How to Choose a Personal Trainer

How to Choose a Personal Trainer

The process through which some of the general public selects a personal trainer is faulty. Just like any service that you are paying for, you should choose someone who has the proper credentials and the proper experience to get you to your goal. Because many people aren't sure what questions to ask (or are too intimidated to ask questions), they end up not seeing results and become skeptical of working with personal trainers. The only way to match up dedicated clients with GOOD trainers is to educate individuals outside of the fitness field about what qualifies us to do what we do which is what I will attempt to do in this article.

Personal Training Companies within a "gym": beware of training companies who chase you around at the gym or "require" you to meet with them when you sign up. Many of these companies have become the "fast food" of personal training. The "menu" of exercises never changes, the service is poor, and you're just a number in a line of clients. Ask these questions:

watch video

1) Will you always have the same trainer (if you choose to)? If the answer is NOT "yes, absolutely" - move along. If you have 10 different trainers over the next 6 months, how are you supposed to make any progress?

2) Do you have to sign a contract? If you are unsure about whether or not you will like the trainer or the system, ask if you can purchase some trial sessions before you commit. Never sign yourself into a contract without having a good understanding of what you're buying.

3) Ask to speak with the trainer you will be working with before you buy sessions (see below about questions to ask). If you're not allowed to do that, move along.

4) Lastly, if you feel like you're being pushed into buying training like a car salesman tries to get you to buy a car, move along. A good trainer will never pressure you into anything because we understand that you will ONLY see results when you are READY to commit.

The GOOD training companies are usually led by a very experienced personal trainer who is selective about the trainers who work for him/her. This person will be more than happy to answer any questions you have and likely appreciative that you are doing research to make the best decision for you. You will usually find these companies set up as independent studios.