Beware the ‘Celebrity Trainer’

by Matt Hodges
19 June 2012

Let’s be honest. We all want to look our best, improve our health and fitness levels and in some cases, achieve the body or look of our favourite actor or actress. Why not? They’re glamorous, beautiful and usually have the body of a Greek god or goddess. In addition to this, stars in the action genre also have to be in peak physical shape for the demands of their roles and to do this they have to adhere to a strict regimen of diet and exercise. The difference between us and them is that, usually they have a well paid personal trainer and nutritionist to help them stay on track and these days an increasing number of everyday folk are following suit.

Having worked for a very well renowned ‘Celebrity Trainer’ in London, I know only too well the fluff that goes on behind the scenes. Marketing has taken over and the stark reality of what really goes on is hardly ever seen. While there are some genuine trainers and nutritionists out there who work not only for the stars, but also help the average person, sadly there are many unscrupulous “experts” willing to try to profit from our self perception of perfection.

If you’re considering or already made the decision to enlist the help of a personal trainer or nutritionist to help you reach your goals, here are a few points to consider.

Warning Bells

• If you search the net or newspaper classifieds, there seems to be hundreds of celebrity trainers or nutritionists to the stars in and around London, advertising their products and services to Joe and Joanne average. It’s actually getting to the point where these guys and girls will soon outnumber the celebrities available to train.

• Just how many stars live in London to support so many expert trainers? It simply doesn’t add up. Training a star’s cousin, friend, does not make them a celebrity trainer.
• Think about this, if they really train celebrities who pay top money, why do they need to offer cut price training to us?
• A celebrity trainer can also mean that the trainer / nutritionist themselves are well known, have you seen them on TV or in the media?

What’s Important

If you’re serious about getting fit and using the services of a personal trainer and a nutritionist to do it, ask yourself and your potential mentor these questions.

• Are they a certified trainer / nutritionist or other health and fitness professional.
• Do they have a proven track record? (What is their client base and what testimonials can they show you?).
• Do they feel right for you? ( Are they too over the top / too quiet?) You need someone who can motivate you and keep you on track, without making you feel worthless OR overstating small achievements.

• Is their presentation professional? (If the personal trainer greets you wearing the tightest t-shirt to offset their ridiculously overworked biceps then be warned. Being the biggest does NOT mean you are the best).
• Can they tailor a program to suit you and your lifestyle and needs, or do they just expect you to follow a generic program. (If you are 5 months pregnant and your workout includes 5 sets of 15 crunches, they aren’t really focusing on you).

Employing the services of a personal trainer is like buying anything. Shop around. Compare your needs, expectations etc. to what the provider is offering.

Here at The MPH Method, we don’t promote ourselves as “Trainers to the stars”. We understand our clients and confidentiality is key to our success. Just because you are not in the limelight does not mean you wont get the same specialised treatment from our core of like minded fitness professionals whose aim is to encourage and assist our clients in achieving their goals.

Our team, based in St Johns Wood and Putney, includes Personal trainers, Martial Arts instructors, as well as an Osteopath, Physiotherapist and Nutritionists. All staff are fully qualified and certified in their field. So when you train with us, you can rest assured that you are in safe and reliable hands.

This article was written by Matt Hodges, you can see all his articles here.