A FEMALE OR MALE GYM TRAINER? DEPENDS ON YOUR FITNESS GOALS

Anyone who has enrolled in a gym has been confronted with this perennial question: Are you getting a female or a male gym trainer? Does it really even matter? At the end of the day, you have a fitness goal to achieve and choosing a trainer should go beyond gender stereotypes so long as it gets you closer to your objective, right? Right! After all, there really is no answer to this question because a male or female trainer has their own attributes they bring to the table.

EQUALLY EFFECTIVE

Women and men’s gym trainers can be equally effective if they have the knowledge, skills, and experience that may fit your fitness goals. They may even be great communicators and motivators. Instead of looking at gender stereotypes when choosing a trainer, you should focus on the trainer’s qualifications and experience because they are good indicators that will ultimately lead you in achieving your fitness goal.

IT’S A PERSONAL PREFERENCE

But before we go into what you should look for in a female or male gym trainer, you should be aware that the choice you make is a personal preference. Many women choose female trainers as they feel that female trainers can relate more to their body image concerns, especially when it comes to specific health issues that women go through.

For men, it’s as simple as being able to relate to the male personal trainer better, especially if the male trainer shares the same body type but has excellently muscled up. It gives that bro vibe of sharing the same fitness goals and challenges that attract men to choose a male gym trainer over a female one. Moreso, if you’re looking to build muscle mass than just aiming for a healthy lifestyle.

However, personal preferences aside, along with your fitness goals and comfort level, you should always consider a trainer’s qualifications, experience, expertise, and style.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Qualifications and Certifications

Australian gyms usually display the credentials of their personal trainers. And that’s a good place to start. A “Certificate IV in Fitness” (SIS40221) which is achieved after completing a “Certificate III in Fitness” is a nationally recognised qualification. Other credentials may include certifications in nutrition and rehabilitation, as well as other international certifications that are recognised globally like the American College of Sports Medicine, diploma of sport like sports coaching, sports psychology, and fitness testing, etc.

Experience

When you schedule a consultation, you can learn more about the personal trainer’s experience. You can ask him or her how long he/she has been training clients. You can learn more about his/her training styles. Has he/she worked with clients with the same goals as you? How does he/she keep track of client progress? Some trainers are just happy to provide you with proof of their work, showing before-and-after photos of their previous and current clients.

Expertise

It will also do you good to find out the trainer’s area of expertise. Aside from the basic fitness assessment, he/she should be able to design a workout program to fit your health condition that meets your fitness goals. Areas of expertise a trainer may have include strength training, cardio training, flexibility and mobility, nutrition guidance, injury prevention, and anatomy and physiology.

Style

There are many coaching styles a personal trainer may use. Sometimes, the coaching styles vary per client. There are times when a personal trainer is identified with a particular coaching style. Coaching styles can be directive or authoritarian, collaborative, holistic or whole body approach, client-led for experienced individuals with minimum guidance from the trainer, motivational, and mindful or bridging the body and mind to manage stress through exercise. A personal trainer may combine any of these to achieve your fitness goals.

Client reviews and testimonials may also help in your decision-making process but the bottom line is gender isn’t really a factor when choosing between a female or a male gym trainer. It’s what they bring to the table to let you achieve your fitness goals. FitrMe boasts a competent team of certified male and female gym trainers to make your fitness journey a rewarding one.