CLARIFY THE Ts AND Cs

Each personal trainer will run their business differently, so don’t assume that because a previous trainer you had worked in a certain way your new trainer will be the same.

Ask about the terms of the contract – can you walk away at any time or do you need to give notice if you want to cancel? Also ask what happens if a session is cancelled – by you or the trainer. Can you make up the class at another time? Will you still be charged for a session that didn’t happen? And so on.

Remember, a personal trainer is more than just someone who tells you what exercises to do – they’re your support system, motivator and coach to help you unlock your fitness potential.

DON’T BE A BAD CLIENT. HERE’S HOW TO BE LEKKER – AND GET BETTER RESULTS

PTs work according to a schedule. If you roll in there 15 minutes late, they can’t make your session 15 minutes longer because there’ll be another client waiting – which means you lose out on 15 minutes of training. Not the end of the world every now and then, but if you’re habitually late, your progress is going to be slower as a result. Also, it’s not cool to keep someone waiting.

The only way to achieve results is through consistency – if you’re always missing sessions, you’re not going to get anywhere. That’s going to make you frustrated and you’re going to struggle to stay motivated. What’s more, your trainer puts in time behind the scenes preparing for your session. If you don’t pitch, that’s work that’s gone to waste.

Research has consistently found that exercise alone does not significantly help people achieve weight loss. Even if weight loss is not the goal, you need to fuel your body properly if you want to, say, pick up muscle or run faster.

Tell your trainer if something hurts. Pushing through a niggle can lead to serious injury. It may also be a sign for your trainer that you’re not performing the exercise correctly.