How to choose a personal trainer
Starting a healthy routine, diet, exercise program or fitness regime can be a daunting process for a lot of woman. The majority of woman who reach the stage where they are seeking professional advice are stepping out of their comfort zone and into unknown territory – and for a lot of us, that’s enough to not even inquire about it – let alone get started. So I’ve put together some top things to consider and get you thinking about what it is you need when your trying to choose a personal trainer.
What is a personal trainer?
A personal trainer is a qualified fitness professional that you work with to achieve your health and fitness goals. Personal trainers can be generally qualified or specifically trained in certain areas of specialty. There will be good, bad and amazing personal trainers. There will be trainers that work in areas from weight loss, to rehab, to boxing, to sports specific, to posture experts, to hardcore boot-camp and military style trainers. A personal trainer can work from a gym, studio, their home, park, beach or mobile and come to you.
How does it work when you work with a personal trainer?
Each trainer works differently. But generally speaking when you contact a personal trainer that you are interested in working with you will have an initial consultation to talk about your goals, your situation, your exercise history, experience and what you are looking for. This is where you trainer should really be getting into the details about you and how they can help you achieve your goals. This is the perfect time for you to see if this is someone you can see yourself working with ongoing. Based on what you have told them, they should offer the solution they think is best for you. Note: A great personal trainer will always refer you to another trainer if they don’t think they are the best solution to your situation.
If your personal trainer is the right fit for you, they will then discuss what they believe you need to be doing to achieve your results and what training you need to be doing and how often you should be working together.
Thing to think about when trying to choose a personal trainer.
Find somebody you like and trust:
Now you won’t really know this until you meet with them, or you may have seen them around the gym or working with others. But you need to like your trainer. There is nothing less motivating than having to go and do something you may not really like doing with someone you don’t really like. Things will get personal as time goes on. You will build a relationship with your trainer. I know with most of my clients over the years they have become friends and you talk about all sorts of things during your sessions. So somebody you like, trust and feel comfortable with is vitally important.
What style of personal trainer do you want/ need:
Like I said earlier, there are many different types of personal trainers and styles of personal trainers. You may need a technical guru to help you with you shoulder rehabilitation, and you love to learn and educate yourself. You may need a military trainer to thrash you in each and every session. You may need somebody to show you compassion as you work through your physical challenges as well as your mental challenges. You may need someone to check in on you and see how you are progressing each week.
Watch them training others:
If you can, watch them in action. See how attentive they are to their clients. Are they looking bored and staring at their phone will the poor clients slaves away with really bad technique (grrr this pisses me off!). Have you seen them training clients over time and the clients are getting good results? Do they look like they are making the training fun? Are they engaging with their clients? Are they doing exercise that looks interesting or different to you?
Qualified and Experienced:
Make sure your personal trainer has studied and has some experience in working with real people and helped other people in similar situations to you. You can ask them, check out their website, facebook page, or even google them! And if your a middle aged lady looking to shed a few kilos, a personal trainer that specialises in marathon running might not be the right experience you’re looking for 🙂
What does a personal trainer cost?
There is not much point in doing one or two sessions with a personal trainer (unless you are experienced and are needing updated programs or other specific requirements). Using a personal trainer is an ongoing commitment. Based on your needs and budget you will workout with your personal trainer how often you need to train with them, how long the sessions are and how much that will cost you. The cost of a trainer can vary widely from around $50 – $90 per hour is reasonable. More specialized trainers can start around $110 per hour.
They don’t have to be the hottest or the fittest:
Usually the beef heads and fitness models don’t last long in the industry – because they care more about themselves,how they look and their own training. Sure they should be fit and active but they don’t have to be a swim wear model. I had a hot guy trainer once – I hated doing sit up in front of him and scrunching up all my fat ha ha!
Ditch your trainer if:
They are fluffing around on their cell phone during your session.
You don’t like them
They bore you and don’t motivate you
They are busy checking out the opposite sex in the gym
They make you feel un-comfortable
You aren’t getting what you need from the relationship.
Now go and choose your personal trainer.
Like I said, hiring a personal trainer is unknown territory for a lot of people and we can have a perception on what it’s all about. I have highlighted some things for you to consider when you are trying to choose a personal trainer to work with. Generally speaking, those of us working in the fitness industry are extremely passionate about what we do and love to help others. So if you have somebody in mind, give them a call or an email, get the ball rolling and start getting started on your fitness goals!
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