When you’re looking to change the physical composition of your body, it can take years of hard work, determination, and discipline to get results. You have the people who enjoy the luxury of a naturally sculpted physique. But that sadly can’t be everyone. You might have to at least consult top-notch fitness coach skills to learn the basics of refining your physique.
If you’ve decided to start shaping your physical appearance, it is hard to know where to start and if in fact, you’re heading in the right direction. The results speak for themselves but getting good results is the hardest part.
- Honesty – in all aspects of business and personal relations.
- Accuracy and Flexibility – programming for specific individuals to get maximum results.
- Organization – for both paperwork and digital resources.
- Qualifications – degree, license or certification, and experience
- People Skills – motivation, sales, articulation, and closure
So if you’re looking to make a difference for yourself it may be worth investing in a fitness coach. Knowing what to look for in one is yet another challenge. So let’s peel back on what should you look for specific to each of the skills listed above.
1. Honesty
If someone is promising you instant results, a 6 pack, and insane strength gains, it goes back to the adage:
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t true.
Life’s mantra to avoid getting hosed by scammers
When you’re initially speaking to a fitness coach, they really shouldn’t be promising the world. If they’re experienced and they know their stuff, they’ll be honest about what kind of results you can expect to achieve and in what time frame.
As business persons, PTs can be inclined to promise outstanding results within a short time. It is in their best interest to make you sign up for their plans and pay for their sessions. This could be seen as a red flag if they’re pushy.
However, if a fitness coach or PT is honest with you and takes a consultative approach to your fitness goals without pressuring you, they’re starting to show the right signs.
2. Accuracy and Flexibility (in programming)
As aforementioned, the results speak for themselves. If they’re an experienced fitness coach, they should have a strong collection of testimonials from a range of previous clients. The best way to get good testimonials is to be very accurate and flexible with your programming. We need to be able to program for specific individuals with specific needs. We also need to be flexible in modifying the programming based on the client’s preferences, physical limitations, and what seems to be eliciting results over the short term.
Testimonials are such a useful quality to look for in a fitness coach as they are proof that working with their work. While you don’t need a massive collection of them, it is good to be able to see that someone has achieved what you want with the help of specific fitness coach skills.
Say you’re a woman that is looking to trim body fat and up their cardio fitness. Seeing a person who was in a similar position that has got to where you want to be is the proof you should be looking for when choosing a fitness coach.
3. Organization
While this may seem like a strange point, you will want your fitness coach to be the leader of your fitness journey. You’ll be the one that has to put into the groundwork with dieting, training, and looking after yourself. But what you’ll want is for them to be organized for their side of your fitness journey.
Their organization should be around your progress and results. You’re working hard but they need to be organized enough to keep you motivated and progressing at a healthy pace. This can include recording your strength gains, fat, or weight loss and then analyzing it so your fitness path can be adjusted accordingly.
You should never feel the need to question their organization around meeting you or facilitating your fitness goals. Life can get in the way of things and some flexibility is expected with such a personal industry. But if your fitness coach keeps changing your meetings at the last minute, they’re not organized enough.
4. Qualifications
While there is a lot of free information out there across various sites, there is every possibility that someone can be experienced and qualified to be a fitness coach without having a tangible degree. Other options include certifications by such organizations as ACE, ACSM, and NASM
However, this comes as a double-edged sword. With a lot of ‘popular science’ enthusiasts, there’s a lot of wrong information being sworn by which makes it difficult to tell right from wrong.
Hopefully, you’ll be able to spot cowboy fitness coach skills a mile off. If you’re unsure though, seeing that they have a diploma or perhaps another relevant degree in a fitness-related field gives concrete proof that they know what they’re talking about.
5. People Skills
In an industry where you’ll spend a lot of time 1 to 1 with a client, especially in close physical proximity, you have to ensure that your fitness coach has flawless people skills.
The key people skills you should look for are patience, respect, and trust.
You can’t expect yourself to be perfect throughout your fitness journey. You’re bound to have moments where you lose discipline and slip up. A fitness coach needs the patience to understand these setbacks and to remain a consistent motivator throughout.
Respect is a quality that most people should carry throughout their lives anyway but is even more important when dealing with sensitive issues such as body image and changes. Your fitness coach should be respectful at all times. Respectful of your personal space, your emotions, and your overall well-being.
And finally, trust. Trust is a two-way street. You should trust their knowledge, direction, and their ethicality. Equally as important, they should trust you’re trying your best and are working with them to achieve your goals together.
Final Thoughts
Now we know the basics of what to look for in fitness and nutrition coaching, and fitness coaches have some ideas on how to improve their skill set and deliver better quality service for their clients. By focusing on Honesty, Accuracy and Flexibility, Organization, Qualifications, and People Skills, we can actually all improve our daily interactions with friends, family, customers, clients, and co-workers. Start practicing today!
Tags: coach, coaching, exercise, fitness, fitness coach, fitness coaching, Personal, personal trainer
