These days, there are so many quickie ways to take a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) course. There are also several excellent organizations turning out highly qualified trainers. I began training before they even really required a certification. I did major in biology/physiology and always found the human body to be one of the most fascinating topics I could study. What I am trying to stress here is that whoever you select, ask about their certification, for references and about their education, as well as their experience in the field. You can go online and investigate the certifying organization, the college they attended and definitely call their references.

Equally as important is that you really feel that you “click”, that

you can trust that this person has your very best interests at heart. Do not be afraid to ask a lot of questions. To me, selecting the right trainer is as important as selecting the right doctor. You are putting the well being and physical development of your body in their hands. They had better know what they are doing … don’t you think?

Your trainer should do a thorough fitness assessment on you, first thing. It needs to consist of a comprehensive medical health history. Please do your best to be as complete with these facts as possible. It is critical to provide every single physical event that your body has been through. If I’m going to create a

truly safe and effective fitness program for you, I need to know what your body has been through. You should be asked to perform some kind of cardiovascular fitness test to assess your heart and lung health. A series of muscular tests should include assessment of strength as well as endurance. Your flexibility is the last area that will be assessed.

The rest of your assessment will consist of a discussion around your goals and your present food plan. A good trainer will listen carefully to you, assessing how realistic your goals are and help you to put them in a doable time frame. The food planning may not be within their scope of expertise. If not, they should have

someone to refer you to. Trainers are not required to be trained in nutrition; however, many, like myself, opt to get certified in that area as well.

Remember, you are their boss. You have hired them and you can fire them. Go with your gut. If you, for any reason, feel that this is not the trainer for you, you are probably right. Depending on the condition you started out in, the length of time in which you will see results will vary. You will, in relatively short order, feel firmer and have an increase in energy and flexibility. You should see this in no more than 4-6 weeks. Happy training!

If fitness and [http://kimsfitnessandnutrition.com]nutrition are top concerns of
yours,

or if they should be, don’t miss a single article from Julia Hall. Ms. Hall has over 15
years of experience in the fitness world as a personal trainer, motivator, and certified
nutritionist. She’s been published in leading [http://kimsfitnessandnutrition.com]health magazines and regularly posts articles from
the [http://kimsfitnessandnutrition.com]fitness frontlines in Taos, New Mexico where
she lives with her partner and two wonderful dogs.