Making the decision to improve your health and fitness isn’t always easy. Deciding how to go about it isn’t necessarily any easier. Once you’ve decided to hire a personal trainer to help you on your journey of self-improvement, you still have more work to do. To find a personal trainer that’s a good fit for you, you’ll have to look at a lot of things. According to Elevate Training Centre, here are a few tips on how to find the personal trainer that’s a good match for you.
Check credentials
Personal trainers should have certification in their specific area of expertise. They may have multiple certifications, showing their expertise in multiple areas. If they don’t have any certifications, that should be a red flag and you should pause before moving forward.
What does he specialize in?
In looking over those credentials, confirm what his areas of expertise are. Do they match up with what you want to do? If you’re looking for a 12-week weight loss challenge, and he specializes in slow, long-term training for weight loss, this may not be the best match for you.
Look for experience
Finding the right personal trainer isn’t just about finding someone who calls themselves a personal trainer. Look for someone who’s got some experience. Ask how many clients they’ve trained, how many years they’ve been training, how they got into it, and more.
Is there chemistry?
Like dating, there needs to be some chemistry between you for this to work. How to find a good personal trainer is really very similar to how to find a good date. You need to meet with several and see how well you mesh. Ask questions about their training style. Do they like to yell like you’re in boot camps? Or do they employ more of a “flies with honey” kind of approach? While both methods work, only one is likely to be effective for you, so finding the trainer that uses the right method for you is how to find the right personal trainer.
What’s her training philosophy?
Training style and training philosophy are similar, but not quite the same. The training style is how they treat you, how hard they work you, etc. Philosophy, on the other hand, is more subtle. Philosophy is about how they develop their program. What benefits will you get? Is it meant for indoor or outdoor, or both? Do you need equipment or is it all body-weight based? See if what they describe matches up with your goals and plans.
How much does it cost?
The right personal trainer is, above all else, the one you can afford. The perfect fit in every other way doesn’t matter if you can’t afford to pay the trainer without being homeless. Find out how much the trainer charges, and confirm the rate is per session, month, week, etc. Ask about cancellation policies if you need to skip a session due to illness or travel and how that affects the price, too.
What’s his reputation?
If he’s a good trainer, he should have no problem providing you with some references from past and current clients. It never hurts to ask if you can talk to someone who wasn’t happy with his services, too – sometimes finding out why someone felt it wasn’t a good match can give you some great insight, too.
When and where is she available?
Making sure that your and the trainer’s schedules can mesh is a critical final point before signing up. Will you meet on the same day, at the same time, and in the same place each week? Will the schedule rotate? Do you go to her or does she come to you? What if you have something come up, or she does?
Finding the right personal trainer can be more trial and error than anything. But with some thoughtful questions and research, you can find a great fit and get started on your fitness journey.
About the Author
Patrick Watt is a content writer, writing in several areas, primarily in business growth, value creation, M&A, and finance. His other interests also include content marketing and self-development. Say hi to Patrick on Twitter @patrickwattpat.
