You hire a personal trainer to get results. Losing fat, gaining muscle, recovering from an illness or dealing with an injury. Each of those goals require different skills from a trainer. So with WeBeFit, you don't just get a trainer, you get a company.
All our trainers work as a team. We meet weekly to go over our clients progress, be updated on the latest research and help each other devise ways to help move people to the next level. When a trainer goes out of town, they make sure you're scheduled with one of their co-workers so your routine isn't interrupted.
We employ a full time research team to dig deep for our clients.
Here are a few more things you should consider when looking for a trainer.
Where do you train?
YOUR HOME - GOOD: Training in your home is convenient, as long as you have enough space and equipment. Discount trainers often go this route because they don't have to pay any overhead and they can get by with a couple mats and exercise balls. Unless you have an exercise room loaded with equipment, the progress you see from this type of training is limited.
THE TRAINERS HOME - GOOD: To provide more equipment options while still keeping the price down, some trainers will setup a gym in their home. The advantage is that you typically have more options than training out of your house. The disadvantage is that most home gyms aren't licensed or insured. They're not inspected to make sure things are maintained and up to code and you're on your own if something goes wrong.
A GYM OR HEALTH CLUB - BETTER: Commercial gyms are licensed, insured and generally filled with a wide range of equipment. Workouts can be more varied, giving you greater motivation and long-term results. The biggest downside to a gym is access. Unless there's a section dedicated strictly to personal training, you're sharing with whoever happens to show up for a workout. In busy gyms, it's not unusual to spend 10% of your time waiting for someone else to finish using equipment you need. You may also have to buy a membership to workout with a trainer in a gym, increasing your costs.
DEDICATED TRAINING CENTER - BEST: A well equipped training center has all the advantages of a gym without the inconveniences of having to wait for equipment. Better yet, most dedicated training centers don't charge you a membership. The best centers offer a range of cardio equipment you can use for free when you're not working out with a trainer.
Julie White and Leigh Pujado
Roger McVeigh and Dusten Brunner
Deborah Ann and Dan Reynen
Joe Liszka and Dan Reynen
Beth Moyes and Dusten Brunner
Neal Ruchman and Bobby Kitrick
Do you have references?
Get at least two and call them. Here are a few questions you can ask.
Does the trainer show up or cancel a lot?
Are the workouts challenging?
Have you seen progress?
Are questions answered so you understand why you're doing what you're doing?
Does your trainer document your workouts and track your progress?
Do you get guidance and motivation outside the gym?
Are you certified?
Ask for a copy of the certificate and call the organization to confirm it's current. 45% of trainers that claim to be certified are NOT.
Do you have a current first aid certificate and CPR certificate?
The only appropriate answer to this question is yes. If they don't, you shouldn't even consider them.
Do you have an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator)?
Working out carries certain risks and it's the responsibility of the trainer to minimize them. Most trainers will spend their entire career and never need one, but having one just in case shows they care about your safety.
Are you insured?
Get a copy of the insurance card and confirm it's current. If they're employees of a gym, make sure the gym or training center is insured. If an insurance company won't cover them or they don't carry any, you shouldn't risk your body training with them.
What type of programs do you offer?
You want customized workouts, not a cookie cutter program given to every client regardless of need or ability.
Do you take credit cards?
When you pay with a credit card, your money is protected. It makes getting a refund for unused sessions much easier if the trainer decides to flake out.
Do you provide anything else?
Free locks and lockers, WeBeFit bottled water, towels, toiletries like shaving cream, razors, toothbrush, toothpaste and other items should you forget them. We also offer free classes on Food Label Secrets, daily health and fitness tips, a weekly column and hundreds of healthy recipes tested in the WeBeFit kitchen.
When you train with WeBeFit, you get more than a trainer, you get an entire company dedicated to helping you achieve your goals.
Now scroll back up to the top, click on one of the trainers and give them a call.
Electronic Dietitians
The following companies provide software that allow you to track the food you eat.
Since the most critical part of any diet plan is making sure you're taking in the right number of calories, these programs are extremely valuable.
Every program lists the type of system it runs on and any notes we have after using it.
YES indicates that this program is available as a dedicated application that runs
on the specified platform. An asterix beside the NO means you can use the online version with your inernet connected mobile phone or computer.
From WeBeFit - EXCELLENT program, but it doesn't allow you to share the foods you enter with other people.
NOTES - We have used versions of calorieking for several years now and it's a solid program. You can download versions to your Mac, Palm and Windows. It's a convenient way to track food. The downside with the version you download is it does NOT build meal plans for you based on your requirements.
The online version DOES build meal plans. The online version can only be accessed online and does not synch or talk in any way with the downloadable versions.
The downloadable versions cost a one-time fee, the online version charges a monthly / annual fee.
YES indicates that this program is available as a dedicated application that runs
on the specified platform. An asterix beside the NO means you can use the online version with your inernet connected mobile phone or computer.
WeBeFit has not evaluated this program.
NOTES - This is what the program says:
"FatSecret is a place for people interested in food and diet. Sign up and achieve your food, diet and exercise goals. We think our features such as easily recording your food and exercise, keeping a lifetime record of your weight, finding buddies to support you and discovering recipes that are right for you are pretty special, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. You can use your FatSecret profile with many other services like Facebook, iGoogle and even on your mobile phone. FatSecret is your one-stop-shop for all things food and diet – the secret is out!"
We have not evaluated this program and it's totally free.
YES indicates that this program is available as a dedicated application that runs
on the specified platform. An asterix beside the NO means you can use the online version with your inernet connected mobile phone or computer.
From WeBeFit - This is our recommendation for best calorie tracking program. If you use this software we have the ability to go in and monitor your progress.
BONUS - As of January 1, 2012 we've now entered EVERY WeBeFit recipe into the MyFitnessPal database. Simply Type "WeBeFit" and the "name" and all the nutritional information is all right there.
NOTES - A solid program with an extensive food database. Downloading it to your phone makes it very convenient to enter foods as you encounter them throughout the day. The current database has over 750,000 foods and restaurant items!
This is a free program and definitely worth a try. The mobile versions synch with your online profile.
YES indicates that this program is available as a dedicated application that runs
on the specified platform. An asterix beside the NO means you can use the online version with your inernet connected mobile phone or computer.
From WeBeFit - An excellent program but it doesn't offer specific versions for smart phones.
NOTES - While not as complete a database as the one in CalorieKing, we were pleasantly surprised with the depth of information this calorie tracking program provided. Spark People have also optimized the online version for use with mobile phones and small screens so even though they don't offer a downloadable application for every platform, if you're connected to the internet you can still run the software.
