12 Feb How To Choose The Right Personal Trainer

If you’re thinking of working with a personal trainer, then you might be wondering how to choose the right one. How do you know what a ‘good’ personal trainer is? What should you look for? Where do you start?

Choosing the right personal trainer can be a daunting task, especially if you’ve never worked with one before. You might feel worried about picking the wrong one, and then being ‘stuck’ with them for several months. This fear of making a poor choice can sometimes stop people from taking the leap all together, but it doesn’t have to be this way…

There are several steps you can take to give yourself the best possible chance of success. By following these you’ll maximize the likelihood of choosing the right trainer for your needs, and someone you’ll genuinely enjoy training with! Here are our top tips on how to choose the right personal trainer…

Do Your Research

This step is crucial to finding a good personal trainer, but you’d be surprised how many people skip it. Researching the different trainer options is easier than ever with almost everything you need to know now available online. Most gyms will have personal trainer bios included on their website. If they don’t, then the trainers themselves may have dedicated websites or Facebook pages with lots of info.

You can also Google the personal trainer that you’re interested in and see if other people have left reviews. These can give you great insights into their training methods and what it’s really like to work with them. You can also ask around the gym to find out more about in-house trainers.

Meet Them in Person

Once you’ve narrowed down your options, arrange face to face meetings with them. Most trainers will be happy to spend up to an hour with you to discuss your needs and training options. This is a great opportunity to gather any information that you couldn’t find online.

It’s also the only way to work out if you get along as people. Some personalities just clash whilst others get along like a house on fire. It’s hard to know which way it’ll go until you actually sit down and spend time with them. Finding a personal trainer who’s on your wavelength will add a more sociable dimension and make working out a lot more fun too.

Assess Their Qualifications & Expertise

A good personal trainer will be fully certified by a well-known organization such as ACE or NASM. Having a recognized certification means they’ve studied fitness, anatomy, goal-setting, and programming in depth. Not only does this mean that they’re more likely to get you to your goals, but they’ll know how to avoid burn out and injury too.

But there’s much more to a good personal trainer than just their credentials. Their training style and special interests can have a huge influence too. If you have sports-specific goals then it makes sense to train with someone who understands those needs. Whether it’s triathlon, martial arts, or volleyball, ask yourself whether their specialty aligns with your goals?

You can also tell a lot about their expertise by the questions they ask (or don’t ask in some cases). A good trainer will want to know all about you – what your goals are, why you’re working out, your likes and dislikes, what you’ve tried before that hasn’t worked, and so on. They’ll want to build up a detailed picture of your needs so that they can tailor their training to your personal situation. Hence the term: personal training

A poor trainer will spend the whole time talking about themselves. They’ll rattle off their experience, credentials, and explain that they know exactly how to achieve your goals. But they won’t have asked enough questions to really understand those goals, so look out for this red flag.

Another thing to watch out for is trainers who overpromise. If they encourage you to lose weight quickly then they’re probably not a good fit. It might be what you want to hear, but it won’t be realistic or achievable, which inevitably leads to disappointment. A better trainer will explain exactly what is and isn’t possible in your time-frame and be up-front if your goal isn’t realistic.

If you’re interested in personal training then we have in-house specialists who can help. Learn more about our awesome personal training packages here.