I wanted to write an article educating you, the loyal customer, on how to choose an exceptional personal trainer to get you the results you’re after. Let me be clear, I’m not the world’s best personal trainer. But I do have access to 12 of the most well-trained health and fitness coaches in Australia at the tip of my fingers, and I’m lucky enough to call them team members.

The personal training industry has one of the highest staff turnovers in any industry. All reasons aside, this illustrates how important it is for you to choose the right coach to help you embark on your fitness journey.

With the help of 5EW coaches, I’ve distilled the exceptional personal trainer into 9 definite traits. Here they are:

They Walk the Talk

A coach that tells you to eat chicken breast and broccoli without the dressing is poor. A coach that says that & eats McDonalds in their lunch break is even worse. Every waking moment for a coach is a chance to be a role model for the public. We’re responsible for helping people reach their health and fitness goals, which you achieve through proper nutrition, mindset and movement. If us coaches were to be visibly fit & healthy yet not train consistently or eat nutritious food (yes, this is possible), then what kind of example does that set for our clients and potential clients?

They Perform a Comprehensive Assessment

We are legally required to ask you health related questions to determine if you’re fit enough to exercise. This is the bare minimum! If your coach does not perform a biomechanics assessment to determine the tightnesses and weaknesses in your body, how can they really design a ‘personalised’ program for you? Does your coach go the extra mile with the help of a doctor and get your blood tests done? There are so many variables to consider when designing an exercise and nutritional program. The best coaches will collect as much data on your body & mind as possible to make sure they are making the right decisions.

They Get Results

This doesn’t only pertain to body composition. Before and after images are great but it makes sense that a coach would ask you about your goals considering the full spectrum of health and fitness. Ask yourself, if your coach has a six pack, but they suffer chronic anxiety, would you trade places with them? Their results are not only for themselves but also their clients. Be aware that most coaches will have one or two customers with incredible results but can they consistently get their clients from where they are to where they want to be?

The best coaches will collect as much data on your body & mind as possible to make sure they are making the right decisions.

They Have Great Communication Skills

Humans communicate their thoughts and feelings in very complex ways and the gym is an environment where interpretations can be skewed even more. It’s important that your coach makes you feel safe, so you express yourself… and they listen. There’s plenty of information online on how to get fit and healthy. So then, why is it so hard? A strong relationship is created between coach and student and this can only form with excellent communication skills.

They Are Inspiring

I’m not talking about putting them up on your wall, muscley, oiled up & wrapped in a leopard print rug. I’m talking about a combination of walking the talk and allowing you to align with your vision correctly. You don’t need a guilt-trip into behaving properly; you need to be inspired to do so.

A strong relationship between coach and student can only form with excellent communication skills.

They Consistently Educate

A Certificate III & IV is just the beginning of becoming a great personal trainer. There’s a myriad of upskilling courses available for fitness professionals, so it’s important their certifications line up with your interests. If you only want to learn gymnastics, don’t go to a kettlebell instructor. At 5EW, our junior coaches spend 5 hours per week on continual professional development. They need to attend a professional development course at least once each year and are also reading, listening and researching the best literature in the world in their spare time. Your coach should be doing the same.

They Have a Sound Moral Compass

Taking short cuts is rife in the fitness industry. A collection of before and after photos on a website is the be all and end all for some coaches. The question remains, how did they achieve these results? If they require ingesting dangerous fat-burners, starving themselves or performing countless burpees, then maybe that’s not the long-term approach you’re looking for. A coach should also not lose themselves in gym politics or gossip, and they should not try to ‘win’ you from another trainer. Ethics is important if you’re going to be on a journey of vulnerability and trust.

They Embody Professionalism

Embodying professionalism means being punctual. It means having respect for your personal space, your body and your emotional state. Professionalism is dressing correctly and leaving foul language outside. It means communicating properly through email & phone and not scrolling Facebook during your personal training session! I’m talking about being able to give 100% of their attention to you and your needs in an honourable manner. Professionalism is a character trait that’s hard to teach, so choose your coach wisely.

They Care

All of the above traits culminate into this. Do they really care that you achieve the results you want on a safe, respectful and fun journey? When you come to them after a stressful life situation, you want them to have empathy and compassion. You want them to wear their heart on their sleeve and have a real human connection with you!

Making the decision to outsource your health & fitness to someone else is not always easy, but I hope this advice can help you get to where you’re undoubtedly headed much faster. Give us a call to get started on your journey – 9486 8600