Starting a fitness regimen is a scary proposition, but an even more frightening task may be figuring out how you break up with your trainer when your exercise goals are not being met.
Gary Caldwell is proof of how hard it is to split with a fitness pro. He stuck it out for three years and two trainers at his gym before finally throwing in the towel. He then found Brian Barkley, who runs a Westminster studio, Functional Conditioning. Caldwell, 54, faults his earlier trainers for lack of personal attention and not offering a workout plan for his specific needs.
“I’m not a young guy, and I’ve had a number of injuries,” Caldwell says. “The trainers at my gym wanted to impress me with how hard they could work me.
“More important, it wasn’t that I had to fire somebody; it was that Brian had a lot more to offer for me. He is able to set goals with you, whether you are a golfer or skier or a mountain climber.”
Caldwell says he wanted personal attention and to work on areas where he had injuries, and avoid further ones.
Shannon Huehn also had problems with her trainer, or at least her training program. A year ago, she and a friend joined the Anti-Gym, a no-holds-barred approach to fitness training run by Michael Karolchyk. The trainers are called “lifestyle experts” and sometimes resort to throwing cupcakes at clients or calling them names when they don’t lose weight.
Shortly after they joined the gym, their trainer left, and they had problems scheduling sessions with the new trainer. Then Huehn was in a group of six or eight people, which was larger than she thought it would be.
Anti-Gym has two Denver locations, and Karolchyk has spread the word about his unorthodox approach through television and radio appearances. He’s unapologetic about his training regimen.
“I have had 20 people have a break down after one session who thought we were a genie in a magic bottle,” said Karolchyk. “We have a very thorough interview where we say, ‘Do you really want this?’ And when you have (the first) consultation we say again, ‘do you really want this?”‘
J. Madden, managing partner and CEO at Greenwood Athletic Club, takes a gentler approach when a client has a problem with a trainer.
“The client is boss, and if they want to change, for whatever reason, that’s what you do as far as doing business and providing a good service,” said Madden, who also is the founder and managing partner of Pura Vida Fitness & Spa, opening early next year in Cherry Creek North. “The wrong trainer can also mean the wrong client. It is a mutual relationship. If there is discomfort where the client and trainer are not properly suited, it becomes obvious in the near term that the match was ill-conceived, and most often it is just a ‘clearing conversation’ and both parties move on.”
The best way to avoid firing your trainer? Hire the right one in the first place.
Do your homework. Find out everything you can about the trainer – his or her credentials, personality, training style, degrees, knowledge of various exercise programs, etc. Talk to the trainer and make sure you’re comfortable before you start your sessions.
Barkley, who has trained Denver R&B singer Hazel Miller and Andrew Hudson, former press secretary to Mayor Wellington Webb, said much of that is assuring that your trainer understands you and your goals. He also said don’t hire trainers who just want to sell you more lessons or products.
“The No.1 thing is that a lot of trainers don’t listen. They like to hear themselves talk,” Barkley said. He doesn’t ridicule clients, but he also doesn’t think the trainer needs to be your pal.
“You don’t have to be buddy-buddy because he still has to push you,” Barkley said. “If you’re shooting the breeze and not getting the workouts done, it won’t work. It has to be both ways. What I mean is it has to be a win-win for you and a win-win for them.”
Finding a winning trainer takes some legwork. Look at it like you are hiring someone for a service. Recommendations from friends or co-workers are fine, but don’t rely on them solely.
And hold up your end of the bargain. “Set realistic expectations and don’t expect miracles from the trainer,” Madden says. “The trainer is only as good as the client is motivated to achieve their goals and stick to the program. A trainer can only do so much to guide and motivate, but without a willing participant, the energy can easily be diluted, or lost.”
Tips on finding the right personal trainer
1. Check certifications. Some of the better- known certification programs: National Strength and Conditioning Association, American College of Sports Medicine, American Council on Exercise, National Academy of Sports Medicine and International Sports Sciences Association. Verify that credentials are current and the trainer is knowledgeable about nutrition, fitness and health. A trainer also should be constantly updating his or her education. Be sure certifications in CPR and first aid are updated.
2. Make sure the trainer assesses your general health, medical history and training goals before you start any sessions. Among the recommended tests: physical-activity readiness questionnaire; measurements of body fat, weight, circumferences and blood pressure; plus posture analysis and muscle imbalances. All these should be tracked during training sessions.
3. Avoid a one-size-fits-all philosophy. A trainer should fit your regimen to your body type, ability and fitness goals. Find a trainer who fits your goals. If your goal is to be able to take a three-day hunting trip into the Alaskan woods or compete in a swimsuit competition, the trainer will know how to design your training program.
4. Ask for references. A good trainer will name past clients to vouch for his or her ability.
5. Commitment. Trainer and client should commit to achieving the goals set out at the consultation. That means both should be on time and ready to work out. “Dedication is a two-way street. Once the reciprocity of the relationship is achieved between the client and the trainer, a bond is created and a trust solidified that can last for many years,” said J. Madden, managing partner and CEO at Greenwood Athletic Club.
6. Ask questions. Understand the trainer’s demands and specify your requests and goals.
7. A trainer should be energetic, upbeat and focused on you during each session. Take some time at the initial consultation to get to know your trainer and his or her personality. If a trainer is working out with you or spends time on a cellphone, then it may be time to change trainers. “Go with your gut. If you’re uncomfortable with a trainer, then he or she may not be right for you,” said Denver personal trainer Brian Barkley.
8. Keep a journal of your workouts. Write the exercises you like and dislike. Keep talking to your trainer about how your routine is doing and any changes you would like to make. A good trainer should be keeping notes.
9. Deciding how many sessions you need is an individual choice. Don’t let the trainer lock you into more sessions than you want; you always can add sessions later. Ask how much you will be billed upfront (sessions can cost $30 to $100 each, depending on the facility, the trainer and the program). Get it in writing, and see if there are any guarantees.
10. Get your workout routine in writing so you can work out on your own.
Sources on finding a trainer
Scott White, .
Dallas fitness writer Donovan Baldwin, .
Mike Mauney, North Carolina fitness trainer, .
Baltimore fitness expert Stephen Holt,
Trainer-related websites
Denver Fitness Trainers:
Age-friendly fitness instructors: icaa.cc/FacilityLocator/icaapftguide.pdf
.
