What to Look for in a Fitness Coach

Written by Ed Winfield, Expert Contributor and Program & Fitness Director at Retro Fitness Newtown Square

Everyone can afford a personal trainer nowadays. It’s not just for the exclusive client. The question now is: How do you know if they’re any good? Even a Personal Trainer or Fitness Coach who’s recommended by a fit and healthy friend may not be right for YOU. There’s several important factors to consider.

A good Coach should be able to help you with nutrition, your goals, and set you on a path to see the results you’re paying for. Good Coaches put together programs that help each member progress through a training cycle lasting weeks or months, in order to achieve maximum results.

Some Coaches today recommend doing over-complicated, unnecessary exercises that amount to nothing except getting prepared for an injury. It’s always better to first learn and perfect basic exercises like squats and pushups than being forced to stand on one leg with a 25-lb dumbbell in one hand over your head on top of a bosu ball, eyes closed, snapping your fingers and talking about feeling the burn. Complicated isn’t necessarily better or even effective.

A simple exercise, when done properly, is a great start. Form, mechanics, muscle engagement, and weight distribution are just some of the basic elements a good Coach understands and can explain so you can perform the exercise correctly.

Therein lies the problem: Performing the exercise correctly. Coaches need to know how to perform each exercise correctly, themselves, before trying to teach an exercise to anyone else.

You have a right to expect that Coaches know what they’re doing. That’s more likely if a Coach has a nationally recognized certification and/or a college degree in Exercise Science or Kinesiology. Such education, combined with a year or two of experience and professional on-site training, further increase the likelihood the Coach can confidently demonstrate and clearly explain useful exercises and how they will help you reach your goals.

Depending on your fitness level and skill, it might take a while to perfect a movement such as a compound exercise. This is where knowledge and patience come in. Coaches shouldn’t give up on you because they are frustrated or don’t know how to correct the problem. They certainly shouldn’t make the exercise more intense until your form is correct. Coaches should research, ask questions, and figure out how to fix your issue. When a Coach can do that, you’ll get much more out of each session, and your results will speak for themselves.

Ed Winfield is Program & Fitness Director at Retro Fitness Newtown Square. For fitness advice or to suggest subjects for future fitness feature articles, email Ed at RetroResults8503@RetroFitness.net.

484-420-4935

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www.RetroFitness.com/EdgmontSquarePA