Looking for a new fitness coach? Here’s 6 things to keep in mind.
Certifications – Fitness professionals must be certified to a Level 2 (Fitness Instructors) or Level 3 (Personal Trainer) qualification. Ask to see a copy of their certification. There are people out there who claim they are personal trainers, but are not qualified and at risk of injuring you. If it’s your first time partnering up with a trainer, don’t feel shy to ask! Level 2 certified can instruct on how to use equipment in a gym and also teach fitness classes. A level 3 certified personal trainer is qualified to put together personalised plans for you in and outside of a gym environment, to help you reach your fitness and health goals.
Industry Memberships - It is not a legal requirement for fitness professionals to be members of industry memberships, such as CIMSPA (Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity) but it’s worth asking as it signifies that the coach has met nationally agreed standards and holds recognised and approved qualifications.
Measurement & Goals – You should have a discussion upfront and then continuously about your goals to stay on track. This holds both the coach and you accountable. Ask your coach how success will be measured. What are some key performance metrics that will be evaluated and how often those will be reviewed? Everyone is different, so your desired goals must be clear with a plan of action as to how they will be met. There should be an open feedback loop between the trainer and the client on this, and modifications and expectations set and reset along the way.
Health & Safety – The number one goal for a health and fitness coach, should be to keep you safe and reduce risk to injury or harm. A health assessment (often called a PARQ or a physical activity readiness questionnaire) should be done before you start to train together. This is also required for insurance purposes. The coach should ask you about medical conditions, injuries, pregnancies and disabilities etc. A true fitness professional will conduct a detailed health, fitness or lifestyle assessment before taking on a new client. This will help them create a personalised program, which is completely tailored to and mindful of your current health, fitness and lifestyle. The dialogue shouldn’t be ‘Client: Hey, I’m looking for a new coach, can you help me or where can I sign up?’ ‘Trainer: ‘Sure, what day can you train?’ If basic health questions aren’t being asked, that should be an immediate red flag.
Referrals & Testimonials – Ask for previous success stories or client testimonial quotes.. Examples of how they have met goals for others and over what periods of time. Perhaps asking for before and after pictures if the goals have been centred around transformations. New coaches may not have client success stories to share, so it’s worth asking for 1 or 2 free sessions. This allows you to get a feel for the teaching style, the questions they ask etc so you can decide if you’d like to continue. Don’t be afraid to ask what you can expect. A certified and quality fitness coach will share realistic expectations and also discuss with you what is required, both sides, to make that happen.
Insurance – Be sure to ask the trainer if they have public liability insurance, and feel free to ask to see a copy of it. This is arguably the most important form of cover, to protect both the trainer in the cause of an injury, or accidental damage to equipment, and the client who may seek compensation.
Another very important thing to consider which is not necessarily an upfront ‘checklist’ requirement, is the relationship between the coach and client. I use the ‘push/pull’’ fitness term as an analogy. It should not feel that the coach is just pushing and you are doing all the pulling. I consider the same when deciding if I will continue training someone. If I feel I am doing all the work, and that the client is not that committed, I will make it clear that it’s not going to be a successful partnership. The relationship needs to be balanced. Often, the above checks may have been done, but you just don’t have a healthy or natural chemistry with the trainer. Don’t be afraid to tell the coach that you are looking for someone you feel you could just naturally work better with. Your coach is there to inspire, motivate and support you. It should feel they are challenging you, and holding you accountable. But the ‘push/pull’ factor should be 50/50 for it to be successful and potentially long lasting.
I’d love to know your feedback if you’ve worked with a personal trainer before. How did you find it? Was it a valuable experience? Would you recommend them to a friend? Please share your experiences with the Sweat Review fitness community. I’m proud to be part of this incredible team bringing accountability to the fitness industry. Share your gym reviews and rate your gym trainer for other users to #knowmore.
