A good personal trainer can help you achieve your health and fitness goals, while exceeding your expectations along the way. A bad trainer can simply be a huge waste of time and money. The demand for personal trainers has been constantly increasing in recent years and with that, so has the supply.

With so many options available today, it can be quite daunting to know which trainer is best for you. To tell the truth, today there are many fake and incompetent trainers who make a living off the ignorance of their clients. But there is a way to protect yourself from these types of trainers and we are providing it to you today.

So before you hire a personal trainer, make sure you have all the answers to these 10 very important questions:

1) Are you physically and mentally prepared to start an exercise program with a personal trainer?

It can be quite easy to forget about the most important factor when hiring a personal trainer: YOU. Are you willing and ready to dedicate yourself and commit to a trainer and their program? The formator will expect total dedication from him.
Preparing for change is a critical part of the equation in determining whether or not you will ultimately succeed. Some simple questions to ask yourself before moving forward should include:

• On a scale of 1 to 10, how much are you committed to change?
• Why do you think you need a personal trainer?
• Why do you think a personal trainer will help you succeed?

Remember that in the end it will be your attitude and effort that will make the difference. It doesn’t matter how good the coach or his program is, if you don’t give your best regularly, the result will be less than what you expected. Don’t waste your time and money on something you’re not ready for.

Take home: Commit to change first, find a coach second.

2) Are your goals and expectations realistic?
We all want to transform our bodies into a better version of ourselves, but you’ll frustrate yourself and the trainer alike if you expect to change overnight. Changing the body is a process that takes time and hard work. Whether your goal is to get stronger or lose body fat, your trainer should be able to outline a realistic timeline for you to reach your goals and expectations.

Be wary of trainers who make big promises, such as massive weight loss in a short amount of time, or strength and speed gains in just a few weeks. If they really understand the process of physical adaptation, then they will be honest and open about what is realistic and achievable.

Take home: A good coach won’t tell you what you want to hear, but rather what you need to hear.

3) Does the personal trainer have a college degree in a related field (exercise science, sports science, and kinesiology) or is he or she certified by a reputable certifying agency?

The trainer has a university degree, which shows that he has a high level of knowledge in fitness and in human anatomy and physiology and how the body adapts to exercise.

If the trainer only has one certification, it should be understood that not all certifications are created equal. There are certain certifications that can be achieved literally in the time of a weekend, while others take months of preparation before taking the certification exam.

Trainers are a dime a dozen these days, as anyone with a little cash, half a brain, and a weekend could earn the title of certified personal trainer. The title does not guarantee capacity. Don’t give up your trust just because someone tells you that they have a certification or even a degree. These should be minimal and mandatory, but the selection process should never end there. Just because they know something doesn’t mean they can apply it. Ask them about their education and certifications? What are they? How long did it take them to get them?

Take home: stick with trainers who can actually give you honest scientific facts, not hype or hot air.

4) Does the trainer actually have real world experience working with people like you?

Basically, there are two types of bad coaches. The former has very little education and knowledge and arranges the trainings haphazardly. While the second has a lot of knowledge but very little experience applying that knowledge. He should look for a trainer who has both intelligence and looks. Sorry, I mean intelligence and experience. And when we say experience we mean people like you. Every customer and customer population is different. They have different needs and goals and your exercise programs should reflect that.

We all know plenty of people who have years of real world experience but still sucked at what they did. Therefore, ask the trainer about the success of his clients. Ask for testimonials and anything else that shows that your ability to work with people like you would be successful.

Take home: Has the coach done that before? If not, what other reasons did they give you to trust him?

5) Does the trainer closely examine your health/training history and perform assessment tests to assess your fitness level before starting training?

If you’re not evaluating, you’re guessing. Before you begin exercising with a trainer, you should be given a health history and some type of physical assessment to assess your current health and well-being. Understanding a client’s abilities and limitations is an absolutely critical factor in designing training programs that are most appropriate and useful for a client.

The golden rule for a personal trainer should always be to do no harm. Assessments decrease the risk of doing more harm than good. Ask the trainer ahead of time if he tests his clients before starting an exercise program. If they do, ask them what type of evaluation they will conduct. If they don’t do an assessment, ask them why they don’t think it’s necessary.

Take home: If you’re not being evaluated, the coach is guessing. Make sure this is a normal part of the process.

6) What is the trainer’s training philosophy?

Make sure you know for sure that the trainer has an action plan for you. This should include some sort of organized approach to their training schedule and how they plan to progress from week to week and month to month. A coach should never shoot from the hip when designing workouts. An unprepared trainer means an unprepared athlete or an unimpressed client.

• How do you track progress?
• How do you decide what is important to track?
• How do you organize your clients’ training programs?
• Are the programs individualized for each client?
• What are they about, that is, what is their philosophy on training in general and with you in particular?

Take home: You need to understand what the coach’s goals are for you and exactly how they plan to get you there.

7) What does the trainer expect from his clients?

Before you give a trainer some of your money, make sure you know what the trainer expects of you. Some trainers expect their clients to just show up, while others expect them to be there 10 minutes early, primed and ready to go.

• How many days a week does the trainer expect to be able to work with them?
• Are the trainer’s expectations of what you need to eat on a par with what you consider realistic and reasonable?
• How hard does the trainer push his clients and is this the type of intensity he is looking for?

Take Home: Make sure the trainer’s expectations are realistic and reasonable for you to meet.

8) Is the training environment comfortable and motivating?

A training center should be like a second home; comfortable and attractive yet inspiring and motivating. Not all fitness facilities are the same. Sometimes there is little the coach can do about it, but it can still make a big difference in what he is getting out of his training sessions. Be sure to ask where most of the training will take place, and then see if it’s the kind of environment you feel you could thrive in and be yourself.

For example, a weightlifter would probably be pretty upset if it turned out that the gym they signed up to train at doesn’t have weights and almost every middle-aged recreational machine and patron has good manners.

Take Home: Make sure you fit in before you sign on the dotted line.

9) Does the trainer’s personality and attitude feel right to you?
There are many trainers out there. You have the right to work with someone you really enjoy being around. It shouldn’t be one kind of thing or the other when looking for a trainer, where you’re forced to choose between a trainer that you don’t really like but is good at what he does versus a trainer that you actually get along with but aren’t that great. good at what they do.

You’re going to spend a lot of time with your coach. Personal time at that, they will regularly force you to do things that may not be so fun, tell you what to do, and correct you on a regular basis. It always seems to be true that we learn best from people we respect and get along with.

Take home: A trainer should be a trainer and a friend, make sure it’s someone you can respect and really take orders from.

10) Does the coach let you try before you buy?

How many people buy a car on the lot without driving it first? So why would a trainer expect you to buy hundreds of dollars worth of personal training before getting behind the wheel and experiencing what it’s all about?

Ask the trainer if they have free or low-cost tests. They should have something in place that allows you to try their services at no or low cost before signing up for a longer engagement.

Take home: ask about a free or low-cost test drive before you buy, this should always be an option for you.

There you have it, 10 critical questions to help you make your decision when choosing a personal trainer or other fitness professional. Remember that quality is king and if you want the best in your area you have to do your homework first.

Jeff Weber, MS, CSCS, Pn1