The area around New Orleans presents plenty of temptations to its denizens. The French Quarter in the big city is a world unto its own, and loaded with potentially unhealthful eating and drinking activities. A Metairie personal trainer for health might be something to look at, if you're from the area and you want to tone it up and take it off.
Keep in mind that in the New Orleans area local diets rich in butters and sauces, such as one finds in certain Creole recipes, can add calories to a daily diet very quickly. And a general preoccupation with the constant grind of making a living can distract a person from good personal health.
Don't accept poor health as a natural thing or a fact of life, for that matter. Even if you live "down in the Bayou." Find a personal trainer down in the Metairie area and take advantage of his or her services. You'll be glad you did in the end.
First of all, identify certain things you require from just about any trainer. Make sure he or sure is certified, to start, and that the entity is well known and recognized for certifying professionals. There are three or four who do just this sort of thing, so look them up.
Good trainers are able to gauge your fitness and render a decision about your personal physical state of being. They can then design and help you implement a specific program that's taken your own needs into account. This program will make you want to stick with it, by the way. This is one of a number of things they should be able to do for you.
Teaching you the basics of weight training and aerobic fitness are two of the most important items on a good fitness trainer's checklist. He or she will make sure you know how to integrate both things into an intelligent and thoughtful fitness training plan. And when you have a plan, you'll want to follow it more than if you just make stuff up on a daily basis. Plus, you'll want to follow your own progress, which is a good thing.
Once you have an idea of what you need in a trainer, how do you go about locating one from the Metairie area? Try fitness centers and the better and more well-funded gyms, first of all. Each will probably retain a personal trainer as part of the fitness services they offer to their members. And ask a friend who uses one if they can recommend a trainer.
The two most vital issues when it comes down to working with a personal trainer is your desire to want to get in shape and a personal trainer's ability and drive to get you to that state. Make sure anybody you use is up on the latest and best training programs and has a certification, as a minimum.
Personal Trainer For Dummies
Personal trainers can certainly help you achieve your physical goals faster. They can give you personalised attention, help reduce the risk of injury when exercising, make the workout much more enjoyable and most of all, provide the extrinsic motivation you need to maintain the lifestyle habits that are conducive to getting the results you want.
Personal trainers vary greatly in cost, educational background, training practices and personal philosophy. Make sure their experience and qualifications are up to date. A good point to keep in mind when choosing a personal trainer is to see if they practice what they preach. There is no point being trained by someone who doesn't look the part and isn't passionate about what they do. The Golden Rule regarding selection of the right personal trainer is:
?If they don't weight train themselves, don't let them weight train you!?
Before employing the services of a personal trainer, ask them the following questions to see if they meet your needs:
Why did you become a personal trainer?
Personal trainers must have a passion for health and fitness. Not only should they practice what they preach, but they should also love sharing their expertise with others. They should also enjoy helping other people achieve their physical goals and they should gain satisfaction from encouraging people to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Great personal trainers are enthusiastic ambassadors of the ?fitness lifestyle?.
What type of exercise program do you provide to get your clients the best results?
Some personal trainers prefer cardiorespiratory exercise for training their clients and this is OK, but only if it is combined with a regular resistance-training program. If they don't include weight training as a part of your exercise program, don't even consider them in becoming your personal trainer. They might say you don't need to train with weights to get results, but to get the best results in the shortest time you must train with weights. The ?body-shaping? results through any other means of training are slow and limited.
What qualifications do you have?
Do they have a university degree or other formal accreditation from a registered training organisation? Just because they have won a local bodybuilding or fitness competition certainly doesn't make them a good trainer. They may have a good practical knowledge but have very little theoretical knowledge and therefore they may suggest unsafe exercises or dietary practices.
On the other hand, don't get someone to train you simply because they have lots of letters after their name. They may have an enormous amount of theoretical knowledge but their practical abilities may be seriously lacking. Select a personal trainer who has a good balance of theory and practice.
Do you keep up to date with current research?
Their answer must be an emphatic YES! Personal trainers must continually update their knowledge through workshops, seminars, books, journal articles and magazines, etc. By doing so, they can provide their clients with the most effective information to accelerate their results.
Do you have many clients?
This gives you an indication as to how popular they are as a trainer and also as to whether they can fit into your time schedule (you should not have to fit into theirs).
Have your clients got results?
This is one of the most important questions you should ask. Some clients just like to have a trainer as a social outlet, not necessarily for the physical benefits. Some do it for the, ?I've got a personal trainer? image. Obviously these people have plenty of money to throw around and shouldn't be included in the equation. However, if you really want good results from your training, then your trainer should be as keen as you are in getting you the results you desire. Perhaps ask to see the before and after photos or appraisal results of some of their clients. If they don't have any, it may indicate that they are more concerned about taking your money than getting you results.
How often do you perform appraisals on your clients?
If the trainer is ?results-orientated? (as they should be), they should do an appraisal on all their clients every four to six weeks to see how they are progressing and to quantify their results.
Can you supply client references?
Good trainers will always have satisfied clients and they should be more than happy for you to contact their ?client references? to find out what they are like as a trainer. Call two or three clients and ask them about the trainer's ability. Find out what they think the trainer's strengths and weaknesses are. Is the trainer professional, dependable, enthusiastic and knowledgeable? Do they explain the reasoning behind their training principles? Has the client been trained by other trainers before? If so, how does this personal trainer compare? Is the trainer always on time? This is just a sample of some of the questions you should ask the clients of the personal trainer in question.
Do you have public liability and professional indemnity insurance?
These days litigation is commonplace, so it is imperative that the gym facility has suitable insurance to protect it from being sued by clients who may injury themselves on the premises or who may lose property that is being kept on the premises. It is also essential that any gym instructors and personal trainers have professional indemnity insurance to protect themselves from potential litigation. Trainers must show a ?duty of care? to their clients at all times. If they do so, they are almost free from litigation. This may be done by being qualified, by performing pre-exercise screening on clients before training them, by carefully supervising clients throughout all workouts, by documenting workouts and by having documented emergency procedures for the gym. How does your potential trainer compare?
Have you completed courses in CPR and first aid?
The trainer must have a good knowledge of CPR and first aid as well as know the proper procedures to follow in emergency situations. This is particularly important if they perform outdoor exercise sessions.
What do you charge for your services (and what does it include)?
Personal trainers may charge as little as $20 dollars an hour up to several hundred dollars per hour. The cost depends on their qualifications, the length of the workout (however, it shouldn't be longer than an hour), what additional services they provide (before and after photos, re-appraisals, nutritional plans, etc.) and what type of personal training they do. Make sure that the personal trainer's fees fit comfortably into your budget and make sure you are aware of any additional costs that may have to be paid (i.e. Gym membership fees, supplement purchases, accessories, etc.).
What are your training policies?
Before signing any contracts make sure you understand the trainer's policy on payment for sessions, contracts, cancellations and training procedures.
Are you available at the times suitable for me?
The personal trainer must fit into to your time schedule, not you fit into theirs. The main reason for having a personal trainer is so they can assist you in achieving your physical goals at times that are convenient for you.
After speaking with the personal trainer and asking the above questions, ask yourself the following questions regarding the personal trainer:
1. Is he/she suitable for me?
2. Do I like his/her personality?
3. Does he/she have good communication and listening skills?
4. Would I prefer a male or a female personal trainer?
5. Will I look forward to training with him/her?
6. Am I happy with the program he/she suggest in order to achieve the results I want?
7. What level of professionalism does he/she have?
8. Does he/she wear a uniform?
9. Is he/she dressed well?
10. Does he/she always carry a towel with them?
11. Does he/she keep a record of every workout for every client?
12. Is the personal trainer focussed 100% on his/her client when he/she trains them or do they look around the gym, talk to other people or leave the client on his/her own during the training session.
After asking the personal trainer and yourself the above questions, decide whether or not he/she is suitable for you. It is important that you are totally happy with the trainer first before going ahead and signing contracts or starting a training program with them. Good luck!
Both Morgan Le Fay & Stephen James Smith are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Morgan Le Fay has sinced written about articles on various topics from Advertising Guide, Marketing and Personal Trainer. If you find yourself wanting to get back in shape, applaud yourself, then. But make sure any metairie personal trainer you find knows what he or. Morgan Le Fay's top article generates over 4400 views. Bookmark Morgan Le Fay to your Favourites.
Stephen James Smith has sinced written about articles on various topics from Fat Loss, Lose Weight and Fitness. Stephen has been involved in the fitness industry for over 16 years and writes articles for various health and fitness magazines throughout Australia. For more information on his book, 'Look Good, Feel Great' as well as many weight-loss articles, visit:. Stephen James Smith's top article generates over 18100 views. Bookmark Stephen James Smith to your Favourites.