getting the right trainer

this week I came to a decision that it was high time I started putting up training tips on the blog instead of just using it as an outlet for my rants about the ups and downs of becoming a runner (running sucks this week BTW).
and life has provided me with my first tip topic.
the very next day I received this photo from Sofi.

the headline translates to 'my PT gave me an eating disorder'.
and the article reads that this woman decided to get into shape and went to a gym hired a PT, who gave her a training program and recommended a strict calorie controlled diet with a cheat day once a week.
this is a fairly common training philosophy, and it works for some people.
However, when this woman told her trainer that she would binge so much that she would purge afterwards, it would seem that he would just laugh it off, and she was left feeling unhappy and often in tears.
As a trainer I hate reading articles like this one, or hearing stories like this, so I though I would write up my tips for getting the right trainer and program. It's important to have the right advice from the beginning.
Lets say you want to climb mountains, and I told you the best way to train for that is to swim.
you'd be asking questions right? I know I would.

So here it is

• interview your trainer

• at good to go with our fitness programs my policy is first session is free 
• if you are trying one of our group sessions, first session is free
• if you are wanting PT, we sit down and have an interview
• it is important that you and your trainer are on the same page, do they understand your goals?
• are they the right trainer for you? this may take a few sessions to work out, but if the relationship is not working end it, it's your money your body, your life.
• a good trainer will should always offer to meet with you first free of charge to talk about your goals and whether or not you can work together to achieve them.

• do your own research

• by research I mean understand what your goals are and research your trainers philosophies, if the recommendations they are giving you are not the best for your goal, then you are not going to achieve your goal. in saying this also understand that this is what your trainer does this for a living, so they are probably going to know more about it than you (at least I hope so).
• as a trainer I like to keep updated on all the latest things in the industry not just because if something new is out there that I can use in the studio to make training more fun and effective but also because if I have done my home work and you ask me about something that I don't believe works then I need to have a knowledgeable and valid response, not just laugh things off or dismiss them.

• make sure your trainer is qualified!!!

• this is a big one, it is no good handing your money over to some guy or girl at the gym who knows lots, that's all well and good, but there is more to being a PT than just having trained for years and knowing stuff.
• a PT has an obligation to make sure you are safe at all times whilst training
• among other things a qualified PT will have studied first aid, and contraindications and injuries, anatomy and physiology, nutrition and the list goes on.

• don't be afraid to end the relationship.

• this is also a really big one. As a trainer I have had to end relationships with clients, and it is always hard, but my view is that same of clients as of trainers if the relationship is not working, move on, training should always be fun, hard and goal oriented but fun. if you're not having fun this is a pretty good indicator that the relationship is not working.

so there it is friends.

just make sure your trainer knows what they are doing.

and have fun

J