Does your Trainer or Bootcamp Suck?

I’ve been debating for some time whether to write this post. But I think it is a topic that needs exploring.

In recent months, I have heard numerous stories of people who have had bad experiences with personal trainers and I will be the first to admit – a lot of personal trainers, quite simply, suck.

I have seen trainers put their clients through training sessions which would make my hair curl (if I had any. Ha!Ha!). Dangerous programs which clearly do not take into account the client’s posture, strengths & weaknesses seem to be common, as are programs which don’t take into account a client’s lifestyle.

I am honored to be a personal trainer. It is a career choice that has allowed me to make a difference in so many people’s lives.

Just because you trained yourself to have a six pack does not make you a personal trainer. Under qualified people masquerading as personal trainers is something that our industry is seeing more and more of every day, and it doesn’t only harm the reputations of us fitness professionals, but it also puts clients at risk of serious injury.Anyone can make you tired, but can they make you better?

There are several things that you want to look for when selecting a personal trainer or bootcamp to enroll in.

First and foremost,  you are going to want a program that will help you reach your goals in a healthy, safe manner. A great personal trainer is not one that runs you through the ringer every other day or session. Great trainers will identify your fitness level, assess your goals and ensure you reach said goals in the best way possible. It’s important to remember that every time you step into a gym, class or bootcamp it is part of a process where you will finish with a better understanding of your limits, body and overall inner being.

Another sign of an excellent trainer is one who can take the individual attention he or she pays to a client and incorporate that into a group setting. For those of you who have children in school, how important is class size when selecting a high school or college? There’s a reason that excellent student-to-teacher ratios are flaunted in brochures and information packets. The same thing applies to trainers.

If your trainer cannot pay enough attention to each individual client in a group setting, he or she needs to scale down their class in order to ensure every client in performing exercises in a safe manner.

Professionalism is another way to evaluate your trainer. If your trainer is continuously late, rescheduling, dressed sloppily/inappropriately or acting in a poor manner, he or she is not only betraying your trust, but also mocking you and the fitness industry as a whole. Trainers are meant to train clients, not act inappropriately, conduct other business or waste your time.

You are paying for a service, plain and simple. Many times clients will look to a trainer as a fitness role model and those same trainers are charged with motivating and encouraging clients. If they cannot present themselves in a professional manner, how can you believe in them?

Furthering this point, your trainer should be able to listen as well as provide direction. Too many times you will see trainers barking orders or motivating in a negative manner. Just because you call your class a “bootcamp” does not mean you actually have to be a drill sergeant.

He or she should be in regular contact with you as you both journey toward the goals you have set for yourselves and each other. A good trainer will feel the same sense of accomplishment that you feel when you achieve a goal you set for yourself.

Which brings me to my final point, any trainer worth their weight in kettlebells and sandbags will be able to produce results. Without progress and change, we are just hamsters running around on a wheel. Without struggle and accomplishment we will simply coast through sessions and become complacent with ourselves. This doesn’t just apply to training, but everyday life as well.

Your trainer should be challenging you to get that extra rep, shed those extra pounds and break through your plateaus, otherwise it will show that they are perfectly fine with maintaining the status quo when the whole point of their job is to help you improve your body and mind.                                                                                                                   

At the end of the day, you want a trainer who will challenge you, listen, help you set and achieve your goals, not put you in harm’s way and who will treat you with the respect you deserve.

Call us today to start your personal training journey or to Reserve your spot for one of our group training session at 917-432-9418.