My Personal Trainer Injured Me
by Dr. Kareem Samhouri author of Double Edged Fat Loss

Unfortunately, I've heard this one all too often, and I always respond the same: "I'm sorry that you had a bad experience with exercise, but did you find someone you could trust? Was she or he qualified to do the job?"

In truth, all personal trainers are not created equally. Weekend certifications, inappropriate goal setting, and a lack of scientific foundation are often the root causes of injury that take place between a personal trainer and his or her client. Many personal trainers believe that their experiences with exercise will be the same for others, if they can just teach their clients how to do what they do. This saddens me.

It's time that qualified fitness professionals stand up for what is right, help personal trainers who are just starting out realize their weaknesses, and educate the public on choosing the right trainer. What other field related to health pretends to be more qualified than they are? It just does not happen.

I've created a quick list of questions that you should be sure to ask a personal trainer before hiring:

1) Are you certified? If so, through whom?

Look for the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) or National Strength and Conditioning Association (NCSA).

2) Have you ever worked with someone like me before? What were their results?

Ask for pictures if at all possible. Otherwise, be sure to ask for specific answers. Any trainer that has been in the industry for awhile understands that tracking results is a necessity.

3) Can you provide me with references of your previous clients?

You may not even need to call this person. Having someone's phone number or email address, alone, signifies a mutual level of trust.

4) Are there any doctors or other healthcare practitioners in the area that know you or that you've worked with in the past?

It's a sure bet that some doctor, physical therapist, or chiropractor in the area knows your personal trainer if she or he is any good.

5) If I were to get injured, how would we handle it?

People do get injured from time to time. It's more important to find out why they were injured, how your personal trainer will respond, and whether or not they even feel comfortable around this subject.

6) How long do you think that we will be training together? Do you think that I'll become independent with exercise?

If you are having a great time and getting great results you may decide to extend your contract. Otherwise, it's important to have a realistic time frame for your exercise program from day one.

Use this checklist of questions to determine whether or not this personal trainer is a good fit for you. As a general statement, any experienced fitness professional will be glad to answer all of these questions in order to show you his or her dedication to your success. On the other hand, these questions will be difficult to answer if s/he does not have any exercise experience.

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