With the new year well underway and summer on the horizon, many people are looking to start achieving their fitness goals. Getting a good personal trainer is one of the best ways to do that.
A personal trainer can help you set the right goals, balance your workout schedule, and even help with nutrition. Whether you’re looking to lose weight, gain weight, tone up, or reach specific lifting or cardio goals, they’re who you turn to.
But how do you find the best personal trainer for you? We have a few ideas of what to look for so you can get started on the right track. Keep reading to learn about how to find a personal fitness trainer that will help you reach your goals.
They Listen to You
A key trait of a good personal trainer is the ability to communicate effectively. This doesn’t just mean that they should be able to convey information while they’re training. It also means that they have to be able to listen.
When you’re entering personal training, you have goals and ideas in mind. You also have limitations and a set starting point. Your personal trainer needs to listen to you so they can best understand how to create your fitness plan.
Some trainers make the mistake of putting together a plan that works for most clients, or one that they like for themselves. This means that you won’t be getting the program that you deserve and that’s suited to your individual needs.
If your trainer seems like they’re not taking your suggestions into consideration, they’re not a good trainer.
They Use Technology to Their Advantage
There are so many ways to use technology in the effort to create and track an effective fitness plan.
The days of tracking weight and muscle mass through inaccurate means and writing measurements on paper are behind us. In their place are full-body scans to help measure muscle, fat, and all other things that you want to improve upon on your fitness journey.
You can track your fitness and progress with helpful apps and keep all of your information digital and easy to access.
A good personal trainer knows how to use and share this technology to help you reach your goals.
They Offer Suggestions for At-Home Activities
Let’s face it; you’re not spending every waking moment at the gym. Normal people need to go to work, attend to responsibilities, and overall need days off to let muscles recover.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t be working towards your fitness goals while you’re at home.
Good personal trainers know that days off are just as important as days on. While you’re in recovery mode, you can be doing stretches or gentle at-home cardio workouts to keep your muscles warm without overworking them.
They may also offer nutritional advice so you don’t undo all of your hard work by eating the wrong foods.
They’re Motivating, Not Pushy
There’s a common trope of personal fitness trainers running their clients around as if they were drill sergeants. While this is amusing in fiction, in real life you want a more compassionate trainer.
A good trainer knows how to motivate clients without embarrassing them. They know how to push clients to their limits without pushing them beyond those limits. Trainers who don’t know the appropriate time to pull back are putting their clients at risk of injuries.
They’re also at risk of losing clients altogether.
Good trainers want to empower clients to be their best, wherever that happens to be at the time. That “best” is different for everyone, so trainers don’t feel the need to compare one client to another, or their clients to themselves.
They Know What They’re Talking About
Not anyone can be a personal trainer. Even someone fit who works out every day may not be qualified to train others.
Good personal trainers have an education under their belts. They’ve learned about exercise science, human anatomy, and nutrition. This helps them train clients in a way that’s scientifically proven, not anecdotal.
Good trainers are also interested in improving their knowledge over time. Best practices for personal training change. Trainers should keep up with their learning even when their formal education is over.
They can do this by watching online videos, reading journals, or networking with other fitness professionals to make sure they’re providing the best possible service.
They Can Adapt
Adaptability is everything for a successful personal trainer.
As we mentioned, everyone has different needs and a different starting point. These needs will change over time.
If you experience an injury or you don’t find yourself progressing as quickly as your fitness plan made time for, you should be able to talk to your trainer so they’re able to make adjustments to your timeline and the exercises that you’re able to do.
On the other hand, if your goals change, they should be able to work with that as well. Sometimes people come into the gym with an initial goal of weight loss, but later learn that they’re more interested in gaining muscle first. Your trainer should be able to make these changes on the fly.
The Right Personal Trainer Will Help You Reach Your Goals
Not all personal trainers are alike and finding the right one can be a trial and error. When you do find the right one, though, getting a personal trainer is the best way to reach your goals in the most efficient manner possible.
You don’t have to try to reach your goals alone. Get set up with a personal trainer and get a professional’s help.
Are you looking for a gym in Houston Texas so you can get fit this year? We want to help! We have personal trainers available for you, or you can work alone.
Join us online or at one of our three locations and get working on those goals.
