HOW TO SELECT A FITNESS COACH

So, you’ve made the decision to work with a fitness coach, but now you’re not sure how to go about it. Who you choose is an important decision. After all, you’re asking someone – hiring a professional – to provide you with a workout plan, motivate you to push yourself to reach your goals, help you with your workouts, and keep you safe. This is all pretty importance stuff.

But that’s not all your fitness coach should do. A good trainer can help you live a healthier lifestyle, stay in shape, and get you to a better place in your fitness journey – a place that you likely aren’t going to get to on your own.

A Fitness Coach vs. Going It Alone

Sure, there’s lots of free information on just about every workout question you might have. Just Google “best workout for beginners,” and you’ll get 112 million results. (As an aside, if you are a beginner who is seeking resources, then download our free ebook, “The Complete Guide to Working Out for Beginners,” written by Alex Carson, one of Atlanta’s top personal trainers.) That’s a lot of content to digest, and you have no idea who authoritative that content might be.

A fitness coach, though, is a total game-changer. Rather than pound the treadmill on your own while listening to your favorite podcast, having a trainer by your side telling you what you’re doing right, what you’re doing wrong, and motivating you to push a little bit harder is often the difference between reaching your fitness goals and giving up long before you achieve your first milestone.

Wait a minute, you say, because you’re just plain embarrassed to share the challenges you face in your fitness journey. Trust us, we’ve seen and heard it all. The only thing to be embarrassed about is sitting on the couch, watching Dr. Phil, while you sip on a diet soda while munching on chips. Furthermore, a fitness coach is not only trained on the best methods for achieving your goals, but also on how to listen with empathy and communicate with you. For the trainers at Eclipse, this is not just their careers; it’s their passion.

If we’ve convinced you that a fitness coach is a wise investment, the question then becomes, “What’s next?” First, talk to your doctor about any major health concerns you might have. Second, follow our advice below.

Set Attainable Goals

Before you even select a trainer, the first thing you should do is think about your goals. Setting goals is important, but setting attainable goals is crucial. Consider your fitness journey, age, skill level, how much time you’re able to invest and how soon you want to reach your goal. A good fitness coach works best with specific goals – especially ones that are more than just weight-loss related. Although weight loss is a common goal, there are plenty of other milestones that are also worthwhile.

For instance, do you want to make your muscles stronger after an injury? Or maybe you want to feel better when you wake up in the morning or sleep better each night? Is your primary goal getting in better shape or finding the best workout for your body type? Maybe you want to run a marathon or have a big event coming up – such as a wedding or reunion. Whatever your goal, being able to communicate it to your fitness coach is a critical essential. It’s even more important that your fitness goal is specific and attainable.

When setting goals, you’ll also want to think about how much you can invest, both in terms of time and money. Working with a fitness coach is a two-way street. For many trainers, personal training is their career, and you want to be as invested in your progress as they are. They’re there to help you with your fitness needs and get you closer to the healthy lifestyle you want. But even the best trainers can’t do that if you aren’t invested.

You’ll also want to think about pricing, and how many weeks or months you can commit to when setting your goal. Even the best personal fitness trainer in the world couldn’t have you running a marathon in a few weeks. But if your goal is injury recovery, you might only need a month or two of support to get you back on track. Fair warning though: Once you meet a great trainer, you’ll want to keep them.

Observe Your Potential Fitness Coach with Clients

A little observation can help you determine the difference between a good fitness coach and a great fitness coach. When they’re running a training session with other people, what kinds of exercises do you see them doing? Is the fitness trainer focused or does he or she seem bored? Are they performing and modeling the reps for their client and giving feedback on their form? Does the client look like he or she is working hard and having fun? Do you notice the same exercises being taught to different clients every time? How does the trainer help their client problem solve?

These are all important considerations when searching for the best fitness coach for you. Most trainers will be able to effectively train you; what matters is finding the trainer who will coach you and keep you motivated throughout your relationship. The right fitness coach will have your best interest at heart, be able to give you individual attention during your personal training sessions and share techniques and tips that will help you on your fitness journey.

Ask For a Consultation

Any fitness coach at Eclipse will offer a complimentary consultation to talk with you about your goals, answer questions, and offer a short training session. During this time, it’s best to come prepared with a list of questions. Use this time to get a feel for our trainer’s characteristics, personality traits, training style, area of expertise, and how well you two will mesh. Here are a few questions you may want to ask your potential trainer:

• What is your philosophy on fitness?
• What is your background and how did you make the decision to pursue a job or career as a fitness coach?
• What do you typically charge people? Do you have specific packages or plans?
• What is your desired frequency of sessions and how long do they last?
• What does your schedule look like? When are you available?
• What’s the best way to communicate with you? Is a text message okay?
• What would a long-term plan look like for me?
• How do you stay up to date with the latest information and studies in the health and fitness world?
• What do you do to stay healthy and fit?

Talking to your trainer about their education, expertise, and ability is a fantastic way to not only get a feel for their personality, but also make sure they’re the right fitness coach for you.

We’re Here to Help

Our goal is to help you achieve your fitness goals, whether you are a client of ours or not. Our personal trainers have extensive knowledge in strength training, fitness, and conditioning, and you can tap into that knowledge right here on our website.

Just hop on over to The Shred, where we have workout videos that will make your heart pound. And if you’re looking for more eBooks than just the one we referenced at the beginning of this article, then we have two more that might interest you:

• An Insider’s Guide to Improving Muscle and Building Strength
• 10 Reasons Why You Need a Personal Trainer

All our eBooks have been authored by Alex Carson, one of Atlanta’s most sought-after fitness coaches. An Atlanta native, Alex is a former D1-AA athlete who played football for The College of the Holy Cross. It was during his years at Holy Cross that he developed a passion for physical fitness and nutrition.

Upon graduating, he received his personal training certification and began working at several gyms before joining the team at Eclipse 1-on-1. Alex knows what it means to truly help people achieve the best versions of themselves. When Alex competed in his first-ever bodybuilding show, the eight-time Mr. Olympia Lee Haney’s first competition, and won Overall Best Bodybuilder.