Congrats on deciding to invest in yourself! Seriously, this is an awesome moment and I’m sure you’re riddled with excitement about getting started. But, if you haven’t already, how do you go about finding a personal trainer? What do you need to lookout for?
In an era of online “coaches” it’s important to look out for a few things:
- Make sure they are accredited by a national institution.
- Find a specialist (want to learn to snatch or clean? Find someone USAW certified, etc.)
- Ask for a free consult, make sure you are comfortable with the trainer and like their training methodology.
- During said free consult, ask for an injury
report. Then follow it up with the following questions:
- How many of their clients/athletes become injured?
- How many of their clients have continued to train with them outside of a year?
- How long have they been training?
- What certifications do they have?
- What drew them to their field?
- If you’re looking for a sport-specific coach, make sure you’re asking about their athlete roster. Would current clients recommend you? Why? What is your turnover rate for clients? How often do your athletes sustain serious injuries? Etc.
- What emphasis do you place on education? How long does it take for someone to become self-sufficient in the gym?
In my opinion, these are excellent questions for establishing a baseline on who you’re going to be working with. Are they empathic? Are they pragmatic? Are they able to train around injury/life events? Are they capable of explaining to you the ‘why’ of certain forms, functions, and scope of programming?
As a trainer, there is nothing more irritating than watching a ‘trainer’ work with a client who is clearly disengaged, uninterested, or unable to educate you on what you’re doing. Personally, it is always my goal to educate whomever I am working with. I want you to understand why I want your thumb to be over the lat-pull down bar versus under, I want you to understand why your squat stance is going to be different from James (who is busy quarter squatting) and why it’s important to squat to depth, etc. My goal is to always educate and build a foundation for everyone to carry with them long after they’ve left me as a trainer.
And here’s the thing, that should be everyone’s goal. Unless you’re training for a specific goal (entering a powerlifting meet, doing a bodybuilding show) or just absolutely are enamored with your trainer, you shouldn’t NEED to be with a trainer for more than two years (now, this obviously is talking to a mostly able-bodied audience. Clearly there are vast exceptions to this).
So, as you trek into your next phase of fitness (or whatever you want to call it) don’t be afraid of asking questions. Interview the trainers as if they are applying to work for you! And most importantly, make smart/safe decisions. If something feels off, sing it like Ariana Grade “Thank you, Next!” and shimmy your way to another trainer.
Signing off,
Your Friendly Neighborhood Soldierfit
THE BUNKER 