By Ricky Laxa
Staff Writer
As 2023 steps in, many of us are often faced with huge dilemma as to how can we achieve our fitness goals in the shortest possible time and maintaining it after accomplishing it. All these often boils down to one common denominator, that is finding a fitness trainer that best suit your needs and hopefully can help you attain that much coveted weight and form.
In Kuwait, there exists a huge void in this aspect as gym clienteles often build their trust on trainers with external forms disregarding the most important factors that make up a good trainer. Here are the some of the qualities you need to consider for when looking for a personal trainer.
On top of the list is education. Although many may not agree with this essential rule as some trainers were products and results of “monkey sees, monkey does” education, that based their knowledge foundation with nothing but experience, thereby basing their program designs with what have been encountered in their own personal experiences. This somehow contradicts the most foundation of allowing a client to go through a series of tests to evaluate his or her physical capacities and analysis that can in some cases include medical restrictions and handicaps. It is imperative for fitness trainers to upskill their personal development by attending seminars, workshops, completion of short courses as the fitness industry is in endless change and develops and this is where the real challenge comes to surface as trainers need to know the latest developments and studies. A so-called fitness trainer was interviewed once on social media site and was asked to differentiate cardio workout with aerobics. The trainer could not at all differentiate or relate the two terms, which left the audience infuriated.
Knowledge and education are essential and must for every trainer as clienteles’ safety, progress and commitment to their regimen hang in a balance should a trainer fail to deliver. Trainers often are fixated with programs that work for them as results are evident however, a good trainer should have the fundamentals of fitness and they can utilize this knowledge to design different programs that best suit various goals. As general rule, “what works for one won’t work for everyone”
Origym, in one of its publications included the terms “Good Communicator” as essential to qualities of good trainer. It states: Personal Trainers need to have good communication skills, these skills are essential for interactions between yourself and your clients, and yourself and your prospective clients.
Some examples of tasks that require good communication skills include Instructing clients how to do exercises, understanding your client’s goals, carrying out gym inductions, following up with leads over the phone, selling to clients and more generally, good communication skills are an important part of being able to create good relationships.
“Trainers have to establish good relationships with their trainees as they depend on long term, loyal clients to guarantee their livelihood.” stated Kravitz. What goes and pairs with being a good communicator is to be an efficient educator. Trainers need to understand that there are more to personal sessions or providing instructions with executions of exercises. Should you want to see your clients achieve their goals then encouraging them to pursue their training outside your sessions. Providing clients with the right tools to work towards their goals in your absence is the best way to maximize their results. This adds to the benefits that they see from working with a PT, adding to your value, and making them want to continue with their training.
Among other qualities of good and effective fitness trainer include tolerance with repetitive mistakes or habitual inaccuracies of clients, flexibility or ability to adjust and adopt with clients’ physical and mental conditions during sessions, competence and professionalism in dealing with clients, great source of motivation when loss of interest occur and focused with clienteles’ goals.
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