Gone are the days when only celebrities and high-ranking public officials enlisted the assistance of fitness professionals. With more of us wanting to lead healthier lifestyles these days, there’s a huge need for qualified fitness gurus to make sure we’re doing the correct exercises to achieve our specific wellness goals. So, what does a personal trainer do exactly? You’re about to find out…
Personal Trainer Duties
Assessment & Goal Setting
Your personal trainer should start off by assessing your current fitness level, and discuss any personal goals you’ve set, as well as any past injuries. Getting back into shape is a big decision to make. This is because it usually coincides with the setting of a specific outcome. Want to run the Comrades Marathon? Maybe it’s to look good in that dress you bought when you were two sizes smaller? Your personal trainer should listen to your goals and aspirations, and endeavour to make them a reality.
However, if your goals are unrealistic – like shedding 10 kg in a week and keeping it off – be prepared that your personal trainer will tell you this. He or she will make sure that the fitness goals that you set for yourself are S.M.A.R.T. This stands for:
- Smart
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Realistic
- Time bound.
Exercise Plan Development
Once they know what you’re capable of, a personal trainer gets to work developing your custom fitness regime. Complete newbie to exercise? Your personal trainer should start you off at a level you can handle – slowing increasing your capacity with lifting weight, reps and sets as your fitness improves. Personal trainers are well connected in the fitness industry and can even put you in touch with dieticians and nutritionists should you want to get your eating habits aligned with your new healthy lifestyle!
Leading by Example
It’s a personal trainer’s job to know exactly how to perform an exercise, and yours won’t shy away from getting sweaty with you! Working out is tough on the body, and when exercises are performed incorrectly this leads to pain, strain and sometimes injury. Watch your personal trainer carefully as they show you the exercises you’ll be doing, and prioritise form when performing them yourself. With good form, you’ll strengthen correctly and won’t be plagued by downtime due to soreness or – even worse – as not having the correct form when you exercise can lead to serious injury.
Motivation & Celebration
There’ll be times that you might hate your personal trainer, and that’s OK. Sculpting the body of your dreams isn’t easy. Fret you not, because your personal trainer will be there at every step of the way. Motivation comes naturally to them, and you want to push yourself more just because they believe in you. The final but most important thing a personal trainer does is celebrate your wins with you – regardless of how small you think they might be.
When choosing your personal trainer, make sure that his or her brand of motivation works for you. Some people may respond well to their personal trainer shouting at them while others will not be motivated at all by this type of behaviour. So make sure that your personality clicks with that of your trainer in order to get optimal results.
A Good Personal Trainer is a Qualified One
As a final note, be sure to ask your potential trainer about their qualifications. You don’t want to spend money on something that means the world to you, only to find out that your mentor isn’t qualified to train you. For this reason consider trainers that hold a personal training diplomas from reputable fitness colleges. Get in touch with us at Trifocus Fitness Academy to find out about our Personal Training Diploma – Platinum Package and see how this bespoke selection of course will make you into the best personal trainer you can be.
Considering a Career in Personal Training?
If you’re passionate about helping people, and you’d like to get into the best shape of your life, personal training might just be the career move you’ve been waiting for! Choose from short personal training courses through to comprehensive recognised personal training diplomas. Find out more about our Trifocus Fitness Academy personal training courses today! Alternatively, we have a wide range of other online fitness courses available. To learn more about these, visit our website.
