How to Find a Good Personal Trainer
This article was originally posted on October 15th, 2007. Since it is now January and many people are now in search of a personal trainer we figured this was a great time to repost this article.
A while ago Hamilton Spectator writer Carmelina Prete wrote an article about how to go about Finding a Personal Trainer in an industry that is completely unregulated, but I didn’t feel it was complete without my personal spin on it.
There’s no doubt about it. Personal training certifications are confusing.
There’s ISSA, CPTN, IDEA, Can-Fit Pro, NSCA, and CSCS just to name a few. Then, of course, there are many others in the weight loss industry tossing around big letters like MSc, PhD, and MD. With all the people walking around with half of the alphabet after their name it’s hard to know who is and who isn’t worth your time and hard earned money when it comes to personal training and weight loss.
To sort through some of this confusion I’ll relate some of the most important things I think are important to consider when looking for a personal trainer. All of these hold true whether your goal is to lose weight, gain muscle, improve health, or just look better naked.
1. Results
Results, above all, are THE most important factor when choosing a personal trainer. If a trainer is not getting results with their clients then they aren’t going to get results with you either. Regardless of the number of letters after someone’s name, if they can’t produce verifiable evidence that the clients in their facility are getting results you can put your wallet back in your pocket and walk straight out the door.
The truth is that some of the most academically “qualified” people I know are also the last people I’d ask for fitness advice. There are people with PhD’s that couldn’t produce results with even the most dedicated of clients. There are also people with 2 or 3 personal training certifications that couldn’t train their way out of a paper bag.
By the same token, some of the best trainers I’ve ever met have very little formal training at all. They’ve basically taken it upon themselves to learn above and beyond what is traditionally required by most academic courses or personal training certification programs. For the record, this type of learning is called autodidacticism. Go ahead. Google it. I know you want to.
Before I start getting calls from every personal trainer and university professor on the planet, I should note that you shouldn’t necessarily penalize someone for having a strong academic background or a personal training certification. Both are excellent ways to attain more knowledge and knowledge IS important. Without dat der book learnin’ we’d all rite like dis. However, you can’t hang your hat on education alone.
Look for results first! Don’t be shy. Ask for photos, testimonials, and references. A good trainer should have no problem producing them.
2. Walk the Talk
A great trainer doesn’t necessary have to look like an Adonis, but they should live the lifestyle they ask you to live. If they require you to make healthy food selections they should be making them for themselves as well.
If they ask you to make time to train and prepare food despite your busy schedule they should be the first to do the same. When a trainer lives the lifestyle they expect you to live they can sympathize with your experiences and provide guidance since they’ve likely encountered the same roadblocks.
Nutrex Solutions President Mark Young
That said, don’t hire someone just because they’re in fantastic physical shape. It could be that the person is a genetic freak who can eat whatever they want and exercise however they want to get results. They could also be exceptionally dedicated and live a lifestyle that isn’t necessarily going to fit into your frantic schedule. Bodybuilders are a prime example of those who dedicate much of their lives to fitness and are usually some of the worst people to ask for fitness advice.
As mentioned before, look for the results they’ve produced with OTHERS and then make sure they’re living the lifestyle they expect you to lead. A good leader leads from the front, not the back.
3. Nutrition
Regardless of what anyone is trying to sell you, you can’t out-train a bad diet. You might make progress for a while, but nutrition is critical when it comes to optimal health and weight loss. Without nutrition you’ll eventually plateau. You don’t really expect to be healthy and at your physical best when you’re eating cheese burgers do you? Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
A good trainer should not only include nutrition as part of their package, but make it mandatory. That’s right. I’m talking about turning away business if people aren’t ready to take on the nutritional component.
AM I NUTS?!?
Turning away business?!?
I must be crazy, right?
It’s quite possible, but here’s what I think. I believe that when someone walks through the door planning to lose weight through exercise alone it is the duty of an honest trainer to set them straight. The person needs to know that nutrition IS a critical part of permanent weight loss. It is completely unfair to lead someone to believe differently and take their money. A good trainer isn’t afraid to tell it like it is whether you like it or not.
If you don’t like this rule…tough. You aren’t ready for weight loss anyway. If you’re serious about changing your body you’re going to need to accept the reality that only half of the battle is fought in the gym. The other half is fought in the kitchen.
Your trainer MUST include nutrition or they’re not going to be very good at producing results, which should be your number one priority.
4. Continuing Education
As I mentioned earlier, knowledge is good. In fact, knowledge is GREAT! The more you have the better you’ll be able to deal with any situation that presents itself. It’s just that knowledge isn’t synonymous with the number of letters after your name. It’s more about what you actually know that counts.
A trainer should absorb knowledge like a sponge and always be seeking more. It doesn’t stop with the completion of course or a degree on the wall. Your trainer should read books and articles, watch training DVDs, and attend conferences and seminars until their head is ready to explode with knowledge. A visit with a knowledgeable trainer can sometimes leave your head spinning.
Look for evidence that your trainer has read or is reading new information all the time. The more they know the better they’ll be able to help you.
5. Realistic Goals
If a trainer is good they don’t need a slick sales pitch and throw out all sorts of unrealistic goals to hook you as a client. A good trainer realizes how to get results and knows how to make them permanent. These, for the record, are going to be the people who can produce the verifiable results mentioned above.
If you meet with someone and they tell you that you’re going to lose 45 pounds in 8 weeks you have to wonder how long that weight is going to stay off. I’ll be honest and tell you that losing 45 pounds in 2 months sounds fantastic, but a good trainer’s job is to give it to you straight.
Those we’ve worked with who have kept off the most amount of weight have lost no more than the average 1 to 2 pounds per week. That means 16 pounds in two months. Admittedly, this isn’t nearly as exciting as losing 45 pounds in the same amount of time, but I don’t have to lie to you to get you on board either. Those results are not representative of most people and they probably don’t apply to you either.
A trainer who sets and achieves realistic goals with their clients is more likely to help you lose the weight…and KEEP IT OFF.
6. Personality
As important as it is to be able to do everything above, if your personality doesn’t jive with that of your trainer then your experience isn’t going to be a pleasant one. I’m not saying that you have to like everything your trainer says. It is their job to know things you don’t and make sure they let you know…even when you don’t want to hear it.
Just make sure your trainer doesn’t have a personality like a rock. You should be able to get along. You’ll be spending a lot of time together.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that finding a personal trainer isn’t as simple as looking for a bunch of letters after someone’s name. Above and beyond everything else, your trainer must be able to get and maintain results using whatever system they’ve created.
Don’t let the letters confuse you.
RESULTS COME FIRST!
Posted: January 11th, 2008 at 03:40pm By: mark