Finding the right personal trainer can be a difficult task. I have come across an alarming amount of people, both personal trainers, and clients who talk about their disappointments with their previous pairings. But I have also spoken to a lot of clients who see their personal trainer like a superhero and can’t thank them enough. And those trainers regard their clients as close friends or family who value their clients’ trust and commitment. So how do you get matched with a trainer like that? How do you find someone that will help you reach your goals and push you to greater heights? I will cover 4 main areas that will help you determine if a personal trainer is right for you. If you are a personal trainer you can use this list to evaluate yourself and determine your strengths and spot the clients who will benefit from you most.
Chemistry
In some ways finding a personal trainer is like dating. It can be a very intimidating experience at first; there is nervousness, you both are constantly evaluating each other, there is an amount of trust that needs to be built, and sometimes you may wonder if you will make it out alive. There are expectations on both ends, but at the end of the day, both people want to leave happy, fulfilled, and feeling like they have accomplished something. In order to make that happen the two of you need to work together, so CHEMISTRY is what you need.
How you two are able to work together will be the difference between success and failure. The absolute first thing is they need to know what motivates you; what drives you, what gets you to push harder, and when you dig deep where do you get your strength. Every personal trainer should have patience but they need to know when to pull back a bit, when to get in your face, or if either one will really help you. Are they a person you can trust? Can you allow them to do what they need to get you to the next level, and when the pain sets in will you push on and trust them instead of listening to your body and stopping?
For that to happen you have to have a good chemistry, and that trust and those expectations need to be communicated effectively. So communication is important and a part of chemistry. Can they explain the exercises and limits effectively? Do they get your mind off the pain? Can they inspire and motivate you? To effectively answer some of these questions you have to ask some of yourself as well. You need to know yourself; are you a stubborn person who will say they will quit but in the end will walk into the gym the next day because they also are too stubborn to quit? Are you a person who is very new at this and is very unsure of the process? Are you someone who doesn’t trust easily and will second guess everything they say? Or are you a person who knows a great deal about fitness and just want a boost or variety? Knowing these things will greatly help you in finding a trainer that gels with you.
Skill Set
The kinds of skills the personal trainer has will greatly determine if they are a good match for you. On the road to fitness, there are a lot of paths you can take, and a lot of that greatly depends on your goals. So if you are trying to gain weight and do power-lifting you won’t want to train with a coach who specializes in marathon running. Now it is true that most personal trainers are generalists to some degree and know a bit about everything, but every personal trainer has limits. You have limits and your trainer will know them, and with that being said they have limits too and you should know them. But you should know their strengths as well. Perhaps you have some physical injury, then having a trainer whose strength is rehabilitation and therapy would be a huge blessing. So you will want to know these things from the start, so also be upfront about your goals, your limits, and ask if their strengths can get you to where you want to go. When they say yes, ask them how. Especially if you have some sort of medical limitations you will want to ask if they have experience and confidence to address those special needs and health conditions. The last thing either one of you will want is for you to get hurt.
No trainer develops their skill set by just sitting on the couch, it takes training and experience, so you will want to know that. What education, certifications, or qualifications do they have? This comes in a variety of forms. There are actual degrees, certifications, classes, and experience. You will want a trainer who is well rounded in those areas, but there are limits to each. The degrees require experience, the studies are great but more and more is being discovered. We learn more about the human body every day and some things that were taught before were either found to be wrong or were fine-tuned, and experience helps every trainer to know which is which. And at the same time, some trainers have a lot of experience and little training and they may have missed learning about the very thing that you need. How will you know for sure if that is the case? You really won’t but you can get a really good idea by asking them about their education and experience. Ask how they became a personal trainer, how their education or experience has changed their health personally and what they learned that they didn’t know before. And absolutely ask if they are still continuing their education. This will show you if they are looking to master their craft and genuinely want to help people or if they just want your money. There is always more to learn, so if they take pride in their work they will always be studying.
Practicality
Is it practical for you to have this person as a personal trainer? Not every trainer charges the same rate, and not every trainer should. So while I would discourage you from making a decision solely based on price, because sometimes you get what you pay for, but this is an important factor. A personal trainer’s experience and skill set oftentimes will affect how much they charge. You may not be able to afford the celebrity trainer you saw on tv or the conditioning coach for the LA Rams, but you may not have to. If you are having trouble with health or fitness you don’t want to go broke getting in shape but there is value in the old adage, “put your money where your mouth is.” And a good personal trainer will have invested a lot of time and money into themselves to become a fitness professional, and likewise, they will be investing heavily into you, so they should be compensated for their efforts and time. But one way to determine if they are overpriced is to know exactly how much will they be investing in you. Some questions you may want to ask are; do you offer a free consultation that includes a fitness assessment? Some trainers do, or will at least offer some introductory price. Some offer some sort of money back guarantee but don’t expect it. Ask them about their rates, session lengths, and cancellation policies? What are your options for payment? Those questions will also help you determine if it is practical to have that person as a trainer.
The investment a trainer puts into you will primarily come through their time with you. So you will want to know their schedule and availability. Do they even have time for you? Will your sessions be one on one or will it be in a group setting? There are trade-offs between the two, but if you are strapped for cash a group setting may be more beneficial as it often costs less. But there are times where you really need to have that one on one time with a trainer. You will need to form that trust and to do that you may need one-on-one time. Or perhaps you are on a different level than your peers, be it either more advanced or just starting, both may require more one on one time as well. Ask them about their schedule. Is it adaptable? So they do boot camps or outdoor training? There are benefits and limits to both, so also knowing if they setting they train in is adaptable will help as well.
Results
Can this trainer get you the results you want? This is the bottom line and the first three areas greatly determine the last. So a great question to ask would be what kind of clients have you worked with in the past and what results have you seen? It very well is possible that they have not trained someone with your goals, background, or medical history, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t up to the challenge. There is a first for everything, but knowing where they have been and what they are willing to do to help you reach your goals is a big deal. While I think it is a great thing to find out about a trainer’s reputation there are many new, ambitious, hungry, passionate trainers who can get you to where you want to be and may be a much better fit. The journey you go on is just as important as your destination, if not more. The struggles, victories, tears, and joys will be the thing that keeps you at your goal and you will value your success so much more than if they weren’t there. But you have to get there so you will want to know if your trainer can even help you. You will want a trainer who is honest with you, about yourself and their own limitations.I personally came across a trainer who told me there was little they felt they could teach me, but they could definitely cross train me in an area that I was very unfamiliar with. I saw a huge value in that and he is one of the trainers I respect the most. He was upfront and I knew exactly the kind of results to expect. He knew his limitations and I appreciated his honesty. But with that, I saw tremendous value in his realistic expectations. He had realistic goals for me and didn’t sell me something he knew he didn’t have. You will want a personal trainer like that.
