How to Choose a Good Personal Trainer

Finding the right personal trainer to work with can be a challenge. We’ve put together some tips on how to choose a good personal trainer, including how to identify legitimate trainers, and tips for selecting the right personal trainer based on your personality and lifestyle. After all, motivation in your personal training will be key to your success.

Getting in shape and improving your overall health and wellness is a worthy endeavor for anyone. Not only will you be physically healthier, but being in shape and fit can also have positive effects on your overall outlook and mental well-being.

Two of the biggest challenges people face when starting an exercise routine is getting started and remaining committed. Some people find they need a motivating force, or inspiration. This is one of the ways in which a personal trainer can help.

If you’ve never worked with a personal trainer, you need to ensure that you choose the right one to help you meet your fitness goals. Here are some ways to ensure you’re getting a personal trainer that will be able to help you meet your goals.

1. Check Your Trainer’s Credentials When searching for a personal trainer, always check their credentials. Trainers are required to go through an extensive certification process, primarily through The American Council on Exercise (ACE), the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). These certifications will show that a potential fitness trainer has actually done the work and will follow the required standards of professionalism, especially if they’ve been certified by a respected organization.

2. Make Sure Your Personal Trainer has Valid Experience While anyone can profess to be a great personal trainer, having some insights into their overall experience and client successes can help you identify those who can get you to the point you want to be. Check their website to see if they have client success stories. Also, you can even ask to reach out to some of their previous customers for references.

Some trainers specialize in working with certain genders. It’s a good idea to make sure the personal trainers you’re considering are either specialized in your gender, or work with both genders.

If you have a certain type of fitness routine that you prefer or if you have any special needs, make sure your trainer is willing and able to work within those confines.

All in all, experience can often be key, so finding a personal trainer who has several years of experience under their belt will also help.

3. The Right Personality Helps Find a personal trainer that connects with you on a personal level. Most people find that though they need motivation in their training routine, they also need support. Working with a personal trainer, whose style is more in line with a drill sergeant may not be the right fit for you. On the other hand, maybe you need that type of discipline to feel inspired to work harder. Knowing your personality and how you work best will help in identifying a personal trainer who can help you get where you need.

When searching for a personal trainer, it’s always a good idea to interview a few trainers and get a sense of their personality and philosophy towards exercise and nutrition, before you make the commitment.

4. Scheduling Make sure their schedule works with yours. Some personal trainers are only available certain hours or days that may not work with your schedule. When speaking with potential trainers, you should check if they’re able to meet with you consistently on a weekly basis, on days and times that are equally convenient for you. You’ll also want to ensure that you have an understanding of your trainers’ cancellation fees if something comes up, and how to reschedule a session.

5. Location Choices Some trainers only work in certain gyms. Others, like our personal trainers at Invictus Fitness, will work with you in your own home or your home gym. Others will work with you virtually. You’ll want to understand where your personal training will take place and ensure you’re comfortable with the setting. Trainers who come to your home offer the benefit of training in a more private and familiar setting and tend to be more flexible in general with scheduling, as they base their practice around catering to their clients’ schedules and needs. Given these benefits, they will typically be more expensive than a personal trainer you would find at a gym.

6. Your Personal Trainer’s Reputation In selecting a personal trainer, it’s likely you’ll want to research their reputation. Online reviews are one way to do this, as well as referrals from friends and family. You can also request that the personal trainer you want to work with provides references that you can contact. Depending on their arrangement with their clients, they may or may not be able to share that information.

As you can see, there’s a lot to consider when choosing a personal trainer. These tips will help guide you to select the right personal trainer for you. Overall, you’ll want to choose a personal trainer with whom you can develop a good rapport, who will guide you and work with you to propel your fitness forward. And one that will help you stay focused and motivated, so that you can improve your health and get into terrific shape.