10 Things To Look For In A Great Fitness Instructor

Check out the ten qualities below that you should look for in an amazing fitness instructor

Congratulations on leaping into the next phase of your fitness journey and considering hiring a personal fitness instructor. A professional fitness instructor would not only help you achieve your health and fitness goals but ensure you stay motivated and on track. How? By keeping you accountable and motivated.

 
Most of all, professional fitness instructors analyse your health, body type, lifestyle, eating habits, and other metrics to determine which is the best physical regime for you. This personalised approach helps you get results faster without getting derailed or suffer from any injuries, which is usually the case when you perform exercises unsuitable for you.

 
However, you can only enjoy the benefits of having a fitness instructor by your side if you can invest some time in finding the right person for the job.

So, what to look for in a great fitness instructor? Let's find out!

1. Certified Instructor

The fitness instructor should be professionally qualified and must be accredited and recognised by a registered organisation. An educated, certified and qualified fitness instructor would help you in a personalised manner to achieve your fitness goal.

Any fitness fanatic can give you some random advice about living a healthy life or what workouts to follow. However, what makes fitness instructors stand out is their qualifications in fitness education. It is essential to ask for such credentials before you go ahead and hire, especially if the trainer is a freelancer or operates out of a home gym. 

2. Passionate About Health, Fitness, and Wellness

You don't want a fitness instructor who is 'just doing their job.' The fitness instructor must be passionate about health and fitness. The body language and the aura of energy that surrounds them would rub off on you, which would also contribute to your success. 

It would help you stay motivated and determined, which can make a huge difference in the outcome of your efforts, especially if you're a beginner. Moreover, a passionate fitness instructor would ensure you achieve your goals and go above and beyond to keep you motivated and accountable. 

3. A Good Listener

An ideal fitness instructor is the one who listens to you and decides your fitness program accordingly. However, when you're conversing with your fitness instructor for the first time and instead of listening to what you've in mind, the entire conversation revolves around what he thinks is right for you, get out of there! 

Such fitness instructors might have good intentions, but their approach is not oriented towards personalisation as much as you want. Personal training is more like a partnership, and two-way communication is a must to make it work. 

The personal trainer you hire must carefully listen to what you have in mind, what your self-goals are, and care about your concerns. If what you've in mind doesn't align with the fitness regime they design for you; it won't work!

4. Empathy & Compassion

It is natural for most super fit people to develop a certain amount of disdain for unfit, overweight, and sedentary people. You don't want a fitness instructor who looks down upon you because, in that case, it would be almost impossible to develop a connection or rapport that works. The trainer has to understand and actually feel with humility what you're going through to guide you because what might seem easy to him can be nearly impossible for you.

The fitness instructor has to be patient, compassionate and empathetic to boost your morale and stand by you in your struggle. If you and the fitness instructor don't develop this sort of humane connection, it would be challenging to achieve any goals together.

You won't be comfortable letting out your insecurities and issues while the instructor would be too busy watching the clock if you know what it means!

5. Comprehensive Fitness Assessments

The personalised fitness program you follow must be based on a clinical and physical assessment. Before starting any fitness program, your fitness instructor should do a wide range of fitness tests and ask for other screenings to get done. 

It would help the fitness instructors understand the core issues with your health/body, the areas that need improvement and help make the program measurable going forward. 

6. Progress Tracking

The best fitness instructors develop personalised and effective workout programs and track the progress of their clients. Make sure you ask the fitness instructors how would they track your progress. If you can't see your progress, it isn't easy to stay motivated, especially if you're a beginner and putting in tons of effort. 

It is the results, no matter how minuscule, that help people stay on course. There are many different ways a personal trainer can measure, manage and track progress based on your specific fitness goals, including –

• Weight Lifted
• Weight
• Nutrition
• Range of Motion
• Quality of Sleep
• Body to Fat Ratio

7. Fitness Instructor Works Out Too!

You might have a preconceived notion that a personal trainer should be like 'Arnold Schwarzenegger' with a chiselled look, bulky yet toned muscles, and sharp look. The personal trainer doesn't necessarily have to be a muscle man. However, the fitness instructor must work out because the fitness instructor who "walks the walk" would always motivate you and lead by example. 

Do ask if they participate in any sporting or athletic events? Ask if they compete in any marathon or weight lifting events? Such information tells a lot about the person because the people who participate in these events are competitive, which rubs off on you. And, it helps a lot!

8. Experience

A fitness instructor with years of experience (or at least a couple of years) would have tried, tested, and perfected the art of training clients from different age groups, body types, and health stature. Someone who has worked with various people over the years would better understand your needs and provide better and more experienced solutions.

It not only helps you get comfortable quickly in working with him/her but ensures you get results faster. Most of all, it would excite you enough to look forward to your workout sessions.

9. Accommodating

One of the many reasons people often choose a personal trainer is that their work schedules are erratic, or they don't know where to start. You need someone who can understand your lifestyle and timings and can accommodate accordingly.

Moreover, a great fitness instructor would adjust on the go depending upon which exercise suits you more, how much weight you can lift, and so on. These minor adjustments can make a lot of difference in ensuring you stay on the fitness path and don't get derailed midway, whether due to injury or lack of enthusiasm.

An accommodating personal trainer would ensure you're not only doing the right reps but enjoying it too, which is of tremendous importance.

10. Professionalism & Demeanour

The fitness instructor you consider hiring must be a thorough professional and have a friendly yet disciplined demeanour. Most of the personal trainers are typically demanding by habit as it works well with most people. If this is not something you're looking for, make sure to let that be known in advance.

A great fitness instructor takes health and fitness seriously and follows a disciplined and scheduled timeline, whether it is workout sessions, physical assessments, or results. It is their professionalism and demeanour that helps you stay serious about the fitness journey and not take it lightly, which is pivotal to achieving your fitness goals.

Hope you loved our 10 Tips for Being a Great Fitness Instructor

It is important to take your health seriously and take measures to correct your course while there's still time. Like most things that are worthy of having, good health comes with a price. And, in this case, the price is your comfort zone and probably an unhealthy lifestyle and eating habits.

 
Hiring an experienced and certified fitness instructor in Melbourne would ensure you're able to get out of that vicious trap that's deteriorating your health and achieve a healthy and well-toned body others around would envy. So, go ahead and hire a great fitness instructor today – It's worth it!

Hi, I'm Gary Wagner (Coach Gaz).

I help business leaders get out of pain so they can dominate their profession & get all that they want out of life. I guide professionals passionate about achieving new levels of performance. I enable them to forge an effective and resilient physical form that feels unstoppable, enabling and empowering their personal and professional success in Melbourne.

What you will get from the program:
👉 Unlimited training for 14 days
👉 30-min goal-setting session with the expert head coach
👉 Nutrition Guide
👉 Recipe Booklets
👉 Tracking tools

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