What is the Job of a Personal Trainer?

What does a personal trainer do? The answer is simple: The personal trainer helps his/her clients reach their fitness goals in the most efficient, effective, and safe way possible.

The personal trainer is a guide who leads clients from Point A (their current health and fitness status) to Point B (their fitness goals and health needs). This is known as bridging the gap.

There are four steps to get from Point A to Point B: Assessment; Design; Instruction; and Reassessment

1. Assessment

Why an Assessment is Necessary

To get a client from Point A to Point B, the trainer has to know where (A) the client is and (B) where they wish to go. The design of a program is based on the client's explicit and implicit goals. Explicit goals are those that are expressed by the client. For example, the client will most likely tell the trainer that their goal is weight loss. Implicit goals are those that are implied but not necessarily expressed. Implied in the client’s desire to lose weight is the desire to lose weight quickly (and safely). An initial assessment gives a baseline fitness level, helps to identify risk factors, and can be a motivational tool, when used as a benchmark to later results. The results of the initial assessment should be used to develop goals and design the exercise prescription or program.

Making a Proper Assessment

The client is at Point A.

Begin your assessment with the client’s current health and fitness levels.

Determining the client’s current health and fitness levels includes a health history assessment, an exercise history assessment, and any physical assessments that will help to establish a baseline for later comparison.

A proper health screening must be performed to establish whether or not the client should see a physician before proceeding with the new exercise regimen. A trainer may choose from a variety of cardiopulmonary, metabolic, or musculoskeletal assessments. This establishes the baseline and gives the trainer a snapshot of the client’s current fitness level and the need for improvement. In addition to providing invaluable information, a proper assessment is critical in helping to establish the trainer’s credentials.

Point B: The needs and wants (goals) of the client

Correctly identifying a client’s goals can be the difference between success and failure and maintaining or losing a client. A trainer must have a clear idea of exactly what the client’s wants to accomplish in order to get them to Point B. Showing the client you care by investing in their needs is crucial, not only in making the sale, but in maintaining a long-term relationship. Your clients are your living, breathing advertisements—testaments to your ability as a trainer. Their physical success leads directly to future business for you.

2. Design

How does a personal trainer begin to design an exercise program?

Once the personal trainer has gathered the necessary information (through the initial assessment), he/she must implement the principles of proper program design and progression in order to properly customize the client’s workout. The principles of program design are based on the fundamental sciences of anatomy, exercise physiology, nutrition, etc.

3. Instruction

What is the basis for proper instruction?

Beginning with the principles of biomechanics, the personal trainer will teach proper exercise technique and make appropriate modifications. The trainer needs to combine scientifically proven principles of training and coaching skills to motivate his clients toward their goals.

4. Reassessment

What must the personal trainer reassess?

The personal trainer will assess the client’s progress on two levels. On the micro level, the trainer closely monitors every exercise repetition. For example, if the form breaks down, the trainer should be able to identify the cause. It is the trainer’s job to identify a client’s strengths and to uncover his/her weaknesses. The trainer must devote the most time to a client’s imbalances or deficiencies, while highlighting their abilities.

Remember: Every rep of every set is an assessment!!

Macro assessments are the follow-up assessments that will indicate if the workout has been properly designed and if the instruction has had the desired beneficial effect. If the results are not acceptable (or exceptional) from the client’s perspective, the program must be re-designed and goals re-established. This becomes easier with experience as the trainer commits to listening and applying information to bridge the gap between the client’s needs and goals.

Exercise Physiology