You have just signed up to start working with a personal trainer. You bought some new workout clothes because you deserve them, and although you are a little nervous, you are ready to blow your fitness goal out of the water. You are not sure exactly what to expect, you are pretty sure you are going to be cursing someone the next day because you are too sore to use a toilet by yourself. But in all reality, if your trainer is doing his job, you will pretty much know what to expect when you walk in and you probably will not as sore as you might think the next day!
Probably the most important, and often most neglected, thing a personal trainer does is the initial client consultation. In my experience, most trainers gloss over this part. I do not know if they do this because they do not think it is important, or it is not very sexy, or they are just lazy, but a thorough assessment is what a trainer should use to build a relationship with the client, learn about the client's medical history, understand the client's goals, past successes, failures, likes and dislikes and observe the body in motion to discover any previously unknown injuries, muscle imbalances or postural deviations. In short, it is the process by which the first workout is built! If all a trainer does is go over medical history and get a few starting measurements they are operating blindly and likely giving the client a cookie-cutter workout.
Here are the basic steps you should expect every client to take when starting with a new client:
1. Medical History: A trainer should go over medical history in depth with the client to make sure there are no medical issues which need to be addressed prior to working out. The medical history should also reveal any injuries past or current the client might have that need to be accounted for.
2. Goals, Past Experience, Likes and Dislikes: A trainer needs to understand the clients goals. Too often a trainer will pre-judge a client and decide right away what his or her goals should be. A trainer should be focused the clients goals, not his goals for the client. A trainer needs to know what the client has done in the past. Did it work, did they enjoy it, why are they not still doing it? The client should have input in to the process. Reaching fitness goals has to be a collaboration between client and trainer or it will never work.
3. Measurements: Almost every trainer takes starting measurements. Most of them make a huge deal out of Weight, circumference, bodyfat, and any other measurement they can take. Trainers are playing the odds. They figure if they take enough of them one will improve and they can use it to demonstrate success. I take the bare minimum of measurements. What do I need so I can keep an eye on the client's progress. But guess what? A client knows if progress is being made. Clothing starts fitting better, they feel better, they have more energy, they are better at their sport and all the other things that go with success.
4. Photos: A trainer should always take photos of clients performing simple movements such as squats. There are two reasons. First, even a veteran trainer has a hard time catching every postural deviation or muscle imbalance in real time. Photos help the trainer see where the work needs to be done. Photos are also great to show to the client so they can see an internally rotated knee or lateral hip transition or there potential area for injury.
5. The final thing a trainer needs to do is take time to talk to a client and get to know them. What kind of lifestyle does this person lead? Are there outside factors keeping them from being successful, are there mental barriers, who are the people in their lives who are good or bad influence. This information can be critical in constructing a road map for success.
Hopefully your trainer did all these things before you started your workouts. If he did not, you might want to ask why, and ask to do some of these things. Next week we will talk about what a first workout should really feel like, and what you might expect to get out of it. For more information of trainer best practices or how you can get started with a personal trainer email tom@canyonptandf.com or visit www.canyonptandf.com.
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