Fitness Trainers

Getting Fit with Professional Help

Is a Fitness Trainer absolutely necessary?  Truthfully, no - but then you really don't need a Math Professor in order to learn Calculus either.  It just makes the entire process a whole lot easier, faster, and much more efficient.  True, you can watch a video or read a book and get the same information but if you want to skip all the beginner's mistakes, confusion, and false starts, there's nothing like working one-on- one with a professional fitness trainer for quick and effective results.

So what makes a good trainer?  How do you select Fitness Trainers? How can you assure that you'll get the results you want?  Those are the issues we'll cover in this section.

The Role of the Fitness Trainer

What's a trainer supposed to do anyway?  A Fitness Trainer is your personal fitness coach helping you find the shortest route to reaching your fitness goals. In short, a trainer can help you get maximum results in the shortest amount of time.  They can show you all the tips and techniques to make your workout more effective that you would otherwise have to discover on your own.

In general, a qualified Fitness Trainer should be able to:

• Evaluate your current physical condition
• Design an exercise program to meet your fitness goals
• Provide instruction on how to use equipment properly
• Show you proper exercise techniques
• Reduce your chance of injury
• Provide advice and tips on different exercise routines
• Provide general advice on nutrition and diet
• Show you how to track and monitor your progress
• Provide encouragement and motivation
• Answer any fitness questions you may have

You'll pay anywhere from $25 to $100 per hour for a Fitness Trainer in the U.S. but having a custom fitness program developed for you will assure that your exercise routine is well balanced and that you are performing the techniques properly.  You'll have a plan that tells you exactly what needs to be done and in what order getting you in and out of the gym in no time. You'll maximize the effectiveness of your workout which should start producing results pretty quickly.

What a Fitness Trainer is Not

It's important to understand that a Fitness Trainer is just that - someone who is trained in various techniques designed to improve physical fitness.  This training is pretty broad and covers everything from nutrition to anatomy.  However, this usually means that your trainer has some knowledge about a lot of areas, but is not necessarily an expert in any one of them.

• A Doctor.  A Fitness Trainer is not trained nor qualified to diagnose or treat any kind of medical condition or symptom.  These types of issues should be discussed with your doctor, not your trainer.  A good Fitness Trainer will know the limits of their training and will not give you medical advice of any kind - other than to tell you to see your doctor. 

• A Dietitian.  Although a Fitness Trainer may have received training in general nutrition or may call themselves a "Nutritionist," they are not a Licensed Dietitian.  Be wary of any radical "weight-loss" or "muscle building" diet advice from a trainer unless the diet plan has been medically reviewed.

• Your Mother.  A trainer can design a great fitness program but they can't do the exercise for you.  They can't get you out of bed in the morning or drive you to the gym in the afternoon. You've got to do your part.  You're the one that needs to do the work, not the trainer. 

Although a Fitness Trainer can really help you get quick results from your workouts, it's important that you understand their role and the limits of their training. 

Fitness Trainer Certifications

In the United States, there are no standard professional licensing or registration requirements for Fitness Trainers.  However, there are numerous organizations that "certify" trainers.  Unfortunately, the certification is only as good as the organization that issued it.  This means that your Fitness Trainer may have been trained and certified by the commercial gym you just joined.  Always ask whether or not your trainer is certified and if they are, by whom.

There are several certifying organizations that are recognized and respected by most industry professionals.  For best results, try to find a trainer that is certified by one of these organizations.

Some of the best include:

• The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
• The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)
• The American Council on Exercise (ACE)
• The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)
• The National Council on Strength and Fitness (NCSF)
• The National Federation of Professional Trainers (NFPT)

The better certifying organizations require proof of experience and knowledge and use testing and demonstration to verify competence.  They also require continuing education in order to keep certifications current.  In other words, the certification actually means something.  Of course, you can expect to pay more for someone with these types of credentials but you can be sure that you will be working with someone that actually knows what they're doing - and isn't that what you expect from a trainer in the first place?

Other organizations may, or may not, be as stringent in their certification requirements so it's difficult to evaluate the quality of their certification process.  For some of the lower end organizations, all you basically have to do to become "certified" is to send in your dues so make sure that you find out what your trainer had to go through in order to become certified.  If it sounds really easy, then you probably already know more than they do and you should consider going elsewhere.

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