An Athlete’s Best Friend: What Does a Personal Trainer Do?

Did you know that the number of personal trainers is expected to increase by 14% in ten years? Even so, you may be wondering, “What does a personal trainer do?” You’ll soon discover that they wear many hats to help their clients.

Read on to learn more about a personal trainer’s duties!

A Trainer Helps Clients Set Goals

Looking to get over a weight-loss plateau? A personal trainer in my area can help with that. They’ll work with you to figure out gaps in your current fitness routine or help you build one from the ground up.

Better yet, they can explain why certain exercises are beneficial. For instance, during weekly strength training sessions, they can explain which muscles a given exercise targets. They’ll also be able to help you set weekly or monthly fitness goals, such as running a faster mile.

Trainers Operate Within a Scope of Practice

There is not a single standardized test for personal trainers, but many agencies offer credentialing programs. And these help ensure that personal trainers can demonstrate their expertise.

Different national agencies, such as the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), help define a personal trainer’s scope of practice, too. Scope of practice refers to the range of responsibilities a personal trainer has. The primary one is developing safe exercise programs for clients.

Outlining a scope or practice helps personal trainers know their boundaries, too. For example, they are not equipped with the expertise to prescribe meal plans, medications, or medical advice.

What Does a Personal Trainer Do? Motivate!

When you have trouble staying motivated, you’re more likely to stop a fitness regimen. And the stats paint a grim picture for individuals’ health these days. A mere 5% of adults exercise at least 30 minutes each day!

A personal trainer provides the necessary accountability. You’ll have someone encouraging you through your final reps on the bench press. And your trainer will track the numbers, dates, and data so you can see evidence of progress.

If you struggle with boredom during workouts, they’ll mix it up. And they’ll assign you stretches or other exercises between sessions to keep the momentum going.

Start Avoiding Injuries with the Right Training

Why hire a personal trainer? They’ll be able to help you avoid aggravating old injuries — or developing new ones. Blindly stepping into a fitness routine can be dangerous. Overexerting yourself or using a sloppy technique with free weights can sideline you with injuries.

That’s where personal trainers provide a critical service. You can learn the proper form to avoid bodybuilding injuries if you’re looking to add muscle mass. Trainers will be able to correct your posture or catch jerky movements to minimize the risk of injuries.

Know the Benefits of Having a Personal Trainer

Are you still wondering, “What does a personal trainer do?” These individuals have knowledge of fitness, nutrition, and anatomy that they can use to design fitness programs. They work within their areas of expertise and help clients stay motivated.

Find more information that can help you achieve your fitness goals. Check back for new articles!