Top Tips for Choosing a Personal Trainer

Introduction

Let’s face it. Finding an exercise routine that works for you can be tough. With the vast amount of gym workouts and fitness plans out there, it’s not always easy to know where to begin. If you’re struggling to find the right fitness plan, a local personal trainer might be just what you need.

Choosing a personal trainer is a big commitment, so it’s important to ensure that whoever you hire has the necessary skills and experience for the job. Don’t be fooled by big muscles – there is so much more to a successful personal trainer than their physique. If you want to hire a personal trainer but you’re not sure what to look for, read on for our top tips on choosing the right expert for you. Your health is your best asset, so don’t put it in the hands of anyone!

Find out Their Specialism

Every personal trainer has a niche, whether that’s endurance training or fat loss. With whoever you choose, make sure that their area of expertise aligns with your fitness goals. There’s no point in hiring a personal trainer to prepare you for a triathlon if they’ve never trained someone for it before. Similarly, if they specialize in Crossfit, their high-intensity approach might not be suited to you if you’re looking to perfect your downward dog. An excellent way to determine whether your personal trainer is right for you is by asking which services they offer and what they have worked on with previous clients.

Don’t Judge a Book By Its Cover

2020 has seen the most significant rise in Insta-fitness of all time. While Instagram is a fantastic way for fitness experts to showcase their clients results, don’t always be fooled by a big name on social media. Remember to factor in that not all high-profile trainers have sufficient credentials – they could have just got lucky with their fans or followers on social media.

Think About Your Budget

The price of hiring a personal trainer can vary depending on a range of factors, including experience, specialism, and location. Be upfront with your trainer at the beginning of your budget. Most of them will offer a discount if you are buying a package of sessions instead of a one-off workout. If you’re looking to keep costs down, you could rally some friends together for group workout sessions, although you won’t get as much one-to-one time with your trainer. Another alternative is online personal training. This is generally cheaper than face-to-face classes. If you’d prefer to stick to in-person workouts, you can keep costs to a minimum by travelling to your trainer, as they won’t need to factor in travel costs.

Check Their Credentials

Personal training is a highly specialised profession that involves advising clients daily on how to optimise their health and fitness. This includes advising on nutrition plans and the right workout routine for the individual’s level of fitness. They also need to be aware of how any exercise could impact existing health conditions. If a personal trainer suggests the wrong thing, the health implications for the client could be more harmful than helpful. Make sure you check if your expert has the required qualifications to practice safely. Being a member of a professional organisation, like the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs), is one way for a professional trainer to prove their competency. They can also showcase this with degrees in related fields, or recognised qualifications like the Level 3 Diploma in Fitness Instructing and Personal Training.

Gauge Their Personality

Personality is vital when choosing a personal trainer. Unless you opt for group workouts, you could spend hours a week with your professional trainer on a one-to-one basis. The bigger your goals, the more time and effort you’ll have to put into working out with your trainer. With this in mind, you want to make sure that you pick someone who you’d be happy to spend hours on end with. Be sure to choose someone you have a good rapport with and whose company you genuinely enjoy – this will make it far easier to soldier on with your sessions, even on the days when you’re feeling lazy.

The Bottom Line

Whatever your reason is for hiring a personal trainer, it’s worth taking the time to find the perfect match. Before hiring a professional, always book in an initial consultation which you can do online or face-to-face. If you’re not sure, don’t be afraid to shop around. After all, there’s nothing more important than your health.

About the Author: Katie Miles

Katie is an experienced writer with a passion for health and wellness and is currently a writer for Bark.com, a world-leading services marketplace with over 5m customers in 8 countries around the world. Katie writes about all aspects of fitness and is dedicated to helping readers achieve a healthier and better quality of living.

About Theresa Duncan

Originally from Detroit, MI, Theresa has been offering health and fitness advice for the last 30 years while working as an engineer. She decided to turn her passion into a profession, and finds nothing more satisfying than helping others reach their health and fitness goals.