I recently read an article in one of the fitness magazines on making the best choice inselecting a personal trainer. The choice was between the big, strong weight lifter with years ofexperience or the certified trainer fresh out of college or new to weight lifting with very littleactual experience.
The writer concluded it would be wiser to choose a certified trainer, who may just be outof college or some bored house Frau looking for a little extra income, over hiring the biggest,strongest, most fit and experienced iron pumper at the gym.
Little wonder he took that position, for at the end of the article was the author’s alliance with a particular certification program.
Becoming certified can be fairly easy process. You pay $400 to $600 for a manual,video and take an open book test at your convenience via mail or the internet. Some may even have a field test included, where you display your knowledge of some basic exercises to a quasitrainer who may or may not have great technical skills. Pass their test and you are now“Certified” and competent enough to train and coach clients. Book knowledge is great, butnothing overrides years of real first hand experience.
It is my opinion, based on facts and observations, that the premier trainers are the onesthat practice what they teach and have the accomplishments to show for it. That trainer in thegym who is big, strong, successful in any of the iron sports did not get that way by accident or bybeing stupid. He or she has reached the level of excellence by years and years of training andresearching, not by taking a personal training course offered by the adult education program ofyour city. Regardless of the level of physical and physique development you wish to achieve,
he/she has the expertise to start you on your quest.
Let’s face it, you put unquestioning faith with an individual that is “certified”. And whyshouldn’t you. That is what you have been taught all your life. The educator, he who is certified, has all the answers. A trainer who is certified equates to “ the all-knowing”. A Guru.
True fitness and weight training are not the myths and programs that personal trainers ofcelebrities, TV infomercial and the people that teach courses have developed. After all, manyof these gimmicks are developed to promote a product or a course. A course that makes trainingmarketable but not necessarily effective. Remember just because a course is taught doesn’t meanthat it is correct in it’s teachings.
True fitness and weight training is basic. Regardless if you are a newbie, whose objectiveis to just “shape up” and “tone up” or a lifter with many years devoted to training, developingone’s core strength and a nutritional strategy is paramount.
The question I pose is who is more capable to take you on a prosperous iron quest withknowledge and motivation.
On one hand you have a young male or female certified trainer. He/she look great. Theirlooks may or may not have been the results of weight training or athletics. They have read allthe approved books on weight loss and weight training. They have never actually dieted butwere told that is what one must do. Same with weight training. They have little or limited experience with putting together a training program for your specific needs and use the standardendorsed training program that the book includes. For the five hundred dollars that you will bepaying them for your one month of training, you may as well send off for the course, read thebook, take the test if you so desire and train yourself.
On the other hand you can hire a genuine trainer. He or she may be one of the biggest,the strongest and maybe the most barbaric individual inin the gym. You may even feel a littleintimidated going up to him/her and asking if he would do an initial consultation with you, asyou would like to explore the possibility of hiring him as your trainer. Soon you will realize thatyour initial fears were unfounded as he [or she] is a gentle person [with people skills] as well asan athlete.
Now why, you ask, would you want to hire the guy or gal who is not TV commercialmaterial to train you. Very simply this: real credentials, real life accomplishments, knowledgeof resistance training and he/she knows what works and what doesn’t.
. This man or woman has actually been “over weight” and has dieted down tosuccessfully get on stage and compete in a bodybuilding show. This man or woman has actuallymade life style changes to become successful. They were once skinny, weak and scrawny or fatand had cellulite on their thighs and abdomen. They were what you are now and they made thechange. They know and have heard all the myths and “dangers” that you are apprehensive about. They will teach you what is true and not espouse the myths. They will not re-create the iron sport,but will stay true to the principles of basic core strength and muscle development. They will notgive you false readings of your strength gains or muscle gains or fat loss. They will not ingratiateyou with falsehoods and lies. Instead they will tell you that you must pay your dues. That theprogress takes time. Those who tell you that on “their program” you will have results in 6weeks are liars. All the fat that you have accumulated on your body was not done so in just 6weeks, so why would you think that you can make it go away in just six weeks. Strength andmuscle gains and fat loss take time.
This individual knows the correct way to spot you and takes seriously the time when you are actually lifting. In other words, while you are lifting weights he will be spotting you inthe event that you run into difficulty, not watching what other gym members are doing or talkingon his cell phone or eating a meal. Above all he or she is a true professional.
An elite trainer will pontificate and champion what is true, which has been learned from experience and hard work.
In conclusion when you are hiring a personal trainer do not blindly accept someone elses recommendations, no matter who they may be. Interveiew and Think for yourself. It\'s yourbody, your time and your money
|