What you get from a personal trainer may be directly related to how much you pay for a trainer and where your trainer works. For these reasons, knowing what to look for in a personal trainer can help you decide whom to choose and how much you are willing to spend.
Becoming a personal trainer doesn't require much training. The training is so minuscule, in fact, most people could probably train to become their own personal trainers. This is because acquiring personal trainer certification can be accomplished simply by paying fees or taking short online courses.
Inadequately informed personal trainers could cause clients to engage in exercise routines that are harmful to their well being. This is because the "trainers" may not know that certain physical conditions should be treated with certain types of exercises to aid in improving those conditions or preventing said conditions from worsening.
As far as credentials go, the National Strength Conditioning Association, the American College of Sports Medicine, the National Academy of Sports Medicine, the American Council on Exercise, and the Aerobics and fitness Association of America certification organizations are positioned to supply adequate credentials. Of these five groups, the American College of Sports Medicine insists potential trainers attain Associates Degrees before certifying them.
When seeking a personal trainer, clients-to-be should interview potential prospects and find out what credentials, if any, they have. If the prospects cannot show proof of credentials, clients-to-be may want to move on to other prospects. In addition to any certificates prospects are able to produce clients-to-be should require prospects to have credentials in physical education, sports medicine, or some other fitness related program.
Another thing about training certificates is that they don't all mean the same thing. There is no "standard" for training certificates. Twelve trainers working in one location could have certificates meaning they are supposedly qualified for twelve different degrees or aspects or whatever one wants to label it training abilities. For this reason an agency called International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association is trying to put together a system in which the five previously mentioned certification companies can work with the National Organization for Competency Assurance to begin resolving this problem.
In the mean time, however, people want or need personal trainers; and there are good reasons to have trainers. Trainers can help you learn to navigate fitness clubs. They can show you how to properly use gym machinery and weights. And they can provide you with health assessments to aid in your quest to attain or sustain certain fitness goals. But still, if you hire the wrong one, he/she could send you off in the wrong direction - even improperly train you on machinery usage. This is particularly risky since fitness clubs are not responsible for misuse of equipment or machinery even if injuries occur as direct results of uses of said equipment or machinery.
So, before selecting a trainer you should interview several prospects and seek information mentioned above and include such questions as: How much time the prospects have spent in the field? What types of clients they've assisted? How many clients they've assisted? And find out whether or not they had to prove themselves before hired by the establishment in which they are affiliated.
Ask for and check out references from prospects. Be specific and don't hold back when questioning references. You need to get them to tell you everything - negative and/or positive - regarding their experience with prospect trainers.
To some degree your trainer must be your friend. If you do not feel comfortable working with a particular trainer you may not accomplish your goals simply because you're unhappy with the relationship. If this happens, immediately get rid of that trainer and choose someone else. In this case, it's a good idea to stipulate in any documentation you sign that you are giving the trainer "X" amount of time to prove himself and that you can dismiss him if things aren't working in your behalf.
Finding a trainer that will be beneficial to your fitness goals is certainly possible when you know what to look for in a personal trainer. Just a couple more things however: (1) Don't assume that because a trainer is in good shape he/she must know what he/she is doing. Trainers are hired, in part, because of their appearance and it's their knowledge that you should be concerned about. (2) Steer clear of trainers offering dietary supplements that supposedly aid the training process and improve health; or trainers that try to sell you anything-period!