May11Why You Should Hire A Trainer (and How to Find a Good One)
Anyone who has worked with a trainer knows that a good one is like having that best life insurance you can have. They can guide you to PREVENT health issues before they even start.
Coaches and Trainers do a lot of good; they help people become stronger and lead more fulfilling lives. With that said, the personal training field is highly unregulated. For every 5 star trainer though, there are horror stories of people having negative experiences with a personal trainer.
We at H4 are not here to bash other fit pros (even “bad” trainers have probably helped people), but we understand what separates an average trainer from a great one. We also know why someone should hire a trainer and the lifelong benefits they provide.
In this post, we’ll go over why someone should hire a trainer/coach, and how to find the right one.
What Makes a Good Trainer?
First off, we are going to make a distinction. This is more of a personal opinion rather than fact, so don’t take it as gospel: there are trainers and there are coaches. A trainer is someone who creates workout programs for people, usually in a one-on-one setting, and takes them through a workout. They might track progress in the gym like weight, reps, measurements, etc. Once a client leaves though, that’s it. A trainer only has an effect for that 1 hour.
A coach is someone who goes above and beyond with a client. They are the ones that motivate outside of the weight room, who transform their client’s life. Coaches have influence and help their client beyond that 1 hour session a few times a week.
Now, I’m not saying that trainers are bad. In fact, most coaches are trainers. Not all trainers are coaches though – or at least not all are great ones. Some trainers might not use the word “coach” to describe themselves, but if they are good at what they do and supply clients with knowledge that will last a lifetime, they are coaches. To be a good coach, you go to that next level of training. You’re not just counting reps. Really, whether someone is called coach or trainer is irrelevant. What is important is that they truly service the client, as it is a service job.
Also, education is VERY important; but it’s important to note that some of the best coaches in the world don’t have a degree directly related to fitness, and some don’t have a degree at all. Most good coaches by default will probably have a degree in kinesiology or some other health sciences degree, but there are some coaches out there that haven’t taken the traditional route and still provide clients with amazing results. So don’t worry just about the credentials, but also look to the testimonials.
What good coaches/trainers do:
- They LISTEN to their clients, and understands their goals on a deeper level.
- They develop ACTIONABLE STEPS to reach what a client needs, not what the coach/trainer thinks they need.
- SUPPLY KNOWLEDGE to clients that will last them a lifetime. After a while clients COULD train themselves, but they usually stay because they love working with the coach.
- Most importantly, they CARE about their clients.
What they DON’T do:
- Yell at you to do more reps, even if your form is sloppy.
- Be on their phones while training clients, mindlessly counting reps.
- Put you through a workout that kills you, and doesn’t get you any closer to your goals.
- Outside the gym, they are a ghost. You don’t hear from them, and it’s hard to contact them.
There is definitely more to what makes a good and not so good trainer, but these are just some examples. Keep an eye out for these things when looking for one. At H4 we don’t claim to be the best, but we are lucky to have a good team and great clients that push us to be better coaches everyday.
Why You Should Hire a Trainer (or Small Group Training)
Like I said at the beginning of this post, a good trainer or coach is like having a great life insurance policy. Because the truth is, many health issues can be prevented if we take action to lead healthier lifestyles. Sure, some things happen because life happens. Or sometimes you decide to make a change when you already have health issues. Whatever the case, making healthier choices at any point in your life will have profound impact.
A good coach can make the path clearer, taking many of the nonsense and unknowns out of the way. They give you clear guidelines and actionable steps to reach your goals.
To make this even easier, let’s go over pros and cons of hiring a trainer:
Pros of a trainer
- Keeps you accountable
- Pushes you out of your comfort zone
- Cuts though what’s not useful, builds the right plan for you
- Motivating
Cons of a trainer
- You might have to wake up early
- Usually is a bit expensive
- Working out is hard
Enter: Small Group Training
Small group training is something I want to mention. We come to this when we want something that offers the benefits of one-on-one training with the camaraderie and affordability of larger group training.
Small group training let’s the trainer keep the focus on the client, while giving that same attention to a small number of people. Large group sessions (think 10, 15, or 20 people to 1 trainer) make it hard to give individual attention. With smaller groups (4-8) us trainers can focus on each client, which is why we implement that mode of training at H4.
There is No Easy Road to a Better Life
At the end of the day, you have to put in the work. No matter how good the trainer is, only you can make the change to be better! A trainer is great at helping along the way, but sometimes it takes a while to see considerable change.
My advice? Give training at least a month to see how it’s working for you. That way you give it enough time to see if you notice a difference (energy, strength, etc) and you also see if you and your trainer are a good fit. Sometimes people don’t mesh together, and that’s OK. Just like a relationship, some don’t work out, and then you find the one that lasts. For example, we at H4 want to make sure that you are a good fit, so that you get the best results possible. That’s why we offer (incoming shameless self promotion) a 30 day free trial with us. My opinion is that we are awesome, but of course I’m a tad bit biased; check us out for yourself if you’d like.
If you do decide to work with a trainer and whoever you decide to work with, just make sure they have the qualities we listed earlier in this post, and make sure that you are a good fit with their style of training. Your fitness journey is a lifelong quest, so you want someone who has the right stuff to help you along the way.