How Responsible is Your Personal Trainer for Your Results?

Whether you want to lose 50 pounds, qualify for the Boston Marathon or simply get in your best shape, you've made the commitment -- and signed the check -- to hire a coach or personal trainer.

Obviously, this doesn't assure you will get the results you want. Or does it?

To find out just how liable a coach or trainer is for your fitness results, That's Fit caught up with six-time Ironman World Champion, Mark Allen, who is also co-founder of the triathlon coaching Web site MarkAllenOnline.com and co-author of "Fit Soul, Fit Body: 9 Keys to a Healthier, Happier You."

That's Fit: What, in your opinion, is the role of a good coach or personal trainer?
Mark Allen: First and foremost, the coach should be someone who has a knowledge base that not only goes beyond that of their client, but is broad enough that they can train the athlete safely and help them avoid the common pitfalls that people without experience can fall into. The coach also has to be a "conscience" for the athlete to help keep them on track with their training; a psychologist to help them overcome any emotional roadblocks and keep their athletics in perspective with the bigger picture of the person's life; and lastly the steady keel that helps keep the athlete going in a straight direction even with the ups and downs that are just par for the course.

TF: How much responsibility should coaches take for their clients' results?
MA: The coach/client relationship is a partnership where the responsibilities are shared equally, as well as the results. What I mean by this is that the coach has 100 percent responsibility for providing sound guidance to his or her clients, which comes from blending science with the individuality of the client. But then the client has to do the training, plain and simple, and is responsible for giving the coach necessary feedback on how they are feeling (not following a plan blindly).

TF: I have heard clients in the past who blamed their coach for not meeting their race goal, fitness goal or weight loss goal. Has this happened to you or other coaches you know?
MA: There is more than one reason why a person may miss their goals. One is the coach's fault if that person doesn't know enough about training to give a sound program -- this is much more difficult than it may seem. Having a title, degree or credential doesn't make you knowledgeable enough to provide athletes with information. A truly good coach or personal trainer will know that science and theory must surrender to the reality of the real world and they need to create training programs that blend the two. For example, you may give the most ideal schedule to get someone fit or to lose weight, but if that person's life is totally stressed out, your training may add to their problems and they will do worse at achieving their goals than they would have if they just listened to their bodies.

Another reason why someone may not reach their goals has to do with the individual. Their standards may be too high or unrealistic. They may not factor in other life obligations, and even though they do all the training, the stress of their life in the big picture ends up hampering their performance. I have lots of people who follow my training plans to the T. But what they are not telling me is that they are getting up at 3 a.m. to get in their workouts and are only getting four to six hours of sleep. Then they wonder why they are not getting faster and their body is breaking down!

TF: I have also heard clients in the past blame their coach/trainer when they got hurt (even when they weren't training with their coach at the time). What is your experience with this?
MA: As a triathlon coach I actually don't get this complaint. Most people realize that the sport has inherent risk, and they have always realized that they have overdone things for their fitness and ability to recover. But then my training is also very conservative in many ways so that the risk of injury is very limited. I have heard from people who have come to us from other coaching services that they got injured because of the training they were told to do. And this is specifically a problem that is rampant among coaches who either do not understand the big picture of coaching (adding too much training stress onto a person who already has huge stress and life responsibilities) or who lack understanding of what coaching is all about (giving the right kind of training rather than the most challenging training they can dream up). Keep in mind that many coaches don't feel they are doing their job unless they push their clients. Certainly there is going to be some need to challenge your clients if they are interested in performance. But it has to be wisely placed and sparingly given.

TF: What if a client is doing everything their coach recommends and is still not meeting their goals?
MA: Then there needs to be a meeting of the minds to figure out why the goals are not being met. Is it because the goals are unrealistic? Is it because the person is not following the advice of the trainer? Could it be that the trainer just doesn't have enough knowledge to get the person to their goals? Are there outside factors that the coach is not privy to that are influencing a negative result? I get this one quite frequently. People will say they are just not getting faster even though they are doing all the workouts. But then if I dig a little I find out that they are getting divorced or had a family member die or they are totally stressed at work and not getting any sleep. Well, there is no training in the world that can overcome those kinds of life obstacles.

TF: How can a client be a better client and get better results with their coach?
MA: The best clients are the ones who are honest with both themselves and their coach. Don't try to please your coach by telling him you made all the workouts but then leave out the part about it nearly killing you to do that. A good client also has to be realistic with matching their goals with the true commitment load they have in life. And most importantly, the client has to take responsibility for what they do in their training ultimately. If they are just wasted and tired, then take the day off no matter what you coach has on the schedule for you.

If you're looking for a personal trainer, here's what you need to know about certification.