Weight Loss Advice – What makes a good personal trainer?

Chances are if you are trying to lose weight you may find from time to time you need some encouragement, guidance and accountability. You can find this in friends but on occasion you will need some extra help by seeking the advice of a personal trainer. The challenge lies in finding a good one. But what does a good personal trainer look like?

My name is Greg Ryan, and for the last twenty years I have managed, trained and consulted thousands of personal trainers. I personal have over 50,000 hours of paid training sessions under my belt. So when I say to you there is a difference between a personal trainer and GOOD personal trainer I mean it. For me, it is very easy to point out a good one. For you it will not be. Here are a few things you need to look for when finding a good personal trainer: 

I. Professionalism: Any trainer with his/her salt will treat the profession seriously. I call this the “sold out” attitude. You can usually tell if they are just part timers or not.

1. Neatly dressed: If they look like a slob, then I would try to avoid them – no matter how much they know.
2. Business Policies: If they try to make pricing deals with you or have no cancellation policies or business practices watch out. Trainers must take their profession serious.
3. On Time: If a trainer is late, he does not care about you.
4. Honesty: If a trainer thinks they know everything, be careful.

II: Education:

1. A trainer with a PhD. Is not always necessary, however credible certifications at the very least is must.
2. Well rounded knowledge: The good personal trainers are the ones with exercise, nutrition and human behavior experience.
3. Personal Trainers should always continue their education.  

III. People Skills

1. In some cases this could make or break your success with a personal trainer.
2. If they have a large ego – avoid them as much as you can.
3. Being a good personal trainer is more about motivating people than anything.
4. A good personal trainer does not have to be a hard body; however, they must continually practice what they teach.  

These credentials in my opinion are just the tip of the iceberg. Finding a good personal trainer is not that easy. With the growing demand for trainers, it makes it difficult for the consumer to distinguish good from mediocre. In reality there are only about ten percent that fit these guidelines. But, maybe I have high standards. It is your health and all. Who ever you decide to guide you understand; great people skills, well rounded education, professionalism are all a must. If you have a hard to deciding contact me, I’ll guide you through the process.