Choosing a Personal Trainer
Ray Salomone High Performance Athletic Trainer
Having been a trainer longer than most trainers have been alive, I want to share with you some insights on how to best choose a personal trainer. Working with a trainer can provide enormous benefits to you, provided you find the right trainer.
It’s not just about certifications or aesthetics. It’s about what you want to accomplish and what method you want to use it accomplish it.
The standard business model for the big box gyms is to push the trainer services on you when you join. This is good for the gym and bad for you. But it is how the vast majority of trainer-client relationships begin. Turn that model around and take control of the decision making process. Resist the pressure to sign on with a trainer until you have had a chance to do the following:
Observe the trainer in action with other clients.
Are they engaged? (Or are they looking at their phone as the client lunge walks?)
Do they display the appropriate amount of enthusiasm and energy?
Do they take charge of the session and create structure?
Speak to those who have worked out with him/her
Are they punctual? Reliable? Do they bring their personal drama to the gym?
Request (Require) a trial session
Speak with the potential trainer directly to determine if there is a match.
Do they have a plan for you? Or is the plan to simply go through the motions?
Have they established short term and long term goals? Are they quantifiable?
A few other thoughts….Just like any other profession, there are varying levels of competence and excellence. Is the trainer a trainer? Is this their profession or is it a side hustle? Side hustles are great but not when your health and safety are on the line!
Don’t be rushed into choosing a trainer. Control the process of deciding. And don’t be afraid to make your intentions and goals known.
Ray Salomone has been a private personal trainer for almost 30 years.
Prior to becoming a trainer, he was a US Army solider and two-time winner of the military’s highest physical fitness award. Ray can be reached at [email protected]
Fitness Videos at Instagram: FitAfter50Trainer Twitter: @RaySalomone