Every personal trainer has their own set of expertise but all of them should share common traits in skills and qualities to provide exceptional service when getting clients closer to their goals. Choosing to work with a personal trainer should not only be based on their credentials but their personality traits and characteristics as well. With the right set of skills and qualities, your personal trainer can nurture and build a strong relationship with you to develop the trust and confidence needed for you to learn from them. At First Class, we believe that finding the best personal trainer for you, with the right qualities and skills, can do wonders for your health and significantly improve the quality of your life through diet and exercise alone.
Whether you are in the search of a personal trainer or looking to become one, here are some of the qualities that you should consider to set you up for success:
Educated & Knowledgeable
It may be an obvious quality but it’s an essential one. Although almost anyone can become a fitness trainer, those with technical knowledge acquired through experience and education will always set them apart from everyone else. Not only will a good quality trainer help you to stay safe during your workouts with the correct form and technique to avoid injury but they will also avoid putting you in harm’s way by putting your health first with nutritional plans that will encourage you to achieve your goal. It is also crucial that your personal trainer stays informed with current trends as the fitness industry is constantly evolving with new technology, nutritional supplements and equipment that can make exercising or dieting much easier.
Honesty
One of the most important qualities of a good personal trainer is honesty. Although you may have your own set of fitness goals, a good trainer will be able to take you to the next level with realistic targets by identifying your individual needs and capabilities. They will be upfront about what you need to do to achieve those goals but also, in the healthiest possible ways to do so. Without honesty and transparency, it will be difficult to maintain a good relationship with your trainer.
Patient & Empathetic
Any great personal trainer knows that implementing a new routine into your life can be difficult. A rule between PTs is that there should be great patience and respect given to anyone who chooses to make a drastic change to their lifestyle through diet and exercise. You deserve someone who will take the time to understand you, remain patient and make themselves approachable so that you may take your time to learn, ask any questions and share your feedback. A quality personal trainer will display emotional intelligence and tailor their approach to work with your needs and not theirs. They will not judge you or make you uncomfortable when you face challenges but rather remain empathetic and compassionate to your errors with encouragement for you to get past them.
Effective Communication
A huge part of personal training is effective communication. This is a great way for personal trainers to put their best foot forward by teaching you new ways to exercise or diet and educating you throughout your sessions in a way that is easy to digest. The best personal trainers have a lot of information and know how to achieve your goals by conveying them in a way that is simple for you to understand; this should be done with clear instructions by demonstrating what they want you to do or talking you through it verbally. Of course, communication isn’t just talking to you throughout your workouts and in between them but listening and picking up on body language too. The right personal trainer will listen and make it a safe space for you to openly communicate any issues you may have, provide feedback or request extra instructions you may need to get the best out of your workout.
Motivational & Supportive
Motivating your clients is an integral part of being a PT. It isn’t always easy to push your clients beyond their comfort zones or motivate them to keep up with their fitness programme and healthy lifestyle outside of sessions, but the best personal trainers will encourage their clients to show up and do their best. Our personal trainers at First Class understand that everyone is different and each person requires different techniques of support to mentally, physically and emotionally get through each workout.
Relatable
Personal trainers are human, which means they aren’t completely perfect but that just makes them more relatable. Although they may look like they have it all together and eat salads with chicken or hummus all day, there are often times when they may sneak a cheat meal or a naughty snack into their diet. This doesn’t take away from the hard work they put into their body but rather, makes it easier for them to relate to the cravings and guilty pleasures that they share with their clients. Any PT knows that as long as you’re maintaining a healthy lifestyle and practicing what you preach, a little treat here and there won’t hurt you, nor will they make you feel bad for it!
Adaptable & Flexible
When it comes to personal training, there is no “one size fits all”. What works for you may not work for someone else and a good personal trainer knows this. Personal trainers usually have a blueprint for how they want to initially implement their programme with clients but this should always be tailored to the needs of their individual clients. They should quickly recognize what is getting you results and what is prohibiting you from succeeding before making the necessary changes in the programme for you to reach your goals.
Professional & Ethical
Personal trainers must remain professional at all times by dressing appropriately for sessions, arriving on time for their clients and staying active in their own time to show that they can lead by example. A quality personal trainer also knows how to professionally teach you exercise techniques without being inappropriate or making you feel uncomfortable. They will know when to stand firm in their ethics and put their client’s health above their own gain.
Passionate
You deserve a trainer who is passionate about their work; someone who doesn’t see it as a job but rather a lifestyle. When someone is passionate about what they do, they will do everything they can to succeed which is no different when it comes to PTs. Working with a good personal trainer who is passionate about helping others to achieve their goals will reflect greatly in your results and shine through your sessions. A passionate personal trainer will give you everything that you need to get optimal results and maintain them as opposed to someone who is doing it for money. They will want to keep track of your progress and help you to drive yourself beyond your limits so that you can succeed. These are the type of trainers who will watch your videos in their spare time and collect notes for you. These are the types of trainers that you will find at First Class.
Schedule your first personal training session with us today to get the results that you deserve!
Gera is the Founder and Head Trainer of First Class Personal Training with over 20 years of professional experience, not only as a personal trainer but also as a nutrition and wellness counselor and a post rehabilitation specialist.
