Personal Trainer 101: Should You Hire a Personal Trainer? What to Look For


personal trainer and personal training

The internet is packed with information. Finding information about everything including health and fitness is possible. To some extent, you may ask yourself why you need to hire an expert on anything when you can visit Google and get free information. If you can watch a video online on quick workouts at home, why do you need to spend money on a personal trainer boston?

Well, the answer is simple – most information available online isn’t entirely true/accurate. Many unscrupulous individuals are masquerading as experts in health and fitness for the sole purpose of making a quick profit. Remember, health and fitness is a very popular niche. Hundreds of millions of people globally flock to the internet to search for health and fitness solutions. If you take any piece of information you find online on health and fitness as the “gospel truth”, you will be doing yourself a great disservice. What’s more – information isn’t enough. You need to be focused and motivated to achieve any fitness goal you set. We all have a good idea of what it takes to stay fit and healthy, however, how many people do it?

Important: Although it’s advisable for any person looking for serious health and fitness results to hire a personal trainer, not every trainer you find is great. Unscrupulous individuals have also invaded the field. In other instances, a reputable personal trainer may be great with one person and not-so-great with another because of factors such as personality differences. So, what does it take to choose a good trainer?


Steps to consider when hiring a personal trainer

Step 1: Check out their credentials

The importance of hiring a professional trainer can’t be overlooked given the internet is packed with fake self-taught trainers who have never set foot in a health and fitness class. I’m not saying you can’t be a good self-taught personal trainer; however, some formal education is important on subjects like health and nutrition. Trainers also need a thorough understanding of how the body works and such information is scattered all over the internet. If you choose a self-taught trainer, chances are they don’t have enough expertise to navigate tricky health and fitness issues like nutrition and exercise in relation to body type. You should choose certified trainers only. The U.S. has a number of accredited institutions such as the ACE (American Council on Exercise), NSCA (National Strength & Conditioning Association) and the NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) which certify trainers after ensuring they met standards of competence and professionalism. You can find trainers online, via referrals, etc., however, ensure they are accredited by reputable bodies.

Step 2: Consider experience

Although educational training is essential, it’s not enough if you want an exceptional trainer. Experienced trainers have worked with countless clients for years and produced excellent results. Unless you want to be a guinea pig, resist the urge to work with novice trainers. Experience is crucial in personal training just like it is crucial in all other fields.

Step 3: Personality

As mentioned above, information isn’t everything. A highly trained trainer is useless if they don’t know how to “connect” with clients with different personalities. You should work with a trainer who you connect to instantly. When you interview different trainers, you can get a good sense of their character. Some important personality traits to look out for include; patience and good interpersonal skills. They should also be professional. You shouldn’t cringe at the thought of going for a training session. Choose a trainer who knows their work but is still enjoyable to be around.

Step 4: Consider their specialty

Avoid a jack-of-all-trades trainer if you want impeccable results in the fastest time possible. A trainer who tells you they know everything about health and fitness can’t be a master of anything. So, focus on their background and experience to pinpoint what a jack-of-all-trades trainer is good at. However, it’s advisable to spend your money on a specialist. If you are focused on weight training, get a personal trainer who is a guru in weight training. The same applies to cardio training.

Step 5: Consider availability

Like in any profession, the best-of-the-best professionals are hard to find. Since consistency is crucial in health and fitness, you want to work with a personal trainer you can access easily. This calls for inquiries about their schedule. For instance, you want to find out how many clients they take on at a time. A reputable personal trainer who is hard to find won’t help you much. Other availability factors to consider include; does he/she make up missed classes, what is their cancellation policy? The trainer you choose should be committed to you once you start working together. Should there be availability problems, they should compensate you accordingly, i.e. with a free session, lower fees, etc. 

Step 6: Reputation

There are experienced trainers with bad reputations. For this reason, don’t stop when you find an experienced trainer. Find out what it’s like working with them from former clients. If they have worked and helped many people, that is the ultimate proof that they can do the same for you. Great trainers are happy to share their success stores and references which you can use to gauge their reputation.

Step 7: Consider the cost

Cost should be considered last. After getting a list of good candidates, find out how much it costs to hire each one of them. It’s worth noting; the most expensive trainers are not always the best. Furthermore, most cheap trainers come at a price. Since personal trainers have varying charges (you can get expensive ones as well as cheap ones), start by establishing a budget. Once you have a list of trainers you can afford, consider all the above factors first before you make a final decision. These considerations should ensure you get ultimate value for your money.

Do you need a personal trainer? Yes, if you are serious about health and fitness. However, getting a good trainer isn’t easy. Luckily, we’ve prepared the guide above to make your work easier. Don’t fall for a con or pay more than you must. It’s possible to get a highly skilled and experienced trainer willing to work with you at a bargain.