Choosing the right personal trainer?

I've been bragging about starting to work again with a personal trainer. I do realize that it involves quite a bit of money (even at the Y!) and that it's not possible for everybody. Still I think that if you can afford it, it's a good way to get yourself well on your way to achieving your goals.

There are quite a few things to take into consideration when choosing a personal trainer. The right trainer will motivate you to push yourself (safely) and will design your training in line with the goals you are trying to achieve.

I thought I'd give you a few hints that will hopefully help you make the right decision.

Certifications:

Not anybody should proclaim themselves "Personal trainers", but sadly it happens a lot. You want to make sure that the trainer you are hiring is certified by a reputable organisation.

You want to ask when the trainer was certified, and how committed the trainer is with continued education. Personal training, like so many other fields, has changed enormously in the last 15-20 years.

The point is that somebody who is certified (and insured!) is serious about being a personal trainer and has the background and the education needed to be able to build a routine that will be safe and effective.

Availability - Price

One of the advantages of being a personal trainer is that you can more or less make your own schedule right? Well, if you like to work out first thing in the morning, and super dude doesn't start until 3pm, it might not be the best fit.

Don't be afraid to ask if there are discounts, bundles (I just got a great deal at my gym, 16 sessions for the price of 12!). Mid-March to Mid-April is a little bit of a slow season, in Mid-April people will start thinking about the coming summer and hit the gym again. It's the time to go for great deals.

Personality

Ok, that seems obvious, but you want to find a trainer that will have a personality that fits with your own. I remember a trainer I hired a few years ago that I dropped in the middle of the first session. He was yelling at me, trying to bully me into something I knew my bad knee would not do. I stood up and left, got refunded and took my money elsewhere. I don't do very well with bullies, I just end up yelling back...

What kind of personality do you think would keep you motivated?

Laura, my trainer, has a great sense of humor. We laugh all the way through the training and that makes it all the more fun. She also knows to tweak my pride when I would flake. That's what fits me!

You want to find what you want, someone very focused and "military"? Someone who can make it fun? Someone pushy who will "force you" to go beyond what you thought possible?

Don't be afraid to speak up!

You should always feel very at ease to discuss with your trainer about your goals, your expectations, how you think it's going, modifications you would like to see.

One of the big challenge for a trainer is to really know what the person wants and expect, the clearer you explain that, the more you will get out of the sessions :o) Personal trainers are not mind readers, "I want to get fit" can mean a million different things.