Is your Personal Trainer right for you and your goals?
I was recently reading a news story published by The Times. An insightful and brilliantly written blog by Peta Bee where she questions:
“Is your online trainer just a rip-off guru?”
In the article which was published on 24th November 2015, she talks about a 38-year-old female; Jane a makeup artist who suffers agonising pain every day with severe back pain. The scary thing is – this back pain was made WORSE by seeking expert advice to help heal her.
BEE goes on to explain that Jane employed an ‘Instagram Fitness Guru – Personal Trainer’, who she thought was credible.
Her assumptions were mainly based on his own physique and the followers he had on Instagram.
Jane was promised that she would be given a tailored plan for her chronic back pain, but little did she know it would quickly turn out to be a nightmare for her!
The Personal Trainer was contacted and emails were exchanged back and forth. Jane paid £700 for an initial session with the trainer, and then quickly afterwards things started to go downhill.
The wrong exercises were given, and a complete lack of interest from the trainer was experienced. Even to the point that in one session Jane was in so much pain, she decided to try and express her concerns to her trainer, instead, she found him on Instagram updating his profile instead of assisting her in their session.
The trainer persistingly bugged Jane for a testimonial to add to his plethora on Instagram, as he was obsessed with boosting his brand rather than ensuring the level of care for his clients.
Jane fully admitted that she trusted someone because of their social media status, but it has left her wounded and fearful as to who to work in the future.
This leads us to think that we wanted to give you 4 TOP TIPS in being able to ensure that you get to work with an EXCELLENT coach/personal trainer.
1. Are they approachable? Can you reach and speak to this person directly?
This is an essential part of being able to ‘gel’ with someone. You need to like them and know they click with you. You are going to be spending time with this person and need to feel comfortable with them knowing they have YOUR best interests at heart and not their egos.
2. Are they anywhere else on social media?
Do they have a Facebook account? Are they on YouTube?
YouTube is an excellent way to research. If they do have Youtube you can see the videos of how they work. You can see how they present themselves and what they are like as coaches.
3. Do they tell their client’s stories?
Is it just a before and after picture they show OR do they tell their client’s story also?
Anyone can put up a before and after picture. Personally, I don’t care much for them. I want to hear that person’s story. What they went through and how the experience was for them. Someone’s journey and experiences are important. Not only can they be inspiring but they will give you a true insight into how their coach helped them.
However, it is important to remember that just because someone does not have a massive social media following it does not necessarily mean that they are credible.
4. Are they qualified to help with your goals?
It is important to make sure your Personal Trainer can help you achieve your goals. If you wanted to be able to run 10k you wouldn’t want a Personal Trainer who specialises in Olympic Power Lifting. Yes, they may be able to run but their experiences lay with powerlifting and not necessarily running. Whereas a Personal Trainer who runs can give you far more advice both professionally and personally from their own experiences.
Do your research and even speak to 2 or 3 different coaches until you find the right one for you and your goals.
Laura Ash
Rock Solid
