Fitness level of personal trainers
Aa0406
Posts: 9 Member
I noticed lately that my gym has personal trainers who don't look exactly fit. This particular person, was working with a client and showing a workout routine. The form wasn't exactly great, but was OK and the appearance of the PT wasn't exactly "athletic". I begin to wonder, if there are requirements to get hired as PT and what are they.
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nope.
no fitness minimal- not for most certs.
obviously credibility/marketability is low with people who aren't fit and who have poor form.
practice what you preach or have a damn good reason why you don't to explain it- and then have a damn good reason why you are asking someone to do the thing they are doing.0 -
The only thing you need to become a personal trainer is a passing grade on an exam. You don't have to meet any kind of physical requirements. I have watched in horror as overweight personal trainers take their clients around the gym and let them use horrible form and totally mislead them. From a selling perspective, in that industry your body should be your resume!0
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i personally would love a chance to train with mark rippetoe, beer belly and all
i've also seen many fit looking PT with sh*tty form and who had no idea what certain standard exercises like deadlifts or snatches even were.
you cant really judge someone's ability to train or their knowledge of training on their looks. as many people have noted in other threads PTs arent nutritionists, and for me personally all of the strength coaches i've ever worked with in the past have never looked particularly fit and many of them worked with professional sports teams as well0 -
i personally would love a chance to train with mark rippetoe, beer belly and all
I wouldn't lump coaching in with personal trainers necessarily- although technically on paper it's the same thing- just a different side of the same coin- but I see them as different.0 -
I think knowledge and form is most important... it is really up to the PT to figure out whether looking out of shape is a good business practice or not. Those looking for a PT also have to decide whether they want to invest in a PT who is out of shape or one that is fit. Personally, I've seen more "fit" PT's who show clients bad form than out of shape ones...0
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I don't think I personally will pay to anybody who doesn't show their "resume" on their body.1
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There's no fitness or body-type requirement, you just need the education/certs and be able to demonstrate exercises with correct form/correct someone else's form. I personally don't think it's a big deal. Everyone had different goals and not everyone wants to have an athletic body. I used to work with a PT who was in her 50's, carried a few extra pounds, and really knew her stuff. She was just comfortable with her body and her lifestyle, and was very popular with clients around her age who were looking to lose weight and improve their health markers without trying to get back the body they had in their twenties.0
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Personally I'd rather have someone more knowledgeable and motivating than someone with good genetics who knows nothing.
How someone looks isn't always related to their level of fitness or knowledge.1 -
I don't think I personally will pay to anybody who doesn't show their "resume" on their body.
Do you check someones profile here before taking their advice? I'm not judging, just curious.0 -
I don't think I personally will pay to anybody who doesn't show their "resume" on their body.
Fair enough.
Although, the head trainer at my gym, with the most NASM certifications and longest experience used to look a lot bigger, because he had been in a CAR ACCIDENT, had to be full body traction, and was literally immobile for several months. He gained fat by continuing to eat enough to attempt to maintain some of his muscle mass, and had to cut back down when he returned to full mobility.
But then, I'm sure there are people who wouldn't want to train with that lazy fatty anyway, right? Because the resume didn't show?0 -
The female PTs at my gym are smoking hot. Amazing bodies.0
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I don't think I personally will pay to anybody who doesn't show their "resume" on their body.
Fair enough.
Although, the head trainer at my gym, with the most NASM certifications and longest experience used to look a lot bigger, because he had been in a CAR ACCIDENT, had to be full body traction, and was literally immobile for several months. He gained fat by continuing to eat enough to attempt to maintain some of his muscle mass, and had to cut back down when he returned to full mobility.
But then, I'm sure there are people who wouldn't want to train with that lazy fatty anyway, right? Because the resume didn't show?
There are unique exceptions, but for the most part, I would personally prefer a personal trainer who has gone through the motions and put in the work they are asking of their clients. If I met a personal trainer who was out of shape due to unforeseen circumstances but was very knowledgeable, I would train with them in a heart beat. There are plenty of fit trainers who likewise have no knowledge about the moves they are telling people to do.
BUT selling your services is a huge part of being a personal trainer. If you don't look good, you're not going to be able to sell yourself as well. That's just how it is.1 -
I've never noticed that at the gyms I've gone to. But I do notice that I always get stuck with a 'don't scare her away' female PT when I have an opportunity for a trial session. In the past, I've done Kenpo, (moved just before my orange belt test and didn't have the money for it after I moved), several years of Tribal Style Belly Dancing classes, was in a troupe for a bit, did a girl's class of aerobics and weights in high school (two days of weights every week), have had personal trainers in the past. I'm not the type to be scared away but after I developed two health problems that slowed me down and cause a massive weight gain, I seem to get soft-spoken girls who seem like they have been told to go easy on me so they don't scare me away from the gym.0
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I wouldn't lump coaching in with personal trainers necessarily- although technically on paper it's the same thing- just a different side of the same coin- but I see them as different.
Exactly, plus Rippetoe coaches Power Lifting, in which it's much more acceptable to have a bit of belly. Aesthetics aren't the goal of Powerlifting - strength is. GOMAD isn't meant to make one lean.
Anyway, aesthetics are definitely not what makes a good Personal Trainer but then again, if you're representing the Fitness industry you should live the lifestyle, and in turn, look the part (?)0 -
Personally I'd rather have someone more knowledgeable and motivating than someone with good genetics who knows nothing.
How someone looks isn't always related to their level of fitness or knowledge.
bolded.
at a bigger gym with more cookie cutter fitness- I would want someone who LOOKS more of what I'm after- and you can tell- there is no question there is a difference between lifters and athletes- a year ago I looked like an athlete- now I mostly look like a lifter- goals change- but my knowledge of the subject hasn't changed much.
But- that's personal training- if you work in the fitness world... perhaps looking like you do- your body is your biggest marketing tool
Do you research- watch them train. listen to them- ask questions if you can- these things are important- more important than the looks.
Our head trainer was fit- didn't look it though- he wasn't fat- he was just solid and didn't look athletic but he was very educated and very driven and helpful and cared deeply for his clients. But if you walked passed him you wouldn't first fitness trainer- but the guy clearly works out- perhaps because it was older he carried it differently. But he knew his stuff- and got results.
That being said- I'd probably never train under someone who was obese- unless it was like a super huge name person.
also- talking about this the other day- looking like you workout in clothes- it's hard to do- it's harder to look super fit IN clothes than without them- that's why most fitness posters are half nekkids or super tight.0 -
I would also prefer someone knowledgeable over someone fit and clueless. However, how do you know who is knowledgeable? When you hire a PT, you don't know what's right. That's why you go to a pro for help.1
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the internet and google.
they are amazing things.
also questions?
how long have you been training?
what do you love about training people?
what certifications do you have?
how long have you been working here?
did you work somewhere else before?
do you have pictures of your successful clients?
what are your main principles/goals when training and what you wish to instill in your clients?
what's your training look like?0 -
I would also prefer someone knowledgeable over someone fit and clueless. However, how do you know who is knowledgeable? When you hire a PT, you don't know what's right. That's why you go to a pro for help.
Ask the head trainer at your gym if you can interview the different trainers and see which one you like best.0 -
Although you really shouldn't judge a book by its cover, I'd want a PT who looked fit. Likewise, I'd want a doctor to be in decent shape before taking him or her too seriously if he/she was lecturing me about losing weight, and I'd want a doctor that didn't smell like cigarettes if I was going to listen to his/her lecture advice about quitting smoking.
On the flip side, I'd want someone with an expanded waist - someone who looked like they REALLY enjoyed eating - to give me restaurant recommendations.0 -
If I had to choose, I'd go with a trainer/coach who knows what they are doing rather than how good they look. There are a lot of buffed out trainers that I would not go near with a 10 foot pole because they have no real clue how to guide proper form, the best (and safest) exercises for me. The last thing I want is an overuse injury or a pulled back.
Also, it bears mentioning that you can be fit and fat. Just sayin'......0 -
I don't think I personally will pay to anybody who doesn't show their "resume" on their body.
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I agree with this but it is best to choose a PT based on their credentials. A BS/Masters in Kinesiology or related field and a nationally recognized certification with rigorous training and cont. ed requirements.0 -
Very true. I suppose you can ask them about their qualifications or their knowledge on certain subjects. You can watch them train other people to see if you like their style and if they are instructing people with proper form. You can go by word of mouth, ask your friends if they have any trainers they could recommend. Ask the internet. Any of those are probably better than just selecting the trainer that looks the most fit.I would also prefer someone knowledgeable over someone fit and clueless. However, how do you know who is knowledgeable? When you hire a PT, you don't know what's right. That's why you go to a pro for help.
I see some trainers at my gym just sit people down on a machine and say lift this x amount of times, while I see other trainers with their clients in the freeweights doing compound movements and helping them with their form. I would probably pick the second one regardless of how they look.0 -
What does fit look like exactly?
The PT's at my gym have numerous backgrounds...one of them is a Mt. Biker...he just looks like you average ordinary dude who's not overweight...actually, he's pretty skinny...he doesn't have bulging muscles or anything like that. In fact, there are a couple of PTs at my gym that just like like your average ordinary person that is just not overweight...no big muscles, no ripped 6 packs, etc...just pretty ordinary...but I assure you they are in phenomenal condition as I've seen them work.
We have 3 very muscular PTs at my gym that I suppose would fit that stereotype of what I suppose some people imagine every PT should look like. There is one female PT who looks hard as nails...one who is a triathlete and tri coach...and the others mostly do zumba classes and what not so they just again, look kinda normal if I were to just see them walking down the street. We have one power lifting PT who is definitely fat...but he's a power lifter who can rep out with 500+ Lbs so....I'm certainly not going to be challenging his expertise or fitness.0 -
There aren't any real requirements physically. I wouldn't have a problem with an overweight trainer if the trainer was in progress of improving their fitness. For example, if I took the personal trainer exam and passed today, I would still be overweight, but that wouldn't mean that i know nothing about losing weight, I've lost over 58 pounds since July and I'm still making progress.
However, if the personal trainer was someone who was out of shape and not making any progress to improve that... I might have a bit of a problem with it. So it would depend.
It would also depend on where they came from. If it was someone who used to weigh 400 pounds, and had successfully lost 200 pounds, and still had 50 more to go, I think I would be impressed by how much progress they had made and figure that they could probably offer advice on how to lose weight. However, if it was someone who six months ago weighed 50 pounds LESS than they do now so that they were gaining fat... I don't think I'd want them advising me.0 -
With the exception of say powerlifters who can be fat as cow/out of shape but can lift a truck, I don't really get it either.
I would think your body would be the first line of marketing for yourself. I know what OP is saying as I've seen several slobs of personal trainers around my area. Maybe thier target market is more of the fat acceptance type of pers..........hey, wait a minute, that's genius marketing there. Fat personal trainers are actually smarter than I thought. It all makes sense now.0 -
I have to add that the particular PT I have noticed isn't overweight, but rather skinny, but so obviously not fit. You know, the posture is wrong, the chest isn't up when showing exercises, back hunched over, body composition is off, no toned muscles. Everything so subtle, but overall impression is that person isn't fit.0
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then you know- you don't want to be training with that guy!!!I have to add that the particular PT I have noticed isn't overweight, but rather skinny, but so obviously not fit. You know, the posture is wrong, the chest isn't up when showing exercises, back hunched over, body composition is off, no toned muscles. Everything so subtle, but overall impression is that person isn't fit.0
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