Personal Trainer Profiling
by John Izzo, NASM-CPT, PES
Over the last couple of years, there have been an influx of new trainers and strength coaches that have entered the field and reaching popularity via the Internet. I came up with a few commonalities that I have found between the bunch.
The Unprofessional Trainer
1.) These trainers are made up of the typical testosterone-driven males ages 19-26, that preach the same ideologies to their gym buddies.
2.) These are the same trainers that act like old high school bullies that take your seat in the cafeteria.
3.) These are the ones that keep blogs and write about nothing but the latest trends in building muscle and laundry list of sexual conquests.
4.) These are the same trainers that post videos of their gym accomplishments in order to achieve the mighty convented "in the trenches" title.
5.) These are the same trainers that maintain a "circle" of friends that support one another via the Web, only to make readers believe that there are two ways of achieving a goal: the wrong way and their way.
6.)These are the same twenty-somethings that quote big-time strength coaches in order to gain validity and exposure...I mean, you can only quote Mike Boyle so many times.
7.) These are the same trainers that never heard of Mike Boyle prior to 2002....oh yeah...most of the experts were still in college at that time.
8.) These are the trainers that boast of hard work results, but plaster their articles on supplement-laden websites that characterize steroid use and gigantic biceps laced with perpetual vascularity.
9.) These are trainers that write for one audience--college guys ages 19-26.
10.)These are the trainers that make a living at training athletes because you don't have to change an athlete's behavior--only the program.
The Emotionally Attached Trainer
1.) This is the trainer who loves to train clients, but not one client has changed.
2.) This is the trainer that likes to talk about the weekend, rather than listen to client breathe heavily. (oh yeah...see #1)
3.) This is the trainer that cannot separate work from life.
4.) This is the trainer that doesn't learn anything new--only uses what they have used in the past to train clients (which is always basic).
5.) This is a trainer that cannot diversify.
6.) This is the trainer that only trains one specific type of client--usually the same gender and same age bracket as herself/himself.
7.) This is the trainer that fulfills the missing void in their personal life with training clients.
8.) This is the trainer that once is fired, cannot accept it.
9.) This is the trainer that refuses to recommend their clients to other trainers for specialized training.
10.) This is the trainer who doesn't understand that gym clients belong to the gym--not the trainer.
The Inexperienced Trainer
1.) The trainers that carry a clipboard.
2.) The trainers that buy every book on fitness, yet don't just go into the gym and experiment themselves.
3.) The trainers that quit personal training in hopes of following a marketing strategy to make millions of dollars (and they usually don't).
4.) The ones that occupy discussion forums.
5.) The trainers that use exercise programs outlines in magazines for their clients.
6.) The trainers that don't understand the "business" of personal training.
7.) The trainers that think "Selling" is evil, but seek out marketing strategies by millionaires with bloated work experience.
8.) Any trainer who has trains under 20 clients a week.
9.) The trainer who decided to become a trainer because they lost a bunch of weight; hired a trainer themselves; or watched a bunch of fitness videos.
10.) Any trainer who acts unprofessional and is emotionally attached. Personal training is a profession, a business, and a skill.
This article may not be reprinted without written permission by the author. Please contact the webmaster if you would like to use this article for informational purposes. If you would like to use this article, please keep all references and links intact with proper annotations. The content of this article is for informational purposes and should not be misconstrued as medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any physical or health ailments. It is not intended to replace or substitute the advice or treatment of a qualified medical professional. Be responsible and seek out a medical professional (therapist, physician, dietitian, etc) before engaging in an exercise program.
Copyright . John Izzo. All rights reserved.