Personal Training Mosman: How to Find a Personal Trainer

Until quite recently, personal training was seen as a ‘luxury good’ of the rich and shameless who were simply too bored to exercise by themselves. Lycra clad ‘dollies’ of the male and female variety were invariably sought after for their aesthetic value and for their inane cries of ‘one more rep’ and ‘you can do it’ (under the guise of motivation) and paid very generously for their services as a ‘rent-a-friend’, the ultimate workout accessory! Yet, in the last 5 years, personal training has undergone a real metamorphosis. It has emerged, phoenix like from its uneducated and unskilled beginnings to become one of the most rapidly developing professions of modern times. Today, fitness professionals (the good ones anyway) are as well versed in anatomy and physiology as many of their medical counterparts. Indeed, amongst the highest echelons of the fitness industry are those qualified in rehabilitation, nutrition, psychology, life coaching and a multitude of therapies as well as every manner of strength, conditioning and flexibility programme that the industry has to offer.

And far from being reserved for those with the deepest pockets, personal training is now being taken up by many more ‘normal’ folk, those with normal jobs and normal incomes who are fed up with achieving the normal results (very little) that they’re getting from their exercise and nutritional plans. They figure that with ‘super trainer’ on their side that results will come more rapidly and with less effort than ever before. Are they right? Absolutely not! Sorry to burst your bubble, but all a good trainer can to for you is motivate you, lead you, instruct you and guide you to making the right decisions. It’s you who has to eat right, exercise and keep to the plan. In fact, with a good trainer you’ll be working harder, more often and smarter than you ever have before – that’s where the results come from, there’s nothing mysterious or magical about it!

Only hire a trainer who cares about what YOUR goals are….not theirs! I once saw a 275lb bulked up personal trainer in Florida taking a mid-50’s woman through his “Power Chest” workout! Seriously. He told her that “today we’re going to do a power chest workout. If you don’t like it, we’re going to do a power chest workout.” Wow…how motivating…and thoughtful actually! Unless your trainer asked you what your goals were when you started working out, you’re with the wrong trainer. Sure, you might be looking to them for some guidance on how to get in shape and that’s fine, but you still should have been asked what your ultimate goals were so they could better guide you to meet those specific needs. If your trainer doesn’t vary your workouts…you’ve got the wrong trainer! I see time after time personal trainers in the gym that NEVER vary the workouts of their clients. If I go in on a Monday, they’re doing the same 5 exercises that they were doing last Friday and will be doing the same 5 exercises on Wednesday. This is due to laziness, plain and simple. In order to keep the muscle adapting stronger and stronger you need to keep the exercises varied and ever changing. Laziness and the need to change exercises don’t go hand in hand that well. If you find that your trainer is doing this, then it’s time to find a new trainer. Make sure your trainer has a game plan…but is willing to rewrite it at ANY time it’s needed!

There are, as mentioned, many other certifications and degree programmes as well as those listed. Whichever your trainer has, make sure it provides them with enough knowledge to safely and effectively train you for your specific requirements. What is their experience?
To be honest, regardless of who they’re certified with, their certifications count for very little until they’ve gained some industry experience. Often, those with the best qualifications or degrees in the subject have never actually trained anyone in ‘real life’. As such, they’re not necessarily well-versed in the skills of communication and client empathy and often are more concerned with doing things ‘by the book’ than they are with delivering a truly personal approach. Sure, you’ll get a safe workout but you shouldn’t expect to pay too much for it. What is their area of specialization? All personal trainers are not the same. Just as medicine has various branches that doctors can progress along, so too does personal training. If you are serious about getting the results you desire then you should consider looking for a personal trainer Mosman with a specialization in your area of need.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions! You can learn a lot about personal trainer Mosman before ever going into a workout with them. If you belong to a gym or a fitness club, most have personal trainers on staff. Many gyms offer reasonably priced personal training packages. However, determine whether you will be assigned one trainer or whether the trainer will vary with each session. You are most likely to have the best results if a single personal trainer is tracking your progress. Also, gyms have different requirements for trainer certification, so ensure their personal trainers are certified through one of the more rigorous programs. Also, keep in mind that large gyms typically pay trainers less, and so they more likely to quit and go elsewhere. This may be disruptive to meeting your fitness goals. Let your fingers do the walking through the local yellow pages. However, most self-employed personal trainers try to keep their expenses down and do not list with the yellow pages, so this should not be your only source. Many of the personal training certification programs maintain online databases of participants. This is great place to start, since the question as to whether the candidate is certified is already answered.
Of course, if you can get a referral from someone who is already working with a personal trainer, this would be a great starting point. Your contact can give you first-hand experience as to what it is like to work with the trainer and clues as to their training style.

Learn more about personal trainer Mosman and about getting great fitness help.