Personal Training

One to one personal training has a limited number of slots available, so if you would like to register your interest, please email or call.

Costs

Personal Training – 1hr – £35

Personal Training for 2 – 1hr – £45

Fitness Testing – £30

Programme Design – £30

Nutritional Evaluation -£30

Choosing A Personal Trainer

www.lifestyle-fitness-training.co.uk

The decision to seek the specialist services of a personal trainer is a big one for most people, and choosing the right trainer for them is a very personal choice.

What To Look For

The following is a list of things you should look for in a personal trainer:

  • Qualifications – including a basic fitness instruction certificate, a personal training qualification and a first aid certificate.
  • Registered with a professional body e.g. REPs.
  • Insurance – ask to see a copy of the certificate.
  • Experience – don’t be afraid to ask for references.
  • Speciality qualifications/experience if required e.g. if you have high blood pressure.
  • Appointment availability convenient to you.
  • Professional and friendly manner.
  • AND MOST IMPORTANTLY that they are someone who you feel comfortable working with.

A personal trainer will likely see you at your best and your worst.  They will know some very personal information about you such as your weight, body composition and overall fitness levels, and they will test these directly with you. A good personal trainer will be quite “hands on”, adjusting your body to the correct position for various exercises, helping in the stretches and if they are so qualified perhaps even providing pre and post workout massage treatments.  So it is vital that you feel comfortable with your trainer otherwise you simply won’t enjoy your personal training sessions and will not therefore get the best out of them.

Where To Look

If you have no problems with going to a gym or if you are already a gym member then most gyms will have personal trainers on site, and it’s simply a case of making an appointment through reception.  If you don’t like the personal trainer assigned to you or if you just don’t think they are right for your needs then never be afraid to say so.  Most major gyms have plenty to choose from, and if you have a preference it’s ok to say whether you would would prefer a male or female instructor.

If you are seeking a freelance personal trainer to come to your home or office, then the Internet is a good place to start.  Simply carry out a search for “personal trainer Chipping Norton”,   Chances are you will find a few but if not widen the search to a neighbouring town or even the county.

Don’t simply pick the first one you see.  Have a look at two or three websites.  See how they represent themselves on the site.  Do they provide plenty of information about themselves?  How do their fees compare?  What experience and qualifications do they have?  Does the website have any testimonials?  Do they offer a free initial consultation?

Once you have found a personal trainer who you like the look of visit the REPs website, to check their qualification levels and registration.  If the personal trainer is registered you can be sure of the published qualifications, insurance and registration.  If they are not, they may still be a legitimate trainer, but I would make sure that come the initial meeting you ask to see documentary evidence of their qualifications and insurance.

What To Expect At The First Meeting/Consultation

Every personal trainer has their own way of working, but many will choose to offer a free consultation including a health and fitness assessment at your first meeting.  While this is not essential, it really makes sense for both parties to do this at this stage to avoid duplicating questions later on.

Following, some basic introductions the trainer will likely ask you to fill in some paperwork or at least ask you some questions so that he may fill it in on your behalf.  The most common form is a PAR-Q which asks some basic medical questions.  This is an important part of the process as it will reveal any medical conditions that the personal trainer should be aware of when designing an exercise programme for you.  In some instances, if the form has revealed a number of conditions or a particular problem, the trainer may ask you to get an additional form signed by your doctor before he continues to train you.


If this is the case, please do not be offended, as the trainer is simply doing his job properly by ensuring that you are fit enough to embark on an exercise programme.  Furthermore, he may invalidate his insurance if he fails in this responsibility.  A trainer is fully entitled to refuse to train anyone who refuses to provide medical information, provides false information or is unwilling to seek medical advice.

Some trainers will also ask that you complete a Health & Lifestyle questionaire.  This will partially duplicate the PAR-Q but covers everything in a little more detail and addresses your overall lifestyle as well as your medical history e.g. occupation, stress levels etc.

Following completion of the paperwork most trainers will then start on the health tests. Tests vary from trainer to trainer, but the common ones include:

  • resting heart rate
  • blood pressure test
  • peak flow test
  • body measurements
  • weight
  • body composition (body fat %)

If the above tests do not reveal any problems then some basic fitness tests may follow.  Again, the tests themselves vary but essentially the trainer is trying to establish your current level of fitness by establishing:

  • cardio fitness
  • muscular strength
  • muscular endurance
  • muscular power
  • muscular flexibility
  • core strength

They may for example, ask you to perform a timed step test, stepping in time to a beat which gets gradually faster and faster while they record your heart rate at set intervals.  This maybe followed, by some full or partial press ups in time to a electonic metronome beat, to establish your upper body strength and endurance.  They may ask you to do a jump test to see how high you can jump, thereby measuring your lower body power, and so on.

Try not to see these tests as a chore or even an example that you pass or fail.  Regardless of your fitness level you will achieve a result, and the trainer will use that result to design a programme tailored for your level.

NB A good trainer will always make sure that you warm up before these tests and cool down after.

After your cool down and some stretching, during which the trainer will likely assess your flexibility, it will be time to come to a decision.  The meeting will have taken approximately 1 hour, so you should by now have some idea as to whether this is someone you can work with.  If you they, it’s simply a case of booking your first few sessions.  Most personal trainers will require payment up front.

Best of luck in finding a trainer and in your quest for fitness.