How to Choose the Best Personal Trainer for your Goals

Working with a personal trainer can help you reach your fitness goals. Personal trainers give you guidance, design a workout plan with your goals in mind, and help to keep you motivated too. However, not all personal trainers are equal. Every personal trainer can have their own approach to how they do things. They might also have varying levels and types of knowledge, experience, and qualifications.

When you’re looking for a personal trainer, you should choose one who is right for you. That means it’s important to spend some time looking at a few different options and deciding which trainer could work for you. There are a few things you might want to think about to help you make the right selection.

Know Why You’re Hiring a Personal Trainer

Before you start looking at personal trainers, you should consider your reasons for hiring one. Understanding why you want a personal trainer and what you expect from them will help you narrow down your options later.

Are you looking for someone to hold you accountable? Do you need someone with knowledge of fitness, exercise or perhaps weight loss to help you outline a plan? Are you looking for someone who can adjust workouts to suit your needs, especially if you have a disability or impairment to work with?

Think carefully about why you want a personal trainer and what you want to get from your relationship with one.

Look at Their Qualifications

We all want to know that someone knows what they’re doing when we hire them to do a job for us. It’s even more important that they can get it right when your health comes into it. One way we can do this is through their qualifications or certifications. These can show us that personal trainers have spent time learning their profession and have some of the core knowledge and experience necessary to do their jobs well.

So what sort of qualifications should you be looking for? Some trainers might have certain qualifications such as diplomas or even degrees in fitness, nutrition and other related subjects.

Look for accredited qualifications that are endorsed by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA). If you look for a Training Provider that provides qualifications awarded by Active IQ then this will ensure that your qualifications are endorsed by CIMSPA and Ofqual.

Don’t forget to check that your personal trainer is insured too. This will protect you (and them) if you’re injured while under their care.

Ask About Their Experience

A personal trainer’s qualifications may only tell you a few things about whether they’re the right person for the job. You also need to know that they have the right level of experience. This is something they might tell you a little bit about on their website.

However, it’s also a good idea to ask them directly about their experience and how it can help them be the right personal trainer for you. Ask them about what types of clients they typically work with and how they would tailor their approach to help you meet your fitness goals.

Perhaps you would like to know if they hold any additional qualifications like Strength and Conditioning or Pre and Post Natal, decide what sort of support you’re looking for.

Consider How and Where They Deliver Their Services

Personal trainers might provide their services in several different locations. Some might have their own gym or studio space. Many are attached to specific gyms and some also offer their services online. You should think about what would be best for you in terms of convenience and what you’re most comfortable with.

Don’t assume that you can’t get a good experience with an online personal trainer. Some of the best personal trainers in the world offer their services online. Online personal training can be really flexible, allowing you to work out where and when makes sense for you. This means it’s great to fit around a busy schedule. And with video conferencing, your personal trainer can still observe your form and give advice. Plus, they can stay in touch between sessions too.

Set Up a Consultation

One of the best things you can do if you want to find the perfect personal trainer is to set up a consultation with them. This gives you a chance to discuss your goals and what you’re looking for from them. As well as allowing you to get a feel for how they can help you, it gives them the opportunity to ensure they’re a good fit for you too. And if they feel that they’re not, they may be able to recommend someone else for you.

Keep your goals in mind and communicate them to personal trainers when you’re searching for the right person. You want to match the trainer you choose to your goals.