Over the last two years since the consultancy was born I have had the amazing good fortune to mentor and motivate hundreds of individual and assist them in finding a love with exercise and healthy living. During this time I have met many wonderful people and personalities each with their own story to tell, this blog topic was born after a conversation with a new client who came to me after reviewing my advert on the NRPT (National Register of Personal Trainers).
Client A was interested in learning how to box for fitness and came along for his free consultation/taster session. He was a middle aged male in the overweight category and after reviewing his movement patterns and basic fitness levels it was found that he had limited co-ordination and his ability to lift, press or pull his body weight was at beginner level. The deal was sealed and he commenced his training with me the following week. As always the correct practise routines and exercises were prescribed to assist in his learning the basic fundamental of boxing and basic exercises to encourage his body to grow stronger as a unit.
Over the next couple of sessions the ice was broken and we started to bond as client and trainer. Client A had informed me at his taster session that he already had a personal trainer and that due to familiarity they were to part company. Now that he had started training with me I asked him to describe the kind of training that had commenced with his previous trainer. I was told they had taken part in physio ball, cardio, (jogging) pad work, (boxercise) and some wrestling. Nutrition advice was minimal and to be honest as client A was about two stones overweight and couldn’t do any more than 5 assisted push ups on his knees I wondered just how much effort this other trainer had put into advancing his client.
I was even more astonished and disgusted that this fraud had the audacity to be charging £75 per hour (o.k. you can pick your chin up now) and that he had been training client A twice a week for more than 4 years. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing as standard PT from home price is between £35 - £50, also because it was weekly double sessions then a further discount would normally be offered. Altogether client A had invested over £15,000 over four years in this so called fitness professional.
So I could go on all day about the trainers moral standing and professionalism or that client A was gullible and naive that would go on forever so all I am going to say is for that kind of cash I would be wanting to train in a first class facility with a highly successful top of the league fitness celebrity.
So guys when looking for a trainer follow this advice
· Relevant up to date qualifications and experience NRPT and REPS (level 3 or above) is a good place to start
· Previous success (any good trainer will have before and after pictures of their clients) and can introduce you to them
· Book a free taster session so you can meet your proposed trainer in person. if they dont offer a free taster/consultation be weary.
· Make sure that your trainer is still active and training themselves (overweight trainers is a sign that they are inactive though not always the case especially where injury is involved)
· If interested only buy 5 sessions to begin with even if you are pitched for more this means your signed up for a short time so if you do not bond with your trainer then you will not be out of pocket.
· Don’t be fooled by fancy websites or letters after a name I have experienced in the past trainers who had excellent web sites and had written their testimonials themselves (always look for pictures for proof) as with letters after the name and special qualifications just because someone has theoretical ability this doesn’t mean that they will have the practical ability or personality to motivate and teach you correctly.
· Pick your trainer wisely especially if you have limited exercise experience, at the end of the day you want a return for your investment and don’t want to end up like client A and out of pocket.
Over the next couple of sessions the ice was broken and we started to bond as client and trainer. Client A had informed me at his taster session that he already had a personal trainer and that due to familiarity they were to part company. Now that he had started training with me I asked him to describe the kind of training that had commenced with his previous trainer. I was told they had taken part in physio ball, cardio, (jogging) pad work, (boxercise) and some wrestling. Nutrition advice was minimal and to be honest as client A was about two stones overweight and couldn’t do any more than 5 assisted push ups on his knees I wondered just how much effort this other trainer had put into advancing his client.
I was even more astonished and disgusted that this fraud had the audacity to be charging £75 per hour (o.k. you can pick your chin up now) and that he had been training client A twice a week for more than 4 years. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing as standard PT from home price is between £35 - £50, also because it was weekly double sessions then a further discount would normally be offered. Altogether client A had invested over £15,000 over four years in this so called fitness professional.
So I could go on all day about the trainers moral standing and professionalism or that client A was gullible and naive that would go on forever so all I am going to say is for that kind of cash I would be wanting to train in a first class facility with a highly successful top of the league fitness celebrity.
So guys when looking for a trainer follow this advice
· Relevant up to date qualifications and experience NRPT and REPS (level 3 or above) is a good place to start
· Previous success (any good trainer will have before and after pictures of their clients) and can introduce you to them
· Book a free taster session so you can meet your proposed trainer in person. if they dont offer a free taster/consultation be weary.
· Make sure that your trainer is still active and training themselves (overweight trainers is a sign that they are inactive though not always the case especially where injury is involved)
· If interested only buy 5 sessions to begin with even if you are pitched for more this means your signed up for a short time so if you do not bond with your trainer then you will not be out of pocket.
· Don’t be fooled by fancy websites or letters after a name I have experienced in the past trainers who had excellent web sites and had written their testimonials themselves (always look for pictures for proof) as with letters after the name and special qualifications just because someone has theoretical ability this doesn’t mean that they will have the practical ability or personality to motivate and teach you correctly.
· Pick your trainer wisely especially if you have limited exercise experience, at the end of the day you want a return for your investment and don’t want to end up like client A and out of pocket.
Client A is now doing great after 15 weeks of training (1hr per week) he gets stronger and leaner leaner every week. He is boxing well and his strength has improved dramatically (he now does full sets of press ups with varied hand positions)
“The decisions that you make today are the changes that you implement tomorrow “
“The decisions that you make today are the changes that you implement tomorrow “
Yours in fitness
Davie
Next blog “so girls aint meant to be strong”
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