19 Aug What to Look for in a Personal Trainer

Choosing a Personal Trainer

Are you considering hiring a personal trainer to help you with your workout routine? Hiring a personal trainer can be a great way to keep yourself motivated while also ensuring you are performing your exercises correctly and pushing your body to its maximum performance. When hiring a personal trainer, however, there are a few things you should watch out for in order to make certain you aren’t hiring the wrong person to help you achieve your goals.

Here are a few things you want to avoid in a personal trainer:

·    Someone who tells women that they should not lift weights – weightlifting is important for both men and women in order to lose weight, to maintain a healthy weight and to achieve an overall better level of health.
·    Someone who recommends cutting your calories to a dangerous level – cutting your calories too low can be unhealthy and even dangerous. If you aren’t certain if the calorie intake recommended by the trainer is adequate, contact a dietician or nutritionist.
·    Someone who won’t keep track of your progress – a professional trainer should keep track of your progress in order to make modifications to your program as necessary. Your trainer should be keeping track of a number of different things, including your weight and your measurements as well as the exercises and the number of reps and sets you are doing.
·    Someone who insists that you purchase supplements or vitamins – while it is perfectly fine for a personal trainer to recommend certain vitamins or minerals, one who insists upon them is quite suspect and is likely getting some sort of kickback for your business.
·    Someone who doesn’t take spotting seriously – for your own safety, you need a trainer who is dedicated to spotting your properly. If your personal trainer seems to be “daydreaming” when he or she is supposed to be spotting you, it is time to find someone new.
·    Someone who pushes you too hard – you certainly want someone who will push you to work hard, but a trainer who pushes you beyond your limits will do more harm than good.

In order to find a good personal trainer, be sure to ask friends and family for reference and to follow up on the references the trainer provides to you. You should also check into certification. Some good certifications that you should look out for include ISSA, ACE and NASM.