How Does Your Personal Trainer Measure Up?

All personal trainers ARE NOT created equal, just like not all doctors are the same, nor are all physical therapists, chefs, hair stylists, massage therapists, baristas, or psychologists created equal.  And when I say people within the same professions are not the same, I’m referring to their education, area of expertise, passion, experience and social skills.  Sure all doctors went to med school, physical therapists went to doctoral school, stylists went to beautician school, personal trainers are certified, and so on but there are certain things that will set them apart after the initial school or certification is complete.  The personal training industry offers a wider range of expertise and experience because the minimum requirement in this particular industry is that a trainer be certified.  That’s it, only certified…something you could easily attain over one weekend.  So, the questions become, how do I know if my personal trainer is knowledgeable, passionate, experienced, personable, dependable, and bottom line…going to help me get to my health and fitness goals injury free?  Fill out the table below and determine the expertise of your personal trainer.

At a minimum, your personal trainer should have a fitness related certification, be CPR/AED certified, hold a fitness related undergraduate degree or higher, and have one or more years of experience in personal training.  In addition, he/she should be well versed in dealing with different medical and/or physical conditions and understand how to modify or individualize a person’s training program with regards to these conditions.

Not only should your trainer be well educated and experienced, but he/she MUST be motivating, dependable and able to hold you accountable (After all, isn’t this one of the reasons you’ve hired them?).  And last but certainly not least, your trainer must look and walk the part.  If they aren’t even following their own advice, I’d be hard pressed to want to follow their lead.