Did you know that there are 839,058 people employed in the personal training industry in the U.S.? A personal trainer is a good investment for healthy living, and weight management isn’t just for actors or the elite. To become a personal trainer, you need a personal trainer certificate at the very least. There are many more qualifications and certificates that you can get and add on to your existing achievements, depending how specialized you would intend to be. Find out out where exactly you are headed is a great place to start in choosing the right qualification for you.

Identify Your Needs

Determining what topics a personal training certification should cover would be best. Do you plan to specialize in a specific type of training? Knowing the purpose of pursuing the certification will help you choose the best fit for your needs. Knowing the specific topics you need to learn to pursue a desired specialization will allow you to evaluate online courses better and determine which offers the best curriculum to help you reach your goals.

You must consider the best course format for getting an online personal trainer certificate. Do you prefer an instructor-guided course or self-paced lessons? Selecting the best format for your learning style will ensure you make the most of the personal trainer course and get the most out of it.

Compare Costs

Prices vary widely between programs, as do the types of online certifications they offer. Do your research and obtain detailed information on what each option provides. Consider how easy or difficult it is to earn a CPT Certification, and what exactly is needed to pass all the subjects. Learn how comprehensive the course information is. Ask how long it takes to complete the program, what level of instructor support is provided, and the credibility of the institutions offering the program.

Additionally, determine whether the program can be completed entirely or partially online or if some components must be delivered in person. Along with cost, think about whether this program aligns with your specific interests and the goals you want to achieve.

Understand the Requirements

Knowing the requirements for the certification can help narrow down the options. It lets you find the best match for your career choices and ambitions. Start by researching different certification providers and exploring the available certifications and doing a comparison between institutions. You may also want to consider the type of program offered. This includes a comprehensive certificate or a shorter certification program.

Additionally, be sure to check the experience and qualifications of the providers. Make sure that they are a valid and experienced provider. Always take the time to read reviews and verify that employers accept the certification. Once you have narrowed your options, compare and contrast the details. This includes course content and renewals. This will determine which online personal trainer certificate best fits your career.

Getting an Online Personal Trainer Certificate

When selecting an online personal trainer certificate, it is essential to take your time. Ensure the program is approved by at least one governing body, compare costs and turnaround times, and read student reviews. When you find the best program, take the opportunity to further your career and sign up.

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If you’re finding it hard to stay motivated and you’re considering working with a personal trainer, then this post is perfect for you. Here, we list the nine ways how a personal trainer can help you stay focused and motivated. Hopefully after reading this, you’d be able to fully determine if working with a personal trainer would be perfect for you. 

9 Ways Your Personal Trainer Can Improve Your Motivation

1 reachable goals

It’s impossible to achieve success and stay motivated if you don’t even know what you’re working for. The difference between people that achieve in their fitness journey and those that don’t is basically this: goal-setting. This is something that your personal trainer will give you access to. Your personal trainer will help you by coming up with reachable goals that will keep you motivated and inspired. 

2 having a good role model

Sometimes, a good role model is all we need. This is especially the case for people who live in a space where their goals are not normalized or supported. A fitness journey is not a mere personal project, it is a lifestyle change that requires intense focus and dedication. Such becomes easier if you have someone to look up to and model your behavior around. This is something that a personal trainer can definitely provide. 

3 being held accountable

Accountability is everything when it comes to fitness. It’s impossible to achieve anything if you can’t even be honest and transparent with yourself. It’s impossible to go to point B if you don’t even know how you’re doing in point A. This is something that you would be immersed in and greatly benefit from if you’d opt for a personal training service for example. Your personal trainer will hold you accountable at all times.

The process in itself will keep you grounded and motivated. 

4 feel challenged

It’s hard to stay motivated on your own because you have no one that challenges you along the way. Feeling challenged is best in keeping someone motivated because it offers something that one can always look forward to.

It offers the open possibility of always doing better and growing continuously. This is something that a personal trainer can also easily provide.

5 track your progress and results

It will be very easy for you to stay motivated when working with a personal trainer because they will make it a point to always track your progress and result. Being monitored and tracked will always make you feel seen and truly cared for.

Your personal trainer will always be there to guide you every step of the way with professional help. 

6 you will never get bored

People easily get discouraged while in the middle of their fitness journey without even realizing that they’re just bored. It’s easy to get bored if you only have yourself who does every single thing and has no one to share goals and wins with. Monotony is dragging and it’s bound to happen if you’re not working with a personal trainer perhaps, who can offer new workouts every time you feel like you’ve hit a wall or need a change. 

7 enjoy small wins

You will always be motivated if you’d work with a personal trainer because they will always highlight every single win, from big ones to small ones. This is quite important as this is the very thing that boosts people’s morale.

You can very well do it on your own but most people don’t have the capacity and are not even familiar with, seeing the good in themselves and their works. This is something that a personal trainer can always transparently point out. 

8 become a part of a healthy community

Working with a personal trainer will easily make you a part of a big healthy community that takes wellness seriously. Being part of such a community will make you feel motivated all the time because you will never feel alone. You will always feel like doing everything you possibly can because you will be exposed to and associate with people who prioritize their health. 

9 be able to stay cool and positive

Starting a fitness journey is a feat in itself. Sticking to it, all the more. This is why it’s hard to stay cool and positive when you’re on your own. You’re creating a lifestyle that didn’t exist before so you naturally experience challenges and blocks every step of the way.

Things can get easier though when you work with a personal trainer. A personal trainer fully understands everything that you’re going through so you’d always have someone to talk to who can keep you cool and positive at all times and help enforce healthy habits in your daily lifestyle. 

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To start you off on your search, it is important that you know the different kinds of trainers that are available for you.  

Why is it important to know the different kinds of trainers?

Knowing the different kinds of trainers is important for the following reasons:

1 It will save you time

Not knowing the different kinds of personal trainers available for you will have you hopping from one trainer to the next. Who has time for that? You do not need to be wasting time testing different kinds of trainers. Knowing some of the main kinds of personal trainers in the first place will significantly improve your search. 

2 It will save you money

Spending money on a personal trainer who ends up not being compatible with your fitness needs is not a necessary experience. You can avoid this mistake by simply knowing what kind of personal trainer to look for and ensuring you do some research beforehand. 

3 It will streamline your fitness journey

You will be on your way to success at a faster pace and speed if you’d begin your fitness journey working with the right personal trainer. 

The 4 Kinds Personal Trainers for Everybody’s Fitness Needs

There are primarily four kinds of personal trainers that can answer every person’s unique fitness needs and they are as follows: 

1 Personal Trainers for Lifestyle Training

Lifestyle training coaches are personal trainers that give workouts centered on strategy. They work with their clients by setting definite targets and assisting in the maintenance of a healthy diet. A lifestyle training coach offers the following help in one’s fitness journey:

1. They will teach you how to eat well
2. They will teach you how to train properly
3. They will teach you how to live a healthy lifestyle that is suited to your personal needs

Lifestyle training coaches are best for individuals that want to do a complete overhaul of their lifestyle. A complete lifestyle overhaul is taxing and lifestyle training coaches make it easy for their clients. Lifestyle training coaches are good at identifying mental blocks that keep their clients from accomplishing their fitness goals and lifestyle changes. They can easily pinpoint wrong things that their clients do that lead to self-sabotage. 

You will need a lifestyle training coach if you’re dealing with a significantly challenging season of your life. Work with a lifestyle training coach if you’re suffering from a mental disorder, low self-esteem, or self-doubt. If you’re looking for a personal trainer in Newcastle, Mayfield who can help you in making significant lifestyle choices, you should check out Sculpt and Flow Fitness. 

2 Personal Trainers for Performance

You would want to work with a personal trainer for performance if you want to improve your speed, strength, and power in one particular area. Athletes and individuals with an intense interest in sports like running and marathoning always work with personal trainers for performance. Performance coaches will strictly work on creating routines that will allow for their clients to level up in their desired field. 

There are specialized performance coaches for all kinds of sports. When looking for one, always ensure that you’re working with a qualified expert. Always look for certifications. 

3 Trainers for Boot Camp 

You should be looking for a boot camp trainer if you want to work out in groups or if you are looking for a workout with some intensity. Boot camp trainers may also work out and train their clients while in nature and can adjust intensity to suit your needs. They often train in sports fields, parks, arenas, and private properties with open outdoor spaces. When looking for one, it’s best to first figure out your own fitness history and unique needs. If you enjoy dancing, then look for a boot camp trainer who incorporates dancing in their workouts for example. 

4 Physique Trainer

Physical trainers are the most sought-after and in-demand kind of coach. This is because they focus on improving one’s physique, generally or for bodybuilding purposes. If you want to improve your overall health and physical appearance, working with a physique trainer will be perfect for you.

A physique trainer will help you by:

1. Providing realistic fitness goals
2. Providing diets that focus on calorie-reduction
3. Providing guides on improving your physical activity
4. Providing workout routines to improve your cardio
5. Being result-driven
6. Always strictly demanding accountability from you 

A physique trainer will help you strengthen your body and build muscles. They will not be focusing on changing your habits and overall lifestyle. Their focus will be on achieving your target weight and physical look. 

How to find the best personal trainer for you?

Do the following when looking for the best personal trainer for you:

1. Know the kind of trainer that you need.
2. Check out gyms. Personal trainers are available in gyms. Most, if not all trainers in gyms are qualified and certified experts.
3. Do an online search for gyms in your local area.
4. Look for ones with reviews from clients.
5. Talk to their current clients if you can. Ask questions that will help you ascertain if their work ethic and work style will match your personality and unique fitness needs. 

It is important to know that there are many other types of trainers and this list just gives a brief overview of some of the main types of trainers out there. There may also be some overlap between the various types of trainers as usually some trainers do wear many hats while still being specialized in a certain type of training.

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Personal trainers seek to advise individuals on how to attain personal fitness and healthy living. By formulating a detailed fitness plan depending on individual fitness levels, in-home fitness trainers ensure their clients are focused and dedicated to their goals. Many clients opt for personal training in the gym, but in-home training is becoming inherently popular.

The ease of training in your home’s comfort is unmatched and brindled with the right environment to work towards personalized goals without the managerial restrictions that come with gyms. In-home personal trainers offer their clients information and the necessary resources to guide them to a healthy and fit lifestyle. Their flexibility in training schedules and the freedom to work crazy hours are bonuses to both the trainer and the clients. In-home personal trainers are also conversant with emergency first aid and CPR certification to train their clients in safe exercises that minimize injury and accidents.

Getting Started As an In-Home Personal Trainer

An in-home personal trainer requires a plan to be able to achieve their set goals and requirements. To start with, establishing SMART goals is paramount in ensuring the overall success of their services. The goals should be realistic to fit the long term or short term goals set by the trainer. The client expectations and the opportunity to plan time wisely is greatly influenced by the goals set.

An in-home personal trainer’s checklist should consist of the following, at least:

Training plan

A concrete training plan guides the trainer towards achievable goals for their clients and ensures they can make informed decisions towards their client’s well-being. There are several factors to consider when establishing a training plan as an in-home personal trainer, which includes:

• Location of training: Establishing whether the training is done at the client’s home gym or the trainer’s home gym is paramount in determining logistics and planning the fitness regimen. Considering the space of the training location should be considered to ascertain the client’s safety and well-being.
• Transport and logistics: it is logical to consider whether these costs will be factored in the overall package. How far is the trainer willing to go based on the geographical area?
• Service charge: After factoring in the transport and fitness modules program depending on the client, what will the training packages consist of? Trainers can set a standard charge or customize it according to the training modules of each client.
• Desired income per month: This is achieved by establishing the number of sessions one is willing to have in a month. After factoring in expenses, how much income is left monthly to consider this a sustainable venture?
• Certification and Policies

Obtaining popular and accredited certifications is necessary to maximize your chances of getting clients. There are major authorities and governing bodies that require certification of personal trainers regardless of their level of expertise. The trainer’s business should also have training policies that help set rules and structures to conduct operations. For instance, erecting cancellation and refund policies will help clients understand what is required of them. Training policies will also dictate the mode and scope of training, payment, and communication between the trainer and the client. These policies are best highlighted on client contracts, which should be in a legal form.

Supplies and training equipment

It is best for an in-home personal trainer to have their training equipment, regardless of whether the client has their home gym or supplies. This enables a comprehensive approach since most clients rarely have a full set of everything required during training. However, the trainer can also assess the available equipment for usability.

Licenses and registration

Despite the in-home training aspect, it is best, but not a must, to register the personal training business and get the required licenses for operation. Registering as an LLC in your state is fast and achievable after conducting due diligence from the state City Hall for example.

Insurance plan

Insurance protects the trainer, the business, and clients from possible eventualities. Therefore, having a business training liability insurance which factors in injury and property damage is paramount. You can also add car insurance to cover your vehicle if needed.

Marketing plan

A good marketing plan is paramount in the overall success of any business. Branding a website and using social media to reach out to potential clients is a great starting point. Offering promotions and PR packages and advertising material such as flyers, business cards, or networking through event hosting is a great way to sensitize locals on the services offered. After acquiring clients, it is important to build a good relationship with them to get referrals to prospective clients.

Personal attributes and growth

With a solid plan and all the required documentation, a good in-home personal trainer should constantly aim to develop trends in the industry. Continuing education gives room for continued growth necessary for inspiration. Having adequate experience and enthusiasm also goes a long way in inspiring clients and motivating them to do better.

Career Projection of an In-Home Personal Trainer

With the right certifications and training, in-home personal trainers can work almost anywhere in society. For instance, civic and social organizations can be a great start when charting a career path as an in-home personal trainer. Most organizations have fitness centers that may require personal trainers. Therefore, the need for a trainer to offer health information can be useful in this setting.

In-home personal trainers can also work with hospitals and care facilities that have rehabilitated patients needing a fitness regimen to get them back on track. By assessing the patient’s ability depending on their recovery level, the trainers can formulate a personalized plan to help them gain back muscle and functional mobility.

Recreational centers are also full of potential clients in need of personal trainers. By offering comprehensive fitness plans and regimens, clients can enroll and pay up for one on one training at the location of their choice.

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So personal training is wonderful right, yes most of the time. As in all professions you may come across a trainer who does not do all the above things or the cons of the particular trainer outweigh the pros of them. Lets touch on a few of the negatives that one could encounter with some trainers and what you need to look out for.

The negatives of some personal trainers and what to look out for

A personal trainer may be more focused on the numbers of their clients and just want to get as many clients as possible in order to make maximum money, without providing a good quality service to all of them. The trainer will care a lot more about themselves and their money rather than their clients’ health and well being. When dealing with such a trainer, it can have a huge negative effect on many aspects of your life, which no doubt you would rather avoid. If you see that your trainer is always distracted and perhaps even cutting your sessions short by a few minutes, then you need to reconsider the trainer. When they are training you, they need to give you their full attention and help you as needed, as you do not want a case where you are performing an exercise and they are not paying attention and you inure yourself. If such a thing happens to you, remember you can even  get legal help with your injury claim if it wasn’t your fault. 

There are also many people are highly under qualified as trainers, and may even not possess any qualifications, who sell personal training services. Some of such trainers may have competed in bodybuilding or fitness shows and deem themselves fit to coach other people through that. These are the same people that take advice from social media personalities without doing proper research and even scientific research at that. There may be a select few people who have extensive experience solely as their qualification but those are a very select few.

So make sure that you always do some research on the trainer and their qualifications beforehand. Another big red flag would be that the trainer prescribes you a whole bunch of supplements or even steroids from the get go. Also, on the other end of the spectrum, be careful of trainers who prescribe very low calorie diets, where you feel constantly sluggish and tired. This is not healthy and not the way to lose fat or get into shape. To lose fat you still need to eat a good amount of food that provides you with enough calories and energy.

Finding the right trainer

Ultimately when choosing a trainer be sure to do your research on them and their qualifications. See if you can speak to some of their existing clients or past clients if you can. Also speak to other people who may be regular gym goers and have seen how the trainer acts and trains other people to get more of an idea of them. Another thing to remember is to try to do your own research where you can.

If a trainer prescribes you anything go and research it and find out what you can on it just to double check what you are putting into your body. This can also go for workouts or form of exercises. If something does not feel right make sure to not push it aside.

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• Some people will use YouTube to find training videos.
• There are established gyms in Houston with equipment and memberships where people enjoy joining a community.
• Many of your peers also view personal training as a possible career option, which means you have competition.

So, what can you do to get momentum in the industry and make sure you’re successful? Here’s what the experts advise.

1. You’re as Important as Your Clients—Take Time for Yourself

You need a long-term plan if your goal is to make your personal training business a smashing success. Since you’re the most important asset to your business, you HAVE to look after yourself from the beginning.

Your clients will expect a lot from you, simply because they feel they’re entitled to it. They pay you and may expect much more in return than you are able to give: time, advice, effort. To prevent burnout—physical or emotional—schedule time for yourself from the very start. Whether it’s to read a book to escape from your thoughts, or to attend to your own physical fitness development, make sure you’re one of your most important clients each week.

2. It’s Wise to Specialize

You need to find a group of people who will become regular, loyal clients. One way is to specialize in a certain area. When you focus your marketing on this niche or communicate your certification for a certain type of training, people will have confidence that you’re more knowledgeable than other trainers.

This may prompt them to pick you rather than someone else. They’re bound to trust you more, and trust is what creates loyal followers.

3. Talk to a Lawyer

If you’re working with people, you may need a lawyer on your side. The friendliest client can become a vicious adversary if he or she hurts themselves while working out. Whether it’s because of your mistake or not, their frustration may lead to them launching a lawsuit against you. That’s when you need something like a Houston personal injury lawyer on your side. But your responsibility starts even before you host your first session: you need liability insurance in place so you can focus on enjoying your work, instead of having nightmares about lawsuits.

4. Take Time to Develop Your Brand

You’re not communicating with your future clients on a daily basis—you’re not the local supermarket they’ll walk past every day. So how do you get them to respond from the start?

Taking time to develop your brand BEFORE you start will help you gain momentum faster. Your first client may tell a friend about your services, but if that friend can’t find you online, they may move on to book with another personal trainer. Make sure you have the following in place to make it easy to share your details:

• Business cards
• Website
• Social media platforms (not only your personal profiles, but branded with your company name)

5. Last Tip: Prepay is King

Here’s a last tip.You’re allowed to ask locals to pay in advance. You need assurance that you’ll have income from each session and when customers prepay they’re more likely to attend a session. That means they’ll see results faster and see the value of your services.

There you have it, 5 simple tips to get you started with raising your personal training business and brand off the ground. Remember there are many other aspects to it, but these cover some of the basics that you may overlook.

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• Road Trip with Raj
• Jonathan Borba
• Victor Freitas on Unsplash

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Something that we also need to understand is that we are all different and something that may work for another person may not work for us. So how is it possible to meet these varying needs? We need personalized training plans depending on what we want to achieve. Gyms and personal trainers need to formulate a specific plan for you and make sure it is tailored to your needs.

Hopefully these tips can help you on your way to finding a tailored workout regiment to your needs.

Thorough Assessment of Your Current Health Conditions

Think twice if you came across a workout studio or trainer that only lets you begin a new exercise routine without going through a thorough assessment of your current health. This is one of the most important considerations to think about because some workouts can do more harm than good if say the intensity is too high for you initially, or if you have specific health issues that need to be taken into consideration.

Is the client experiencing some serious health issues like diabetes, cardiovascular problems, cancer or kidney disease? Or perhaps he/she might have sciatica or chronic fatigue syndrome? What about other issues like asthma? That would mean you’d probably be required to undergo a complete medical examination to determine whether you’re capable to start a particular workout. Seeking your physician’s advice would be helpful as well. 

Once your coach provides detailed exercise suggestions, you can also have it checked by your doctor. When a thorough health assessment is required before you begin any program, it shows that the coaches are really concerned about the welfare of their clients, not just on how much they can pay for service.

Customized Training Plans Based On The Clients Goals

As mentioned, to be able to come up with a fitness program, there are several things to consider. What’s important is that a fitness program is customized for our varying needs. Along with that, it’s important to think about your goals.

What would you like to achieve later on? Write it all down. Would you like to lose some excess pounds? Get rid of that belly fat? Strengthen your arms and legs? Build lean muscle mass? Or if you’re underweight, would you like to start a weight-gain program?

You should be able to clearly communicate those goals. Your coach can also provide suggestions on what other goals you can work towards on as you make progress.

A Good and Experienced Training Coach

You can always DIY your exercise but it’s beneficial to have a good and experienced training coach who can guide you and monitor your progress from start to finish. It’s a bit difficult to find an instructor who can be really hands-on when it comes to the needs of each individual.

Juggling different classes, different goals and different people can be challenging, even downright exhausting. But the dedication of an instructor shows how much he wants to make a difference in a positive way in the life of each person he handles.

When choosing among the top Nashville personal trainers for example, this is an important question to ask: Can he/she really guide me and monitor my progress from start to finish? Is he/she really approachable? Attentive to each of their client’s needs? Is he/she patient enough whenever the clients aren’t able to execute the right movements? Does he/she give clear, reasonable instructions? Things like these need to be considered.

The best way to find out is to do a little interview. Ask the right questions to the trainers you have on your list. Also, find out what others say about them. It is important to gain some insights through their comments and feedback.

Flexible Schedule and Workout Venue

Of course, taking care of our body isn’t the only task we have in life. Tons of responsibilities come with adult life including a career, house chores and if you have a family, you also need to take care of your spouse and your kids. You may also have personal goals like doing volunteer work or a side business that you are working on.

Because of such different priorities, it can be easy to put off exercise until later, if there will be a more convenient time. But what if a fitness studio or trainer can provide you with a workout program that’s tailored for your busy schedule? A win-win, right? That’s what busy individuals should look for. There are even trainers who offer a comfortable fitness routine at the comfort of their client’s home. That said, you can exercise whenever you feel like it without the hassles of driving several minutes to the gym. It’s also useful to those who want to make the most of the home gym they already have.

Are you ready to meet your newest, freshest version in a few months? Go ahead and figure out the training plan that’s right for you

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• Victor Freitas
• Brad Neathery
• Jonathan Borba
• Meghan Holmes on Unsplash

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If health and fitness is a real passion of yours, then becoming a great personal trainer is within your reach. You just need to get certified and build up your personal brand. It takes time and dedication, but following a few tips below could help you build a meaningful and exciting career path.
 

Get Certified

As with any career, qualifications are important. If you are not an officially certified personal trainer, then it will be hard to build a loyal customer base. It allows you to gain the trust of complete strangers and highlights your accreditation.

Be aware that just because you may have competed in some competition, you cannot say that now you are a trainer, you still need to get certified!

Search online for courses and then check if you have met the entry requirements. If you have, then you can start to look for funding if you need it and begin sending in your applications. This is a big commitment, but once you have that qualification, it will open the door to employment opportunities and allow you to enter into a new career. You can try schools such as HFPA, Trifocus fitness academy, ETA college etc. Most allow for online training as well so you can do it at your own pace.

Find Your Niche

Qualifications are one thing, but personal training is as much about personality as it is about technical competence. You will be working one on one with clients, so you need to appeal to them as a friend as well as a mentor.

You should be dedicated and persistent, but also inspirational and understanding. Show that you have a caring personality and that you genuinely want the best for your clients.
 
Another way to stand out is via specialization. Which aspect of fitness are you most interested in? People need a personal trainer for different reasons, whether it is to lose weight or compete at a sport. Therefore they will be drawn to someone who specifically works in their required sphere, rather than someone with general fitness knowledge.
 

Finding Work

Once you have your certification and personal brand sorted, you are ready to find work. You can take one of two routes: either apply to companies such as big gyms, cruise ships, personal training studios who are hiring personal trainers or become self-employed. The latter will give you the freedom to take on whichever work appeals to you, but as a beginner there is no guarantee of making a good wage until you build up your client base.
 
The decision will depend on your personality and goals. You may decide to start by searching job boards so that you can get some experience, before becoming self-employed. If setting up a business from the start, you could try offering cheap or heavily discounted sessions to begin with in order to build up a loyal base of customers, but only if this is financially viable. Another great way to start is doing online training.

If personal training appeals to you, then it is something well worth considering. While it may take time for a good income to develop, this will be okay as long as you are passionate. Customers want a personal trainer who is supportive and invested in their fitness, so if you think this is you then go and get those qualifications now and see where it leads you!

Photography credits

• Photo by bruce mars on Unsplash
• Photo by MARK ADRIANE on Unsplash
• Photo by bruce mars on Unsplash

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With ‘fitness’ ever expanding and growing in the world, there seems to be more personal trainers than ever, some with great advanced degrees but some with a certificate completed within a few months. It’s not to say with such short qualifications they are bad trainers, but one should enforce a bit more caution to be taken when choosing and hiring a personal trainer.

There are plenty of people who have no training qualifications and know a lot more than most people and some trainers in fact, through their own research and own interest and passion. Thus, experience is a good thing to go by, the very least the trainer should do some form of exercise and show a bit of passion in the field.

The problem comes in when people are in it just to make some extra money quickly and easily, preying on the uninformed individuals [Unsure about Nutrition? Download a simple nutritional EBook]. Their own agenda is more important than someone else’s health and life.

Unfortunately this really can be a serious matter as it not only deals with the person’s physique and appearance but also with their mental and psychological state which can really do damage to ones attitude and mind.

There are extreme cases where trainers really have no clue what they are doing and their clients even end up in hospital due to following a terrible diet or an excessive training plan, or even worse, being forced to use substances such as diuretics (incorrectly since they lack the proper knowledge) before a competition and end up dealing with serious consequences which can have a tremendous negative effect on their life.

In some cases the person may need a few months just to recover and get back into a steady swing of things.

To help you understand what a good trainer should do, here are a few basic points which they should be following when dealing with you, the client.

Pay Close attention

When they are training you or consulting with you, they should be 100% focused on you for that full time. Small chit chat here and there with other members is inevitable and fine, but any more than that is not on.

They should be watching and monitoring what you are doing to ensure everything is completed and done correctly, as well as providing help when needed.

They should also not be on their phone for long periods when they are training you.

Pay special attention to your form

Far too often, while the client is performing an exercise, the trainer is looking off into the distance or on their phone, and the person’s form is just horrendous. One of their main concerns should be to enforce correct form and posture through every exercise.

No crazy extreme techniques

Sometimes people put all their trust in their trainer and follow whatever they say without question. With the internet around, there should be no excuse for this kind of thing as one can easily do some research of their own to get a basic idea of what is good and what’s not.

Anyhow, there are cases of trainers who advocate absolute extreme plans where they have their client (particularly females) follow a very strict and extremely low calorie diet, or introduce excessive cardio into their training plan.

If you find yourself always tired and lethargic, and constantly very hungry, you may be being subject to such tactics.

One of the only times experiencing these kinds of feelings can MAYBE be justified, is the last 1 or 2 weeks before a bodybuilding/fitness competition as this time is usually pretty tough.

Construct a customised plan

When you first go to a trainer, he/she should assess your current physique and needs and what your goals are. From this a training programme and diet plan should be made specifically for you and for what you want to achieve. They should NOT just give you some generic plan to follow.

Nowadays if a person looks a certain way it’s so easy for them to sell their own programmes and meal plans with the motivation that you to can look like them. The programme that they sell you can most likely be found on the internet if you look hard enough and will most likely not get you the effects that you are looking for.

Improvise and innovate

If a trainer is passionate, he/she will always be on the lookout for new and different exercises and training routines to keep things interesting to avoid just doing the same thing over and over as that can get boring for most people.

Be Helpful and humble

You can never know everything so one should not act like it. Everyone has something to teach you and there are hundreds of different training methods all good and suited to different needs and people so an open minded should be kept along with the love for trying different things.

With all that being said, you as a client can also play your part and ensure a few things:

Give them 100%

Just because you’re paying them does not mean you can slack and half heart the sessions. Most great trainers are passionate about helping people in terms of fitness and give their all when training people, so do not go to them and complain and be difficult when they give you exercises to do.

Give it your all and they will probably do the same.

Arrive on time

Make sure to arrive on time or let them know should you be delayed or not make a session. You would think this is common knowledge; if you know someone is waiting for you and you realise you are not going to make it, you should immediately let them know, unfortunately its far too common that people don’t bother to let the other person know, and leave them waiting there, wasting their valuable time.

Photography Credit:

• localfitness.com.au

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Quick Stats

Name:  Tamara Kester
Age:  22
Height:  1.69 m
Competition weight:  54 kg
Current weight:  57 kg
Current city:  Johannesburg, South Africa
Occupation:  Personal Trainer

How long have you been training consistently for and have you always lived a fit and healthy lifestyle?

I have always been a sports fanatic and was involved in competitive sports from a young age.  I only began the gym side of things about 2 years ago.

What do you love about it?

I love the way being fit and healthy makes me feel!  A healthy body is a healthy mind.

What competitions have you competed in and your placings?

2012 Season

• H&H Classic, Fitness bikini, 4^th
• Ifbb Gauteng North Provincials, Fitness Bikini, 3^rd
• Mpumalanga Nabba Championships, Miss Beach bikini tall, 1^st
• Nabba SA Championships, Miss Beach bikini tall, did not place

What made you decide to start competing?

I had always excelled in the sport I had been competitive in.  I wanted a new challenge, both physically and mentally.

What are your future plans?

I have just finished studying to be a personal trainer so that in 2013 I will be gaining experience as a trainer, as well as bettering my physique for competition.  I am also planning on studying Bio kinetics at TUKS and am aiming to work with athletes in the High Performance Center, where ultimately, sports conditioning will be my main focus.

Take us through an average day of yours:

• 6am wake up, eat breakfast and pack lunch for work
• 8am- 5pm… WORK WORK WORK (eating my many meals at my desk)
• 6-7:30pm is spent at the gym training.
• Eat dinner before 8pm
• Shower and then dig into the books.
• 9:30pm bed time

Give us a brief description of your philosophy on your diet, pre contest and during the off season.

My basic diet on season consists of egg whites and oats, chicken breasts, green vegetables, almonds, green apples, steak and hake whilst limiting salt, sugar and dairy intake.

My basic off- season diet is basically the same, I just allow myself more cheat meals during the week.  I don’t think it is possible, nor necessary to restrict yourself continuously especially seeing as my off season consists of higher intensity training and the extra calories are needed to build that extra muscle.

Do you believe in completely eliminating unhealthy foods from your diet, or rather not eliminating them just limiting them?

I don’t believe that it is healthy in our day in age to eliminate unhealthy foods completely.  The way I see it is that humans adapt, and we have adapted to the foods that are put on the shelves, the steroids that are pumped into our meat, the pesticides that have been sprayed on our crops and the preservatives put into 90% of our foods.  Everything in moderation is perfectly fine!

Do you believe in using supplements?  If you do, what would you say to a woman starting out thinking she needs to take many supplements in order to lose weight?

I am proud to say that I used absolutely NO supplementation whilst  ‘on season’.

“If you follow the right diet and training program, supplements are not necessary.”

At the moment I am only taking a whey protein shake to try to build some extra muscle fullness.  The Optimum Gold Standard whey is expensive, but worth it.

Give us a brief description of your philosophy on your training and on average how long do you workout for?

I believe in quality not quantity.  If you know what works for your body, your sessions should be quick.  I do about 30 mins weights, 30 mins cardio on and off -season.  Leg sessions are an hour, and cardio close to competition goes up to an hour.

What’s your favorite form of cardio?

Haha Nobody likes cardio, but my best would be spinning.

What would you say are the three best exercises women should include in their arm work outs to get toned, strong arms?

• Concentration curls for biceps
• Dips for triceps/chest
• Side lateral raises for shoulders

Fitness models or bodybuilders?

I am a Jay Cutler fan!!! I also like Kai Greene and believe next year is his year for the Mr. Olympia title.

Favorite female fitness icon(s):

I am going to be really predictable and mention the common favourite, Jamie Eason!

Favorite Quote:

“That one hour spent in the gym is important, but the key to seeing results is how you spend the rest of your 23”

How do you stay motivated with your training and when you have to diet, and avoid giving into cravings?

I appointed myself a motivational gym partner and trainer who would keep me going. Regarding diet, I would Google the nutritional info of the food I was craving haha!

Advice for someone wanting to change their lifestyle and achieve their ideal physique?

When my mother quit smoking and I asked her what made her quit and stick to it, she said,

“You have to WANT to do it”

So, If you’re not sure about it and already have doubts, you will not succeed.  Your mind set is everything.

Where can people get hold of you?

• Email: tammykester[at]live.co.za
• Facebook: Tamara Leigh Kester

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