subject: What are the qualities of a good Personal Trainer? [print this page] What are the qualities of a good Personal Trainer?
Personal Trainer simply means one who can give you that extra oomph in getting rid of those unsightly, not to mention unhealthy, difficult to burn away fat and help you keep them burned away.
First, all Personal Trainers are required to pass certification exams to work as a Personal Trainer. There are different levels of certification as well as different fields where they can also certify in. The former is the government's way of ensuring that they know what's what about personal training, the latter is because there are so many ways to get fit that there is a need to specialize. So ideally, you'd want to go for the one with a high level certification who specializes in the particular fitness method you find interesting Boxing for Fitness, Muay Thai, Caveman Circuit Training, and many more. This also means that they should be infinitely better than reading a "How To" book. Now, reading a "How To" book is not bad. It is actually advisable (it will give you the high points and the basics). Think of it this way however. A "How To" book is like a treasure map, it'll tell you know how to get to the treasure but not how to beat the traps barring the way. Your Personal Trainer is like a guide who knows how to beat those traps and get you to the treasure you seek, in this instance, losing weight.
You also want a Personal Trainer who can relate to you well. Not just someone who is easy to talk to and understands the difficulties, mentally and physically, of losing weight, but a person who understands how you tick and can get you to squeeze out more from your body that you ever imagined. This is a person who keeps your goal in mind when you lose focus and gets you back to it pronto. Most times, what we can't get ourselves to beat we can overcome with the help of someone who has been through it and beaten it themselves. One who knows when it is time to let up a bit, (And literally just a bit and not quite a bit, as some so called Trainers are prone to do!) and when to get you to keep going beyond the point of exhaustion, which is why you should be hiring one in the first place.
Excellent Personal Trainers can also handle group training. It has been proven that a significant number of people strive harder when in groups. Or, for those who prefer one-on-one, it is a nice change of pace from time to time. The psychology of handling a group is different from when handling an individual. The Trainer has to know this and be able to utilize it to good effect.
Lastly, your Personal Trainer should be a hardcore fitness buff. A trainer whose excitement about what he does will transfer over to you. Who sees you not as a source of income but a source of pride, and looks at you as an accomplishment in the making.
These are some of the most important qualities that you should look for in a Personal Trainer. If you are residing in the Brisbane area try looking up Executive Results. Their Personal Trainers will have what you're looking for in spades.
