What to Look for in Good Trainer

I don't work as a trainer, but I work with them, and I used to work as one. I also consult with and learn from other trainers. After watching Alywn Cosgrove's Program Design for the 21st Century, I've come to a few conclusions about training, and what good makes a good trainer.

1. Constant contact. The trainer should either have a newsletter, or at least contact his clients with e-mail once a week. Not talking with clients outside of the health club or studio is a mistake.

2. Not watching form. My first trainer used to watch SportsCenter while I was training. He would watch TV while I was lifting heavy weights. The trainer should always show the client certain cues and pointers to make sure the exercise is performed correctly. When the client works on his own, he'll be able to do it correctly after doing it right so many times.

3. Mobility work. If your trainer is still telling you to warm up with jumping jacks and 10 minutes of easy jogging on the treadmill, ask them when the last time he's actually questioned this protocol. Most good trainers these days recognize the importance of mobility work, or exercises that activate or and strengthen muscles that are underused or weak (think glutes), or are overtight (hip flexors). Skip the treadmill and do some mobility work.

4. Core work. Most people have weak cores. And by core, I don't mean just the abs. I'm talking about everything from the lats to the hips. A weak core means you're predisposed to back pain. A weak core means everything you do will be harder. A weak core means you'll run slower. Core work is not crunches. If you're trainer has you doing crunches, ask how that will help your back pain and improve your posture. Serious core work means rotational and stability exercises.

5. A reason for every exercise. Ask your trainer why you're doing a particular exercise. And the answer should be better than, "because it's cool," or "I saw someone else doing it." In fact, you should do an exercise because no-one else is doing it.

6. Continuing education. A good trainer will invest in conferences, seminars, DVDs, and books to help him develop a more functional, safer, and more effective program. Trainers who don't are slackers and are cheating their clients. They should be investing their income in educational products created by those with years of experience. The initial price might be high, but in the long run a good trainer will get more results, and more referrals. Good trainers are constantly finding new protocols, new exercises, or new routines. One of the main reasons people don't see results is that they don't get enough variety in their program. Continuing education means the trainer needs to analyze what he knows and what he's doing. At some point, he will have to admit that what he has known until now is wrong. A good example is Mike Boyle's recent admission that his core program in Functional Strength Training published in 2003 needs to be rewritten. Show some humility and admit that you were wrong. Just don't keep doing those wrong things.

7. Injury prevention and rehabilitation. Today's lifestyle predisposes us to injuries. We have so many weak and overused muscles, and asymmetries in our bodies that it's little wonder that 80% of our population suffers some kind of back pain. A good trainer prescribes exercises that not only make the client stronger, but also more functional.

8. Enthusiasm. A good trainer can transfer his passion for exercise science and anatomy to the client. Trainers know that strength and functional training benefits everyone, but their clients might not see the benefit or understand why trainers are so passionate. I'm not saying a good trainer is a cheerleader, but rather knows how to motivate and excite the client. This takes a particular personality and effective communication skills, and not everyone has it. It's probably the one reason why I would never be a top trainer.

9. Nutritional guidance. I can't tell you how many trainers I've seen that are out-of-shape or outright fat. Many trainer eat fast food, and food that is inconsistent with a healthy lifestyle. A good program is worthless without solid nutrition advise. You can't overcome bad nutrition. It's that simple.

10. Outsourcing. Good trainers need to learn that they cannot train every client. You cannot train a teenage athlete who's trying pack on 20 pounds of muscle, and a 35-year-old postnatal woman. It doesn't work. Too many people have disparate needs, and no trainer can properly create a program for every kind of client. So what does a good trainer who do when he confronts a potential client that doesn't fit his niche? He outsources to another trainer who does. A trainer who doesn't is cheating his client, and doesn't believe in the golden rule. If you outsource, other trainers will outsource to you. And if a trainer knows nothing about nutrition, then have the client talk to someone who does.

11. The right amount of variety. I've established that variety is good, but a trainer can go too far. Changing reps, weights, sets, rest time, exercises, routines, and equipment every day can actually stagnant growth. Why? Because your body never has time to adapt to an exercise. It's constantly exposed to new stimuluses, and never has a chance to adapt or improve. Subtle changes are okay, such as grip or stance, but frequent drastic changes will not lead to drastic results.

12. Assessing needs. Good trainers review a client's history, occupation, goals, abilities, and everyday activities. Every client should have a different routine. Some clients are trying to lose fat, some are trying to gain size, some are looking for functional exercises, and others simply can't or shouldn't do particular exercises. My old trainer pretty much gave me exercises that I know were totally inappropriate for my goals. Preacher curls, smith machine squats, and hamstring curls will not make you a faster runner! Band work will not add a lot of muscle! And 6o seconds of rest between sets will not help you lose fat!

13. The right mindset. This might be the most important of all, even more than enthusiasm. Why is a trainer training? Is he training clients to make extra cash on the side to pay for school? Is he training because he wants a free membership? Or is he training clients to help them reach their physical goals? It better be the last one. And a good trainer should expect
to be a trainer for the foreseeable future.

14. Behavior modification. A trainer works with his client, at most, three hours per week. The other 165 hours are critically important, because a client can completely reverse the benefits of his exercise program with bad posture, repetitive motion, poor diet, etc. A client has 23 hours per day to screw things up! If a client complains of shoulder injury, and wears his backpack on that shoulder all the time, then behavior modification is required. Behavior modification will probably account for 90% of results. Yes, 90%. 165/168 is 98%, so I'm actually underestimating!

15. Proper stretching. Forget static stretches that you learned in school. A few static stretches of 15 seconds at the end of the day might have some benefit, but a good trainer should teach his client how to use a foam roller or Trigger Point technology to smooth out adhesions in the muscles. Most people have very tight IT bands, hip flexors, and piriformis muscles (butt muscles). Active-isolated stretching also has been shown to increase range of motion. Active Release Therapy is a little more advanced, but a trainer should at least recommend this.

There you go. There are 15 things to look for in a good trainer. Notice that I never mentioned certification. I think a certification shows some level of knowledge and skill, but I'd rather work with a trainer who exhibits these 15 characteristics than one that read a textbook and answered 75% of the questions correctly on a test. Certification lends some credibility, but it can never replace enthusiasm, a desire to learn, and the ability to communicate effectively with the client.

Kevin