With summer upon us the phone has been ringing off the hook here at the office. The two most common questions are 1) what are your prices? 2) What kind of machines do you have? Does anyone else see a problem with that? You have realized that help is needed achieving your goals, you seek out a 'professional' and I do use the term professional loosely, yet we all get stuck on cost and equipment. A 'professional' should not, in my opinion discuss price with you, how do I know what you need? Do you really know what you need? Do you know that machines do not work and actually encourage injury?

In the medical / scientific world we test and evaluate. If we can not test all we are doing is guessing, I personally do not like to guess, and I would assume that you would rather not pay for a guess. The unfortunate fact is that most 'professional' trainers never test, they sure get you money in a hurry though! One of my favorite gimmicks in the 'professional' fitness industry is the free sessions, you would not go see a Physician and expect someone that studied for so long to give their services away for free, what makes a 'professional' trainer any different?

So what does one look for? Start off with a degree, and please make sure it is in a related field (sports medicine, athletic training, nursing, exercise science, exercise physiology etc.). Now, let me also say that some of the best trainers I have seen and hired have no exercise based higher education, BUT they have ALL the certifications that matter. What I mean is that the few accredited certifications that actually teach safe, effective, scientific exercise they have taken.

-National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)

-National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)

-American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)

Ask the 'professional' trainer the last seminar they attended, the last scientific journal they read? There are hundreds of schools and certifications out there, most do not teach anything close to exercise science or personal training. I say this because daily I watch 'professional' trainers at the local chain gym destroy their eager clients. Daily I watch dangerous exercises taught to folks who have not been evaluated for injurious patterns, exercise that will cause injury. For the past 6 years I have interviewed and not hired 'professional' trainers who hold those other certifications, which I will not name. in the 'professional' trainers defense, they do not know that they do not know, it simply is not taught.

The bottom line is that prior to discussing price you need to be evaluated for.....

-Posture

-Flexibility

-Balance

-Range of Motion

-Movement tests

-Strength

Then your personal goals are factored into a program that accounts for your schedule. After the tests I know what your body actually needs, you may not need 5 days a week, 2-3 days may be fine. You may be so physically imbalanced that massage is needed prior to beginning or a consultation needed with your physician. I can not design a program or know a cost until I know what your body needs, then and only then do we discuss price. A 'professional' trainer should have educated you during your fitness assessment so that you understand what you need, why and how the program is being designed specifically for you. Then we can talk price, frequency and duration.
So, what is the take home message? Do your home work, realize that all trainers are not created equal, anything free or gimmicky is probably a ploy, and if the trainer goes after your wallet first, keep searching.