What Should I Expect in My 30-Minute Personal Training Assessment?
I offer all new clients a complimentary 30-minute assessment in my private personal training gym.
In some ways this assessment resembles a personal training session:
You want to wear gym clothes (comfortable and breathable)
You will sweat
I will run you through a series of exercises and coach you on proper form
However, the purpose of the assessment is not to run you through a rigorous workout. It’s for me to see where you are currently at, so I can tailor my personal training program to 1) fit your stated goals, and 2) strengthen muscle imbalances that you may not be aware of but that I notice during your session.
We’ll spend a few minutes of your assessment discussing your personal goals for training. This might be to lose weight, feel stronger, or learn proper exercise form. Whatever your goals for personal training, I can help you find the most effective route to achieving them.
I also like to talk about other lifestyle factors, including diet, work, and sleep. This gives me an idea of what kind of stress your body is under and other areas we may need to work on in order to achieve your desired results. I’ll help you identify the things that might be limiting your progress. I want to learn about you, so I can properly coach you in and out of the gym. This is teamwork, and I want to empower you to succeed!
The rest of our assessment is devoted to actual exercises. I’m looking for a few things:
Does this person already have proper form, or do I need to walk them through things slowly to minimize injury?
Is this person able to engage their core muscles? What is their relative core strength? As I wrote about here, your abdominal muscles should be engaged during every exercise.
Are there any muscular imbalances in this person? For example, are they shrugging when they do upper body exercises involving their postural muscles? I’ll do a thorough assessment of the alignment of your head, shoulders, arms, hips, knees, and feet. (It’s amazing what you can learn about which muscles are overactive or weak based on posture. It’s important to know because it can interfere with how you move the body. You’re going to the gym to get stronger and improve your wellness. If you’re not doing something right, get help or let me help.)
What immediate suggestions can I make to help this person get closer to their goals right away? Don’t waste time!
The 30-minute assessment gives me a wealth of information that I can then use to specifically design your program to reaffirm your foundation and get you to your goals without skipping a beat. If you’ve been working with an experienced and knowledgeable trainer for several years, we might jump right into weighted squats the next time we meet. If you’re struggling with posture and alignment, we might start with some more basic exercises to correct any weakness before moving on to “riskier” exercises.
To schedule your free 30-minute assessment, contact me today at (760) 658-4708. My private gym is located in Carlsbad, California, about five minutes from the Bressi Ranch shopping centers. I look forward to meeting you soon!