As someone who has spent years at different gyms interacting with different trainers, it’s easy for me to spot a talented, educated trainer from a run-of-the-mill bro science... bro. Or just a less educated trainer. But what about for those of you who are just starting on your fitness journey? Well here are some tips to help you differentiate between the mediocre and those who you can trust to get you results.
Has your trainer put you through a thorough assessment?
If the answer is “no” or “kind of”, run away. The point of personal training is to tailor something to your specific goals, needs, and problems. Hence the word ‘personal’. You may have poor hip mobility, trouble activating your glutes, and a weak core. If the trainer fails to identify your problem areas, how are they going to build a program specific to you? We put our clients through a very thorough assessment to gauge their abilities and find any mobility, strength, patterning, and conditioning issues in order to put together the best program for each individual.
Do they take a one size fits all approach?
To piggyback on the previous paragraph, how individualized are your trainer’s programs? Is everyone doing close to the same program? Do athletes of different sports have different programs? Are programs tailored to each person’s strengths and weaknesses? Does your program change as your body and goals change? Be cautious of trainers who say that one specific way is the right way to do something. In reality, the best coaches know that different techniques, exercises, and programs work for different people.
Has your trainer ever competed in anything in their lives?
Does your trainer walk the walk or just talk the talk? Have they just read everything in a textbook or have they applied it to their own lives? I’m not saying they have to be a world class athlete (not all great athletes make great coaches) but a good part of their knowledge should come from practical experience. Whether they’re an athlete, powerlifter, or marathon runner, they should be able to apply their own knowledge of executing lifts and programming workouts. At The Spot, all of our coaches train to compete in a number of different areas. Not only do we walk the walk, but we do so with jacked quads and hamstrings.
Continuing education?
What is your coach or trainer doing to get better at their job? Have they not opened a textbook since college? Or are they constantly reading, going to seminars, and exchanging ideas with their peers? New information and research is constantly being done in this field and it’s imperative that trainers who want to stay at the top of their game stay on top of new developments and ideas. Our trainers are always reading, attending seminars, and discussing new ideas in order to provide our clients with the most knowledgeable service we can provide.
-Coach Lily
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