What are the best behaviors for weight and fitness training?

Just like you expect a trainer to meet certain qualifications and protocol, you too need to be up to the standard, aligning your behaviors with a willing participant and one that trainers can work with. Take an active role in your training sessions, especially if you’re going to have just a few of them. Follow these tips to get the most out of your training sessions:

• Show up on time. Trainers are professional people with busy schedules and bills to pay, so show them courtesy. Honor your trainer’s cancellation policy (and avoid chronic cancellations). Most trainers require at least 24 hours notice when you can’t make it to your session. They may let you slide the first time, but they do have the right to charge you for missed sessions.
• Have a good attitude. Your trainer doesn’t want to hear you whine about your boss or your latest speeding ticket.
• Speak up. The more questions you ask, the more information you’re likely to remember. When you perform the lat pulldown, don’t feel stupid about asking why you pull the bar down to your chest rather than to your belly button. A good trainer has coherent answers on the tip of her tongue.
• Listen to your trainer. When you’re advised to perform 12 repetitions per set, don’t say, “My stockbroker says that it’s better to perform 40 repetitions.” Trust that your trainer has more experience than you do (or your stockbroker for that matter). Of course, you should always ask questions if you don’t understand something and if your trainer’s advice sounds out of line. If you don’t get your questions answered the way you hope or you have poor results from your training sessions, the time has come to find another trainer who better meets your fitness goals.