Women's Corner October 2007
FIT and POWERFUL Executive Women
Invest for Great Return on Investment: Get Mentored by a Pro
6 Tips on How to Select the BEST Trainer
A personal trainer can help you not only upgrade the quality of your life, but also provide you with that extra accountability, push and motivation to succeed in achieving your health and conditioning goals. You will learn the skills that produce results and keep you safe and injury free at the same time. This investment in your fitness education is money well worth spending. Trust me on this one, a good personal trainer will yield a great ROI.
However, consistent with any other important investment you make, researching in advance the best possible professional to serve your particular needs is warranted. This advise will enrich your training experience, saving you time and money in the long run.
Here are 6 Fit Smart strategies to implement when shopping for a competent expert:
1. Nationally Certified Trainers.
Ask if the trainer you are considering has received national certification. There are many inexpensive fly by night
certifications out there. Protect your body by training with a professional that has been adequately educated to coach
and advice you. The five most reputable national certification based organizations are:
• The American College of Sports Medicine (the gold standard leader in the industry) www.acsm.org
• The American Council on Exercise www.acefitness.org
• The National Strength and Conditioning Association www.nsca-lift.org
• The National Academy of Sports Medicine
www.nasm.org
• The Aerobics and Fitness Association of America www.afaa.com
2. Client Experience.
Does the trainer have at least 5 years of professional working experience? Remember, you are training with him or
her; ideally (while we all need to get experience somewhere) ideally he or she shouldn’t be training on you. I would
also recommend asking if the trainer has experience training clients at your level; whether that be beginner or more
advanced. If you have special needs, due to a previous injury, you certainly want the assurance that this trainer is a
skilled professional competent to address your individual challenges..
3. Style and Approach.
Is their training style appropriate for your goals? Interview a few trainers; ask them how do they plan to meet your
objectives? Ask the trainer to describe his or her style of training. Take the time to stand in the gym and watch him or
her while they train some of their clients. Compare their style and demeanor to that of the other trainers. Possibly you
would be more comfortable with a woman as opposed to a man or vice versa. Which one seems like the best fit for
you?
4. Role Model. Does he or she “walk the talk” and live the life he or she preaches and teaches? Would you view that trainer as a role model? Does his or her body have a look that motivates you to work hard? It is clearly an added benefit if your training represents this higher standard of dedication to health that you aspire to achieve.
5. Client Focus. Are they attentive to clients while training them? For your safety and a variety of other reasons, it is important that the answer is YES. It will be your hour. Observe various trainers working with other clients. 100% of their focus should be on that client. Are they communicating with their clients on proper technique during the training session? A trainer that assumes the role of a teacher, will also instruct their clients on fitness skill-sets that will serve you for years to come. These lifestyle benefits will provide you with the greatest value for your investment.
6. Credible References. Get references!!! It’s important to take the extra effort to insure a Fitness Smart choice. I suggest getting the names of not only currently training clients, but additionally, ask for the names of past clients that are no longer with this trainer. If they had a positive experience, they will still pass on a glowing recommendation. Furthermore, that past client’s reason for leaving would not be reflective of the trainer’s expertise. Their overall level of proficiency is what you want to determine in advance, so that you can proceed with confidence.
Power-size your goals and become results oriented by creating a ‘strategic partnership’ with a qualified personal trainer! These strategies listed above require extra time for you to implement. However, please recognize that your body is important and you want it to function at peak capacity for years to come. A lifelong injury can cost you dearly and impair quality of life. A caring and knowledgeable certified trainer can open windows to a whole new world of fitness for you; it can be life changing. There is no greater gift in life than the gift of health. Invest in yourself and learn the fitness skills that will contribute to an excellent standard of living so you may enjoy life with those you love.
Ilene Gershberg a former NBC executive that transformed from FAT to FIT, is author of the 2007 book release of “FIT and
POWERFUL Professionals”, now available at www.FITandPOWERFULcom. To view Ilene’s before and after pictures visit
http://www.ileneonhealth.com/ilene-physical-transformation.htm or click on http://www.ileneonhealth.com/subscribe.html to register
for FREE Health Smart e-Tips. Ilene provides corporate wellness solutions for fiscally fit businesses through powerful keynote
addresses, corporate seminars and management retreats for C-Teams, VP’s and high level executives. Additionally, Ilene consults
businesses on creating FIT and POWERFUL Teams in their workplace and at their conferences.