As someone always looking to improve, what do you look for in a trainer? What do you hate about trainers?
Do you give your clients what they asked for?
This is a bigger question than it seems. Not what you thought they needed, not what others thought they needed, did you give them what they asked for? Did they ask you to help them lose 20 lbs and you took 20 pounds off. Did they ask to make varsity and make it this year? Improve their fit test scores by the numbers they wanted?
Were you a pleasure to be around in the time it took to train your client?
Again anyone can tell someone what to do, did/do your clients enjoy their time spent with you?
Do your clients leave you healthier, happier and in overall better shape?
Were you a good motivator and role model for them to stay involved in the healthier lifestyle you exemplify?
Ask yourself these questions. If you can say yes to all of them, then you’re pretty damn good.
What makes a good trainer… very tough question. But here is a shot at it.
#1- Must be very confident person.
Even the most intelligent person, if they are not confident will not convey their information with power.
#2- Must not care about being friends with the client, or even if the client likes them, because if the trainer does their job correctly this will be a natural occurence eventually.
#3- Must keep learning, it is hard to tell this, but it is a good question to ask and you will be able to tell if your trainer really keeps up with the cutting edge information as they should.
There is so much more, but that is a start, I gotta run…
Good:
Critiques form and breathing
Encourages me to work on things that I should work on but would not do on my own. for example: flexibility & cardio
Constantly changes up the routine.
Discusses nutrition and healthy lifestyle as well as weight lifting
Not so Good:
Uses the phrase ‘at your age’… ha, just kidding but sometimes I don’t like being reminded that I am old!
Make sure you truly understand their goals. Don’t be a cookie cutter. Each client has different needs and abilities which should hopefully lead you to not always be using the exact techniques. And when they are talking…look at them and not the hot chicks walking around.
I saw a trainer at my gym yesterday teaching a young guy one arm dumbbell snatches and the clean & press. Almost dropped a plate on my foot in shock. I’ll have to congratulate him next time I see him.
[quote]LiftforStrength wrote:
As someone always looking to improve, what do you look for in a trainer?[/quote]
Do they solve the problems their clients came to them with?
Are they confident in their abilities, but open-minded to other solutions. That is, do they know their craft, but still realize they don’t know everything?
Are they someone you can see yourself being around for an hour at a time, several days a week? Do your personalities click?
Ego. Sweet mother of pearl, I will never forget the head trainer at the first gym I worked at. Within the first ten minutes of me meeting him, he told me “Whenever you can, come up to me and say hi, because if people see you talking to me, they’ll think you’re smarter.”
There’s a fine line between confidence and arrogance, and I think most times, less-experienced trainers fall on the wrong side of it.
Also, trainers who preach “my way as the only way.” The ones who believe if you’re not taking their advice, there’s no way on Earth you’ll reach your goals.
[quote]vbm537 wrote:
And when they are talking…look at them and not the hot chicks walking around.[/quote]
What if we have a dirty old man client or two and its completely acceptable to check them out since the client is partaking too?
[quote]TrainerinDC wrote:
vbm537 wrote:
And when they are talking…look at them and not the hot chicks walking around.
What if we have a dirty old man client or two and its completely acceptable to check them out since the client is partaking too? [/quote]
By all means carry on then. After all, you’re chief concern is for the client’s well-being, and a nice view and a little extra surge of T(and A, perhaps?) can only be a boon to the remainder of the workout.
How about sincerity and the use of time-tested methods that are proven to get results?
Big biceps make for a good trainer. Thats all you need.
[quote]LiftforStrength wrote:
As someone always looking to improve, what do you look for in a trainer? What do you hate about trainers? [/quote]
Someone with a lot of expert knowledge and experience, who can tailor this knowledge to a wide range of clients with vastly differing needs. From what i see at a typical commercial gym, most trainers lack even basic knowledge and try to teach everybody the same thing. Thats why i get most of my training knowledge from T Nation and very very rarely listen to anything an average trainer has to say.
[quote]LiftforStrength wrote:
As someone always looking to improve, what do you look for in a trainer? What do you hate about trainers? [/quote]
This could be a very long answer but to keep it short here are a few measurements that I use.
First is retention. To me that is the number one measure of trainer. If they have a good retention they are keeping their clients happy enough that they continue to see value in the trainer.
Other key things are: knowledge (to prevent injury and get results), caring about the individual, passion about fitness, dependability (always on time, almost never cancel, etc - very important), finding what motivates that specific client, people skills and just being generally friendly and fun to be around.
That list could be three times as long but it is a start.