The Sunday News
Simon Gama
You have fully made up your mind you are going to get in top shape and will employ a personal trainer to help you do so. Here are some basic questions to ask yourself.
What is your concept of peak fitness and health? Sometimes we set unrealistic goals for ourselves that lead to frustration and breakdown in discipline. Periods of heavy training and starvation, dieting may then be followed by chocolate cake festivals.
What time frame are you allotting to reach these goals? If it took two years to put on 20kg of fat you are not going to lose it in two weeks of training.
Slow controlled weight loss is the key, not the drastic approach.
What have you done in the last year to achieve these goals? You should be following a regular programme of training and proper diet instead of sporadic weekend workouts.
How much time are you willing to devote to your fitness goals? What services do you expect your personal trainer to provide?
Your personal trainer is entrusted with your total fitness programme and should provide proper guidance for a prescription of exercise, diet, mental and lifestyle modification.
What to look for in a personal trainer
Attitude: A personal trainer should be interested in your well-being.
Your problems and goals are paramount, not your trainer. If the trainer complains to you about his or her personal problems instead of concentrating on your goals it’s time to look for another trainer.
A trainer must be patient and make sure you understand the principles of training as well as the best and safest techniques to use.
References: the trainer should provide you with references from past clients and employers. We strongly recommend that you verify references. We have had occasions where such documents were false.
Educational background: A large number of people are now entering personal training, many of them unfortunately not people you want to entrust with your health and well-being. A college degree is preferred but many personal trainers are self-educated. A strong desire to help and teach others is an extremely important quality. One of the most important aspects of personal training is providing motivation and inspiration.
Certification: A number of different certifications for personal trainers are available today.
The key to any certification is its specificity towards the science of personal training. Can the principles and concepts be applied to real life training needs and situations?
For the most part if actual fitness is not going on measurements of maximum oxygen uptake and body fat ratios are not priorities. These can be best accumulated in a human performance lab.
What is important are the proper bio mechanics of resistance training, what foods to eat and when and proper attitudes and lifestyle modifications. Certificates that just involve a multitude choice or home study course work don’t apply if you are paying $35 or more per hour for services.
A mandatory training programme of at least four days should be completed followed by a written and practical exam.
However, even before a personal trainer approaches such a challenge he or she should have at least 500 hours of experience in the field.
By just following these few basic points you will be able to find a top notch personal trainer to assist you in your goals.
The field is rich with talent. All you need to do is ask the right questions.
In many cases a personal trainer can help you avoid common mistakes, learn the ropes, keep your motivation high and keep your programme on target. — Additional information from online sources.
The writer, Simon Gama is a fitness coach at Body Works Gym in Bulawayo.
