Finding a personal trainer you connect can be tough and take time. I would urge you not to settle because it can make or break your training experience.
As much as credentials and past training experience are important, the success of your training hinges on if you like your trainer. Don’t believe me? Try to muster up the motivation and energy to see someone for 2 hours a week that you don’t enjoy spending time with. It’s hard enough to make it to the gym and one of the benefits of having a personal trainer is they motivate you to get there. Do you believe your trainer takes good care of themselves and do you believe that they genuinely care about you? Or are you just another paying session in their book?
You can find the best personal trainer in your city, but if their training style and personality doesn’t fit with yours it won’t last.
Here are my top 5 questions to ask yourself when you are looking for a new trainer:
1. Does your trainer spend the entire hour talking about them self, or do they make it about you and what’s going on in your life?
2. Do you leave each workout session feeling energized, or do you leave feeling annoyed and anxious?
3. How do you set goals with your trainer? Do they tell you what you should aim for, or do they discuss your goals with you and let you have a say in what you are working towards?
4. Do your personalities fit? If they are a talker, and you prefer to workout in silence it will be a long hour. If you need a trainer to bring up your energy level, and they aren’t typically a perky person, you might not get the most out of your workout. Make sure your personalities click before fully committing. This might take a few sessions to figure out, so give it time!
5. Are they paying attention to you? Form is imperative when you are exercising to prevent injuries. If your trainer is joking around with his friends on the floor and not watching you as you execute each exercise, they most likely aren’t a good trainer to keep around. They should be there for you and should make sure you are getting the most benefit out of each exercise.
6. How often do they bring up what types of foods you are eating? Exercise will only get you so far, you need to eat a clean diet and get the right balance of protein, carbs and nutrients to help your body burn fat and build muscle. Your trainer should be discussing healthy food choices with you and answering any questions that you may have.
Do You Prefer A Male/Female Trainer?
Did you ask for a personal trainer of your same gender? Or maybe you prefer one of the opposite gender?
Take a moment and make sure you are comfortable with your trainer. Are you able to open up to them and talk honestly with them, or are you always holding back. You work very closely with your trainer and can be faced with either awkward movements or exercises that could leave you uncomfortable with a trainer of the opposite sex. Especially in a gym situation where you didn’t get to pick your trainer, but were merely assigned to one, don’t hesitate to speak up to the training manager and ask them to set you up with someone different.
You will notice I didn’t talk a lot about credentials, and of course anyone you train with should be able to show you valid, up to date certifications.
Don’t hesitate to ask questions or only purchase a few sessions before you commit to a bigger package. Personally I offer my new clients a complimentary session when we first meet so that they can get to know me and my training style and I can understand their exercise level to better begin designing a program for them.
Good luck and happy hunting for your next personal trainer!
Email me if you are in the Carmel/Fishers/Zionsville area and are interested in starting a new training program!