeing goals. Tom would love to hear you comments or your questions, trainer@foresight-fitness.co.uk
So you have decided you want to get fit, you know you need a Personal Trainer, but where do you start?
Here is my quick guide to the main things to look for in your future trainer (in no particular order)!
Register of Exercise Professional’s (REP’s) registered - REP’s is a government backed organisation that works with Skills Active to set qualification levels for fitness professionals. A personal trainer should be registered on REP’s at level three. You can check this by filling in any potential trainers details on the Member Search section of the website (http://www.exerciseregister.org/).
Insurance – Any trainer should have a minimum of £2,000,000 liability insurance. You should always check the policy to see it is in date and covers everything you will be doing with your trainer (e.g. some policies exclude sports massage).
Qualifications - As stated above, by your trainer being registered at level three on REP’s you can be pretty sure that their training is at the correct standard. To check out individual qualifications and what they cover you can look at the training providers web site for more details. You should also look for a trainer who is continually updating their skills. This is done by Continuing Professional Development (a requirement of REP’s). You should check out the trainer’s profile and look for them continually adding to their qualification list.
Experience Level – For a trainer to give you best results they should have at least three years experience in the industry. This level of experience means that they will have honed their skills, allowing you to get the best possible training.
Equipment - The trainer needs to have a good range of equipment that will allow you to have a challenging workout, however the amount of equipment is not always the be all and end all, body weight sessions can be killers if done right!
Cost - You need to look for a trainer that is within your price range, remember that the most expensive is not always the best. Have a look at a few trainers to gauge what the average session price is in your area.
One of the most important things is that you can get on with the trainer that you will be working with. So if you can arrange a meeting or have a chat on the phone (before you start paying!) it should give you a good indicator if you will click. You and your trainer need to be able to communicate well to ensure you get the very best out of your training sessions. Don’t be afraid to try a few trainers and see which one you connect with, many training companies will offer initial sessions or consultations for free. This will allow you to meet the trainer you will be working with.
All in all the most important factor is that your sessions are fun, as this will make it so much easier to motivate yourself, and most importantly keep training!
Web Links:-
Register of Exercise Professionals (REP’s) – http://www.exerciseregister.org/
Tom Godwin is the Managing Director of Foresight Fitness Services, based in Manchester. He has been working within the wellbeing industry for 10 years, and works with a wide range of clients to help them achieve their wellbeing goals. Tom would love to hear you comments or your questions, trainer@foresight-fitness.co.uk