Should A Certified Personal Trainer Practice What They Preach?

I do feel there is an obvious answer to this "age-old" question, but before I give my obvious answer lets dig into what a certified personal trainer is. Although there are hundreds of different definitions, I personally like Wikipedia's definition the best

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_trainer#:~:text=A%20personal%20trainer%20is%20an,with%20medical%20clearance%20to%20exercise.:

It states: A personal trainer is an individual who has earned a certification that demonstrates they have achieved a level of competency for creating and delivering safe and effective exercise programs for apparently healthy individuals and groups or those with medical clearance to exercise. They motivate clients by collaborating to set goals, providing meaningful feedback, and by being a reliable source for accountability.

Now that we've cleared that, there are lists of different reasons potential clients walk through our personal training studio. Most may be, but not limited to:

1. Being in a vulnerable state of mind

2. Have tried "everything," and are struggling to get to where they want to be/feel, and that a certified trainer is their last resort

3. Have been pushed by their doctor or a medical professional to do something about their health, NOW!

4. To learn effective and efficient techniques

5. Accountability

6. Reduce injury risk

7. Guidance and motivation

8. Sets the stage for a healthier future (YOU)

In saying all of that, why WOULDN'T you put your life (health/fitness), personal fitness goals, physical well-being into the hands of a certified trainer who actually practices what they preach? I mean, what I listed is serious stuff! Right? Let's put it this way:

1. If your trainer ate unhealthy foods consistently, meaning foods that could cause someone to have physical ailments such as, heart issues, obesity, diabetes, or worse, would you feel that it was probably OK to eat like that?

2. If your trainer didn't exercise consistently or didn't look the part, would that be fine with you?

3. If your trainer lacked the motivation, accountability, and consistency (what you've been looking for which are a few reasons why you seek the help of a certified trainer), would you just ignore that?

I would hope the answer to these 3 questions would be, "NO!" What gives the right for a "trainer" to tell a client what to do if they themselves are not eating right, training right, or living a healthy lifestyle, or in layman terms, "Not drinking the Kool-Aid?"

I can't speak for other personal training studios, but our trainers at Exersthetic Evolution practice what we preach. We are not only educated and certified (ACE and NASM certifications), but we range from IFBB professional and NPC national level competitors to licensed USA Olympic Boxing/Conditioning Coaches. We eat right, and keep a consistent workout regimen as well. It's important to. We have to lead by example because if we didn't what we're telling our clients is total garbage.

So in summary, the answer to the title of this blog is, YES! Yes, a cerfified personal trainer should practice what they preach. What kind of message does that send to the people who are spending their hard earned money and time for someone who is suppose to be a professional in their industry?