Thinking Of Hiring A Personal Trainer?

What comes to mind when you think of a personal trainer? A meathead in a tight t-shirt? Yeah, me too. An overly tanned (possibly orange) rep counter? Yep, same here. Unfortunately, this seems to be the going trend for people that are supposed to be in the industry of helping people reach health and fitness goals. 

Considering how easy it is to get some personal training certifications, it's no wonder why people who like to work out seem to think they can make a living out of it. I would like to point out, however, that liking to workout and teaching people safe and effective ways to exercise are completely different. After all, if you're in the service industry, you should genuinely like helping people.

One of the most challenging things about running a business in the fitness industry is getting the message through to people that, although personal trainers definitely have a stigma, it doesn't apply to all of us. 

There are definitely some good people out there that genuinely like helping people, and get a ton of enjoyment out of changing peoples' lives for the better. Sometimes, I feel like I'm more excited about a client hitting a goal than they are.

For every one good trainer, there's about thirty others that are just plain awful. So, I don't blame you for thinking that. I've seen it numerous times, and I have clients with horror stories of their first session at one gym or another. Throwing up, or at least coming close, isn't uncommon. I mean, the point of training someone is to intimidate them into training with you, right?

All that aside, how can you pick the good from the bad? There's been a bunch of articles written about how to find the best personal trainer. In fact, Nicki Anderson somewhat recently wrote about this very topic in Naperville Magazine, and it was a great article. 

That being said, I'll point out two big things that can further help you separate the good from the bad.

1. If you need professional help, hire a professional.

This is first and foremost. What is the background of the person you are hiring? Do they have a degree in an exercise-related field? A certification? Experience? Do they act like a professional? These are things that most people should be taking into account. 

If you see a doctor or a physical therapist, you'll be looking for a certain level of education in their field to prove they are who they say they are. Do they have a degree in their field? Do they have experience with your issue? 

If you're going to check someone's background out to help with an injury or illness, why not look for that here too? In some cases, it could save you a trip to the doctor or physical therapist.

It is interesting to me how many people will go out and hire a professional to do their taxes, fix their car, or even clean their carpets, but when it comes to their own bodies, they feel they can just wing it. 

If you're not willing to put in the time to research what you are doing, you're probably going down the wrong path. While Muscle & Fitness or Men's Health (it's gotten a lot better lately) may have a few decent articles, these are written for the masses, not just for you. 

Furthermore, these are written to fill space in a magazine. You'll be a lot more likely to reach your goals if a qualified person is writing a program specifically for you.

2. Make sure you are actually getting an exercise program.

I'm still not sure why this happens so much in personal training. When people are paying good money, they should receive good training, which includes an actual plan. By this, I mean the personal trainer should be creating a plan encompassing 3-8 weeks of training at a time, not just single workouts. 

How can you progress a client without building off of previous sessions?

Planned progressions are the best way to make progress. Each session should be able to be progressed, and, if necessary, there should be planned breaks or reductions in intensity.

If you are unsure if the place you are considering does this, ask them. It'll be worth your while.

Have any comments or questions on what I wrote? Feel free to write them below.

Ryne Gioviano, M.S.Ed., NSCA-CPT

www.welligee.com