5 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Personal Trainer
“I’m thinking of hiring a personal trainer.” People tell me this all the time. They realize that their approach to their fitness goals isn’t working the way that they want to and feel that an expert fitness professional will help them get over the hump. And they aren’t wrong. Hiring a personal trainer is one of the best things that you can do to help you hit any fitness goal. They’ll hold you accountable, help you be more comfortable and safe working out, and provide outsider information on your fitness journey you may not have otherwise had. I can’t recommend hiring a personal trainer enough.
However, as a certified personal trainer and manager of multiple fitness facilities I’ve met a lot of people in the fitness industry and can tell you first-hand that not all personal trainers are created equal. Personal trainers and coaches are specialists whose job it is to push you beyond what you’d do on your own. And while most of them will look the part and give you a great pitch, they may not be everything that you expect, let alone need. You want to make sure your trainer is the right fit for you and can really help you improve in the right areas. So, before you walk into that gym down the road and sign up for a personal training package, there are a few questions you need to ask.
1. WHY AM I GETTING A PERSONAL TRAINER?
This is the first question I ask every one of my clients and every personal trainer you ever meet should ask you this question within the first 5 minutes of meeting you. If they don’t, run away. It’s not only important to them as they get to know you, but it’s very important for you to know ahead of time. Are you looking for extra accountability? Are you looking for someone to motivate you? Do you want someone with more expertise in training methods or do you just want someone who can design workouts and spot you? There’s no right or wrong answer here, but it will help you clarify what it is that you’re looking for and narrow your search and expectations.
Your “why” is more than exercises and routine. It’s personal because you’re admitting where your shortcomings are. Knowing your “why” will help your trainer not only put together a program to help you reach your goals, but it will help them motivate you on the days when training seems more difficult either emotionally or physically. Be very clear about your goals and ask whether they’ve worked with anyone in those areas before. Great trainers take pride in helping their clients achieve their “why”.
2. WHAT IS YOUR GOAL?
There’s a reason why you decided to hire a personal trainer. And it’s more than “I want to lose weight and tone up”. Seriously, 90% of people who hire a trainer have that goal. So, be specific. This is where following the S.M.A.R.T. acronym will help.
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Timely
Tell them if you want to lose 20 pounds by your 40th birthday in the fall or run a marathon by springtime. Years ago before I started my business I hired a personal trainer and made the mistake with my trainer early on of not being specific. The result was I got a very generic workout plan that was frustrating. In the end I felt like I was paying a buddy to spot me and it would have been cheaper to actually pay a friend to do that. The vaguer you are, “I just want to tone up, increase my bench press, or run faster”, the less benefit you’ll get from their knowledge and expertise.
3. WHAT KIND OF TRAINER DO I WANT?
Knowing what kind of trainer you want is crucial to your success. Every personal trainer has preferences and specialties. While most trainers will be able to do a little bit of everything, they will each have their personal “go to” for exercise. Do you want a male or female trainer? Do you want a strength and conditioning trainer for weights or a functional movement specialist who will do more plyometric and bodyweight movement? Maybe you need a running coach who can help you work on efficiency and form. Ask them what certifications they have, which will tell you not only their qualifications but also what they’re interested in training.
4. HOW DOES THE TRAINER TALK ABOUT OTHER PROGRAMS
Personal trainers are very territorial. They do their thing and typically believe anything other than that isn’t worth the effort. Admittedly, that’s exactly the mindset a personal trainer should have if they believe what they do will deliver results and they want to protect their own business. But the truth is, fitness is a very large and diverse industry where people have been getting results a variety of ways for decades. Most trainers have never tried or done research on the competitions product. They don’t know what it is or how it benefits their clients.
If you ask your potential trainer what they think about X gym or Y program and all they can say is negative about it, ask if they’ve done it and why they feel it’s bad. If they can back it up, you know that you’ve found somebody who’s committed to expanding their horizons to deliver you the best product.
5. ARE THEY CERTIFIED?
This is possibly the most important question you can ask. There are a lot of “fitness guru’s” in gyms and online who have never picked up a book in their life. They look good because they’ve worked hard at it and deserve credit for that. But that doesn’t make them qualified to teach someone else. I’ve seen countless people get injured and do serious damage to their bodies working with personal trainers who aren’t certified. For what you’re paying, you deserve someone who understand anatomy and the science of exercise. Would you hire an attorney, nurse, or teacher without a license and expect the best results?
More and more fitness facilities are training their personal trainers and coaches in house which makes them extremely good at what they do. However, if your trainer isn’t certified outside of the gym they work at it will also limit the amount of information you’re getting in your program. Do they understand why they designed things the way the did? Can they work with you if you’re injured or need a recovery day? Fitness is more than an activity, it’s a science.
Don’t just run out and get a trainer because you think that’s the magic elixir you need. Take the time to shop around. Don’t let the salesperson at the desk talk you into personal training either. Ask to meet the trainers and ask for a complimentary session to test it out first. Compare different gyms because most trainers are contracted with a specific gym and you’ll get something different based on their contracts.
Regardless of your fitness level, I believe everyone can benefit from a personal trainer. A good personal trainer is worth the time and the money. They’re invested in you not only because you’re paying them, but because your success is their success. Good personal trainers make us do the things we don’t want to do. They challenge us and force us out of our comfort zone to become better versions of and say I gave everything I had.
