On Being A Personal Trainer

On Being A Personal Trainer by Jon Burch

It’s difficult for a Personal Trainer to admit avoiding anything even slightly related to exercise up to the age of 22. But when so much effort and self motivation was involved in making up lost time, shedding 26kg, more than doubling lung efficiency and dropping 12% of body fat, then it’s that kind of knowledge and understanding of the hard work that goes into getting fit and healthy that every Personal Trainer would benefit from.

Obviously as a Personal Trainer you won’t greet a client looking like you’ve spent the last 5 years sat in the local burger king but it’s not just the image it’s the understanding of each clients feelings – the only way to really know what your putting your clients through is to participate in regular exercise, to be involved in classes (not always as the instructor) and to only give your clients programs and exercises that you would and could do yourself.

As a Personal Trainer I still have personal training sessions, I still attend classes regularly and I make sure my own health and fitness is as important to me as my clients. To actually be a good Personal Trainer the most important thing to remember is, it’s personal, and every client expects you to understand them, both emotionally and physically.

It’s not just personal to the clients it’s personal to you and most of the trainers I know can give a similar story to mine, it’s the goals you’ve reached or the hurdles you’ve overcome as a normal person that give you the motivation to encourage others and usually it’s been exercise that’s formed part of your motivation so why should that change once you become a trainer – it shouldn’t and I don’t know a trainer that will ever sit back and watch someone participating in exercise without wanting to be involved themselves and it’s that enthusiasm that my clients see in me which encourages them to push a little harder.

I find one of the most important parts of being a Personal Trainer is being able to see and understand the emotions felt during the hard slog to loose extra pounds and reach for those important goals, anyone can motivate someone else do exercise but to relate and understand those feelings and make each training session a truly personal experience is something that no one can learn but a good Personal Trainer must at least have an insight and part of that is putting into practice everything you teach.

Copyright 2008 Jon Burch. Email Jon
M: 07710 472383 (UK)