A personal trainer can be a great form of assistance for those who want to improve their health and fitness levels. Getting in shape can be done at a significantly faster and more efficient pace if you have someone to hold you accountable and someone to give you motivation. While personal motivation is key to any form of self-improvement you can always benefit from a little extra push from someone other than yourself. In fact, many people prefer to work out with a friend or a partner like a trainer because they don’t trust themselves.
Now that being said it is nonetheless possible to have picked the wrong trainer. Personal training is not the least expensive thing in the world and if you are not achieving your goals then you may in fact be wasting your money.
Below are 10 signs that you hired the wrong personal trainer:
- If your trainer does not pay attention to you while you are training with them and is often distracted, then it may be time for a change. Some examples are if your trainer takes phone calls or keeps checking their phone during your sessions; your trainer disappears for extended periods of time; or she is not present and is deep in thought about other things but the training session itself. Fitness trainers are there to motivate, provide instructions, challenge and provide you with support. They don’t get paid to waste your time by not focusing on you and the training.
- If your trainer is not responsive then you may need to hire a new trainer. Trainers should be there for you in and out of the sessions. You may have a question or a concern in between sessions, so the right trainer will be more than happy to put you at ease by addressing your concerns in a timely manner. No excuses.
- Your fitness trainer doesn’t challenge you enough. Some trainers will placate you and will not push you enough to actually meet your goals or make any progress. This could be a sign that your trainer isn’t experienced or knowledgeable. The trainer may not know how to determine that the client isn’t challenged; the trainer isn’t in tuned with your goals; or the trainer may not know enough fitness routines in their arsenal to provide you with complex or transitional exercises. Further more, your trainer could be afraid of confrontation – fearful of how you would react to a difficult exercise. If you have one of these trainers…it’s time to sever their services.
- The opposite is also a problem. There are some personal trainers who will work you too hard. Throughout your fitness journey you will be working muscles that you’ve not worked before so expect to go through muscle aches and pains. However, if you’re being asked to do a fitness routine and you feel pain or it’s physically impossible at your current fitness level then your trainer should be fired. A trainer cannot put you at risk for injury and must not ignore your concerns.
- If your so called fitness expert is pushing questionable supplements and pills, you should steer clear. There is no magic pill to health and fitness, except exercising and eating right. A personal trainer is not necessarily qualified to provide you with these kinds of recommendations, and if she’s putting your health at risk by suggesting you ingest something that you don’t know anything about nor how your body would react, then she’s the wrong trainer.
- If your trainer diagnoses injuries you should probably find a new trainer. If you are hurt while you are working out with them, they might recognize the symptoms and be able to tell you what it might be based on their previous experience with client injuries, but they should never diagnose it unless they are a trained physician. They should always recommend that you speak with your doctor immediately for any injuries that you sustain and they should not allow you to work out if you are seriously injured. If your injury is localized–meaning it affects one particular area such as a sprained wrist–you might still be able to do some careful exercises that do not involve that area at all such as leg presses.
- If your trainer does not customize your training program and (if applicable) your nutrition plan then you should look into someone else. Each person if different and has different needs and goals based on their personal level of health as well as their age. Your trainer should not just send you a copy of the plan that they gave to the last client unless their last client is a carbon copy of you – the same build, size, age, gender, and exactly the same fitness goals. A great personal trainer should determine first hand, what your objectives are, your concerns, health issues, etc. and based on the information you provide, he should create a customized plan to help you reach your health and fitness goals.
- If your fitness trainer is not 100% professional then it’s time to find a new one. Vulgar language and behaviour, unkempt and dirty appearance, always late for your appointment, constantly cancelling your sessions are some examples of unprofessionalism and should not be tolerated. A good trainer should always be respectful of your time, and she should always be professional in how they work.
- If your trainer is not experienced or qualified then you should find another one who is. As mentioned earlier, you’re paying them for their expertise, and their rate should reflect their qualifications and specializations. The lower the rate the more you want to question their qualifications. Although price can be a factor in hiring a trainer, you should never hire someone because he charges the cheapest hourly rate. Remember, you get what you pay for.
- If your trainer does not keep themselves apprise to industry best practices, current credentials and overall education and research, then you might want someone else. A great trainer should always be bettering herself in industry knowledge, and health and fitness trends and information.
