Should Your Personal Trainer Be Ripped?
Its an interesting question that gets posed time and time again. The same old analogies come out.
Should your financial advisor be rich?
Should your psychologist be mentally stable?
Should your preacher never sin?
Let me throw this one at you then.
Should your 50 year old football coach still be able to take a ball on the chest, step inside two defenders, chip over the fullback and beat the winger to the ball as he scores late in the second half?
Or should he just know how to bring the best out in his players? Should he know how to give you the confidence to back yourself and use the skills you already posses, to go above and beyond and produce that quality origin momemt.
Sorry Wayne Bennet – according to some people, you’re a shit coach.
Demonstrated Success
I think the phrase you’re looking for is demonstrated success. Demonstrated success is the key term here. Personal Trainers should be able to demonstrate the type of success YOU ARE LOOKING FOR.
What Does Your Trainer Specialise In?
Now it may come as a shock but there are plenty of trainers that DO NOT SPECIALISE IN FAT LOSS OR WEIGHT LOSS. They may specialise in rehab, or strength, or calisthenics, or mobility or pre and post natal, or back pain, or simply provide a service that encourages more movement and a healthier way of life. What if they promote healthy happy people who realise that in order to be happy you don’t have to hit the magical number 52 on the scale. ( why are women obsessed with this number? )
That being said, if your trainer specialises in fat loss, then they should probably be able to demonstrate the following :
- Have the knowledge to lose fat effectively through nutition, exercise and lifestyle modifications
- Have done it themselves at least once to prove they can do it themselves and understand the mindset needed to do it.
- Have demonstrated success in their clients.
If they specialise in getting rid of back pain :
- Have the knowledge to assess and correct back pain
- Have probably done it themselves at least once to prove they can do it themselves and understand the mindset needed to do it.
- Have demonstrated success in their clients.
If they specialise in getting clients squatting more than double their bodyweight :
- Have the knowledge and programming skills to get you to squat double body weight
- Have probably done it themselves at least once to prove they can do it themselves and understand the mindset needed to do it.
- Have demonstrated success in their clients.
See what i’m saying?
But wait.. what If?
Do you think all trainers should be ripped because YOUR goal is to be ripped?
Do you think all trainers should be able to squat double bodyweight because YOUR goal is to squat double bodyweight?
Do you think your trainer should be able to run a marathon because YOUR goal is to run a marathon?
Are you just manifesting your belief systems in others. We don’t all believe the same thing.
Thoughts For Another Day
So ask yourself the following questions :
If you see a trainer who consistently produces clients getting ripped, but isn’t ripped themselves, would you trust them?
If you see a ripped young trainer who consistently produces photo after photo of only themselves, and you never see their clients getting results, would you trust them?
If you knew your trainer went from 100kg to 60kg over the course of 2 years, do you think they might know a thing or two about the mindset needed to produce a big result?
If you knew your trainer went from 60kg to 58kg over the last long weekend, do you think they might know a thing or two about the mindset needed to produce a big result?
What if your trainer is 60kg and 25% bodyfat, has a healthy relationship with their body, their food, their fitness program and has a great quality of life?
What if you’re trainer is sub 10% bodyfat, absolutely racked with guilt every time they eat a slice of bread, is constantly moody from excluding whole foods groups, and suffers crippling insecurity if they don’t get enough likes on their latest shot on instagram?
Your trainers demonstrated success should match your own goals. Simple.
Last Thing
Personal training is about the client not the trainer. Personal training is actually about the relationship you have with your trainer. Do they support you? Do they acknowledge your efforts? Do they reward behaviours not outcomes? Do they care about you? Do they provide you with the accountability you need to keep working towards your goals? Do they get you to enjoy the journey and not lead you to believe you will only be happy when [ insert goal here ]
A trainers job is not to simply be ripped. Is it?
What Do I Think?
I don’t expect trainers to be ripped. I expect them to strive to be good at what they are specialising in.
I expect them to continually learn and upskill.
I expect them to know that if all they have is a hammer, everything will look like a nail.
I expect them to be honest.
I expect them to care.
I expect them to be professional.
I expect them to care.
See you in the gym!
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