How to Choose the Best Certified Personal Fitness Trainers

Choosing Personal Fitness Trainers

As you have read in past posts, my personal training contract ended and I have chosen not to renew.  This is NOT due to the trainer but rather the gym.  We have since moved on to join a new gym and although they offer personal training sessions, I have decided to go at it on my own.  For now at least.

Today I wanted to share with you tips on what to look for in personal fitness trainers.

Not all area created equal

When I first started at the gym, I ‘shopped around’ for a personal trainer.  The first one, Karen was absolutely awesome.  But I wanted to give some others a chance too just to see how we meshed together.  The 2nd trainer they put me with was definitely not for me.  He didn’t look at me when he talked, talked under his breath so I could hardly hear, had me lift weights that were obviously way too heavy and I knew the next day that I did not need to shop around any longer.  I had Karen as my trainer for a while but then she moved.  I liked her because she incorporated boxing and did a variety of different things. She changed it up and made it fun.  I also liked that she talked about healthy eating and she would give her clients printouts with healthy recipes, tips, and more.

But when she left, I started working with Scott and wasn’t sure how that would go. At first, I was sure it wouldn’t work because I was under the impression that all he focused on was the weights at the back of the gym where the big buff guys are and I did not know what to expect.  It was a bit intimidating at first however Scott made me realize that I could lift with the best of them just at a much smaller weight.  He is a trainer that makes sure all the settings, form and weight is perfect. He is also someone who paid attention and listened well.

I was most impressed that he agreed to do some things that were out of the norm for him (boxing, Bosu, etc.).  Another thing he did that stood out to me was that he came in each day sharing what he learned from trainings outside of the gym. He watched videos, read books and brought his own equipment to use in our personal training sessions.

Those are just a few things that stood out most to me and that I would recommend others look for in a trainer.  I would also highly suggest that you watch the trainers in action.  I personally got on a treadmill to workout and watch the personal trainers as they worked with their clients and it was very telling in what I did and didn’t want in a personal fitness trainer.  If they can’t connect with eye contact or they talk to others during a client session, you might want to move on.

Male Personal Trainers vs. Female Personal Trainers

As for choosing a male personal trainer or a female personal trainer, I think it’s really your personal preference.  I would meet with a few and go with what you feel most comfortable. I have had both and although each brought something different to the table, I felt very comfortable with both.

In Home vs. Gym

I only had experience with a certified personal trainer from a gym chain however I would recommend that if you are looking into having someone come to your home to train that they not only have  personal trainer certification but also CPR/First Aid and insurance.

Cost

The price to hire a certified personal fitness trainer is going to differ every where you go.  When I signed up last year we got a great deal on the sessions (from what I heard anyway).  I had 1/2 hour sessions which I would not do again.  Towards the end when I had to use up my hours before we left the gym, I had hour long sessions and I enjoyed those a lot more.

As I stated above, I would make sure to verify the personal trainers credentials, whether or not they are CPR/First Aid certified and also ask for references before making a final decision.  Most contracts are year long so be sure you can afford to keep up the training before you hand over your credit card.

Personal fitness trainers are great for motivation if you don’t feel you can motivate yourself.  I had a really good experience and overall would recommend hiring a certified personal fitness trainer.

Do you have a personal fitness trainer and if so what is your best tip for choosing one?