Introduction
There are so many personal trainers to choose from. How can you tell if the personal trainer you are considering working with is the right fit? If your goal is to have fun and you are enjoying your workouts, you have many choices, but if you want to safely progress toward your goals, look for a personal trainer who focuses on your education and your development.
During countless conversations and In-Depth Consultations and Training sessions with Monarch Fitness Coaching’s personal trainers, clients have shared a few common sentiments:
- “I was working with a personal trainer, but I just wasn’t making progress.”
- ”I got hurt, and I had to stop personal training.”
- “I didn’t understand why I was doing the exercises.”
What are the steps you can take to find the right personal training fit and ensure you do not end up injured? What should you do to ensure you are progressing toward your goals?
Is The Personal Trainer Focused On Your Development And Your Education?
When Monarch Fitness Coaching interviews potential candidates to participate in our coaching certification programs, we want to know why they are interested. A common response is that the candidate really enjoys working out. Being a personal trainer is a way for them to spend more time in an environment they find comfortable. On the other hand, when Monarch Fitness Coaching interviews personal trainer candidates, we are looking for evidence that the individual enjoys helping others progress. Does the potential personal trainer’s resume show entries—like courses and jobs—where education was the priority? Do they have a history of helping others? Does the candidate let us know that educating others is a priority for them? When asked about their current job, what do they talk about? Do their eyes light up when they talk about helping others?
When Monarch Fitness Coaching initially interviewed Coach Cynthia, we were very impressed with her background. Coach Cynthia had spent decades in special education and spoke about her passion around educating and continuing to serve the special needs population. Cynthia was excited for the opportunity to interact with former clients as a personal trainer. Her eyes definitely lit up. Her entire body seemed energized and her face glowed. Read more about Coach Cynthia HERE.
Is The Personal Trainer A Life-Long Learner?
Ask the personal trainer you are interviewing about their training. When did they complete their certifications? How have they continued to expand their knowledge? At Monarch Fitness Coaching, we continue to develop our personal trainers by providing FREE in-studio training sessions as well as reimbursement for obtaining additional certifications outside of Monarch Fitness Coaching.
The Monarch Fitness Coaching Team recently participated in a breathwork program led by Dr. Damir Simunac. The program focused on how breathing impacts the way we move and how we feel. Thanks to the breathwork course, the personal trainers at Monarch Fitness Coaching have been better able to incorporate breathing into training programs. We have seen an improvement in our clients’ posture as well as a reduction in anxiety.
Does The Personal Trainer Practice What They Teach?
Take some time to get to know the personal trainer that you are considering working with. What type of training do they personally do? Do they participate in programming similar to what they would be using with you? Do they workout at the studio where they train clients? If the facility has shared personal training or group personal training, do they attend?
One of the pillars of The Monarch Method is flexibility. When Coach Will was interviewed, his face lit up when he talked about how passive and active flexibility and mobility training have impacted his life. Will told us how he had introduced mobility training to Blink Fitness and to his own personal training clients at Blink. Coach Will firmly believes that mobility work is the foundation of healthy movement. All of Coach Will’s personal training clients at Monarch Fitness Coaching, as well as any group personal training program he instructs, have a heavy emphasis on mobility work. Will can be found attending mobility classes he is not instructing, completing his own mobility workouts during open training, and he is willing to expound upon the benefits of mobility work at any given opportunity. Read more about Coach Will HERE.
Does Your Potential Personal Trainer Have A Proven History of Successfully Helping Clients Reach Their Goals?
Is the personal trainer able to share examples of clients that they have worked with who have experienced success? Have they coached sports teams or strength and endurance athletes where improvement is measurable? How will the personal trainer help you measure your success?
Monarch Fitness Coaching works with endurance sports athletes including swimmers, runners, triathletes, and cross-country skiers, but Anna, age group 80–84, is one client whose success stands out. When Anna started training at Monarch Fitness Coaching, she was unable to walk from her co-op to her car. Anna became very fatigued walking across her co-op and found it exhausting to get outside her building. She needed to be able to traverse some steps, go across a street, and walk about .25 miles to get to her car. Anna told Coach Heather that if she could make it to her car, the world would open back up. Coach Heather wrote a training program for Anna, which included mobility and stability work, as well as daily walking. Anna progressed slowly and steadily. About 16 weeks after starting training with Monarch Fitness Coaching, Anna made it to her car. She hasn’t looked back and can now be found enjoying herself in Evanston and beyond.
Does Your Training Begin With An Assessment?
If the personal trainer you are interested in training with suggests that you come in for a workout, ask what the workout involves. If the personal training session does not begin with a discussion about your goals and a review of the way you are moving, consider canceling or ending the personal training session early. If the personal trainer brushes off the initial questions about your goals and previous experience and encourages you to “get to work,” ask yourself why? If the personal trainer does not take the time to understand what you want to accomplish and the way you are moving, how will they help you safely progress?
At Monarch Fitness Coaching, before you take the time to come in, we provide a FREE consultation to help you decide if you feel comfortable with our personal trainers and think Monarch Fitness Coaching might be a good fit for you. Schedule HERE.
Monarch Fitness Coaching ensures that when you do decide to come in, we start with an In-Depth Consultation and Training. During that 75-minute session, we provide you with the following:
- Training goal discussion
- Movement pattern evaluation
- Immediate feedback to get you started progressing toward your goals
- A plan to keep you moving forward toward your goals
If you are interested in meeting, schedule your In-Depth Consultation and Training HERE.
Do You Understand The Personal Training Recommendations And Your Plan?
Following your assessment, before you start your personal training sessions, ensure that your personal trainer has provided you with a training plan. The plan should include the following:
- Goals (Has the trainer listed out your goals? Were you able to look at them? Are they what you want to accomplish?)
- Frequency (Are you meeting once a week? Twice? As needed? Does this work with your schedule?)
- Days (What days of the week are you planning to meet?)
- Time (What time of day will you meet?)
- Duration (What is the length of each session?)
Monarch Fitness Coaching, provides you with training software that is easily accessible online or through our app. The software includes your goals, training schedule, and the exercises you will be completing.
Susan, age group 70–74, uses Monarch Fitness Coaching software. Susan is able to complete exercises that were recommended to her during personal training independently, because she is able to access the exercises through the training software. Susan can even read the form notes her personal trainer provided and watch videos of herself completing the exercises.
Read more about Susan HERE.
Are You Getting Feedback?
Personal trainers guide you through your exercises. They provide you with feedback to help you progress. Look for your personal trainer to provide you improvement opportunities. Are your toes wide, spread, and connected to the floor? Is your torso centered between your feet when you are walking? Are your knees tracking over your second and third toe on your squat? If your form is not holding, is the personal trainer able to explain and show you what is happening and provide you with a path forward? For example, if your toes are not spread and connected with the floor, does the personal trainer explain how to strengthen and spread your toes. Is toe and foot training added into your program?
Monarch Fitness Coaching’s Coach Trin, is hypermobile. They are able to have their shoulders rotate too much internally and too much externally. Trin has even rotated so much that their shoulder dislocates and comes out of socket. When Coach Trin works with personal training clients, Coach Trin initially focuses on understanding how joints move. Next they work on the ability of their client to actively control their joints. The initial focus of the personal training, ensures that their personal training clients have received feedback and demonstrated understanding, prior to lifting weights that would potential cause a shoulder injury.
Read more about Coach Trin HERE.
Did You and Your Personal Trainer Agree Upon a Time When You Both Will Re-Evaluate The Training?
Personal Training should not be a lifelong commitment. Agree with your personal trainer upon a set point when you will evaluate how the training is working for you and assess what changes need to be made. Do you have a goal of doing your first Century Ride? Plan a meeting with your personal trainer after the ride is complete. Do you want to decrease your hip pain? Consider setting a time to check in with your personal trainer after six weeks of training.
At Monarch Fitness Coaching, our personal trainers have a mandatory twelve-week personal training program review with each of their clients. Often the reviews are even more frequent. We use the time to assess goals, discuss the training schedules with you, and make a plan to ensure that you are on a continued path to success.
Conclusion
Personal Training can be a step toward transformation. Taking the time to choose the right personal trainer for you will help facilitate that transformation. Want to learn more about Monarch Fitness Coaching and our personal trainers? Schedule a consultation HERE.
