Personal training is an exciting career because it allows you to positively impact an individual’s newfound health and wellness habits. Few things are more rewarding than coaching a client into achieving a body transformation they’ve only dreamed about. The satisfaction in observing a client’s physical and mental change as they achieve goals with your instruction is one of the most gratifying experiences a professional can have. The relationship built between a trainer and a client can be lifelong.
This article is all about becoming a personal trainer Sacramento, the certifications required, and the traits of a successful professional.
Obtain An Associate’s Or 4-Year Degree
Earning an associate’s degree or higher is not mandatory to become a high-performing personal trainer. Still, both programs will provide you with a unique knowledge and skill set that will benefit you in your career. In an associate’s degree program, you’ll be required to complete both general education classes and classes specific to your area of emphasis. The primary focus of the courses will be on the relationship between the human body and exercise.
Courses might include:
- Kinesiology
- Conditioning
- Motor Development
- Anatomy and Physiology
Associates degree coursework can help you prepare for a four-year degree program, leading to a bachelor’s degree. Earning a higher degree will provide you with more career options. Having an associate’s degree will put you at an advantage over those with no degree.
Personal Training Certifications
If you want to be hired as a personal trainer at a reputable gym, you’ll need to have an accredited certification. There are several personal training certifications available, most notably NASM and NSCA-CSCS. Both of these certifications are considered the gold standard in the industry.
Personal training certifications show that you have learned the fundamentals of fitness, movement, exercise science, training, nutrition, and coaching. In other words, you’re proving that you have the knowledge base required to help clients meet their goals safely and effectively.
Personal training certifications give you credibility in an unregulated industry. Today, there are no national or state licensing requirements for personal trainers for other professions. Acquiring a reputable personal training certification sets you apart from your peers and equips you with the knowledge needed to be effective.
Choosing an accredited personal trainer certification demonstrates that you have a breadth of knowledge that is accurate, invalid, research-driven, and supported by science.
What Makes A Great Personal Trainer Sacramento?
Anatomy And Physiology
Taking the appropriate courses to understand basic anatomy and physiology is essential to being an effective personal trainer. Personal training is a proactive approach to health and wellness. You must understand the processes involved with body transformation, performance enhancement, and improving a person’s physical health and well-being. These things don’t happen overnight. Understanding how to create a unique training plan according to a client’s specific needs, goals, history (injuries, etc.) will set you apart from others in the industry.
Exercise Technique
Understanding how to coach and instruct a client on exercise techniques is critical. The clients will receive the best results from their efforts and stay safe as they progress with their fitness. Increasing your understanding of movement patterns, exercise variations, and equipment that you can use in the gym to enhance a client’s training will arm you with plenty of tools in the toolbox.
Effective Communication With Clients
Communication is one of the most underrated characteristics of a world-class personal trainer. Your ability to communicate effectively with your client during training sessions, establish goals, set expectations and create homework for before and after training sessions will determine their success.
If your communication skills are lacking, the client will not fully understand what’s expected of them. Clients pay good money looking for professional advice on how to improve their fitness, health, and wellness. It is a personal trainer’s job to articulate that message clearly and effectively.
Good Trainers Listen To Clients
The best personal trainers listen to the goals of their clients. The biggest mistake for a personal trainer Sacramento to make is projecting their values onto their clients. It’s imperative to remove your ego from the equation and apply concepts and principles of exercise tailored to what the client hopes to achieve from hiring you. In other words, don’t add exercises to a client’s program just because you think they should be doing it. Make sure that every element of the program is designed to meet their needs and goals.
Building off of this, a good personal trainer Sacramento will ask questions versus constantly lecturing their clients. Nobody wants to be lectured. Instead, a good trainer will ask questions to understand what matters most to the client. Once you’ve collected enough information, you can educate your client on essential things like anatomy, proper form, and exercise selection.
Continuing Education
Continually pursuing education is essential for a personal trainer Sacramento, similar to doctors and other medical professionals. While fundamental principles and concepts change do not change overnight, there’s always new information to digest, which can benefit clients and build trust.
Personal trainers might consider taking a specialization course that provides them with an opportunity to examine their current thinking, strategies and keep them up-to-date with what gets the best results. Staying up-to-date is the best practice for seeing improved outcomes with clients.
The health and wellness industry is competitive, and clients have dozens of coaches to choose from. Continuing education and health-related fields will help you be better prepared and more attractive to clients. A client will have confidence knowing that you are invested in your education and committed to providing the best service possible.
Practice What You Preach
Beyond all the certifications and acronyms behind a personal trainer’s name, an essential part of becoming the best personal trainer is practicing what you preach. Your clients are coming to you to absorb what you know and what you do to maintain fitness.
A good personal trainer Sacramento should care about their health as much as they care about their client’s health. It’s great to have the knowledge to share with clients, but you should look the part. Fitness leaves clues, and you want to give the impression that you are someone who practices what they preach.
