Do’s and Don'ts When Hiring a Personal Trainer
Decided that you’re ready to commit to a personal trainer? That’s great! Having a personal trainer is an awesome step forward in your journey to better health and well being.
However, don’t think that once you find someone who will take you on board, that the hard work is going to be all done for you.
Having a personal trainer means making a commitment to yourself and requires self reflection and discipline on your part outside of the sessions as well.
On top of that, it’s important to make sure you hire the right personal trainer for YOU. This list of Do’s and Don’ts will help you make sure that you land upon a PT who you work best with, and really get the most out of working with them.
Here’s a list of things you should DO:
Ask THEM questions before signing up.
What is it that you’re looking for in a personal trainer? If you’re new to lifting and are looking for help getting started, maybe you need someone who’s kind, motivating and encouraging. If you’re more advanced, maybe you need someone who specialises in the kind of training which you want to get into. You might need some help strengthening through previous injuries or working with arthritis, or you might want some more specialised help with your nutrition. When you’re meeting a personal trainer for the first time, don’t feel shy about asking what kind of clients they mostly work with, what their approach is like, what they personally do for their own training and what other areas of well-being and health they have experience or education around.
Make sure you get a good vibe BEFORE signing up
Personal training is just that - PERSONAL. You’re spending alone time with this person potentially multiple times per week. You definitely want to get along with them, or at least not mind their company. A trainer’s personality is a huge part of their business. Do you want somebody strict and firm, or somebody who’s relatable and fun that makes you feel more at ease? Do you want somebody who is a good listener and lets you open up and talk when you need to, or do you need somebody energetic and excitable to hype you up? Be sure to keep an eye out for red flags as well. You don’t want somebody who is pushy, sleazy, unsupportive, arrogant, not a very good role model, sloppy with punctuality or appearance, or disengaged during your sessions.
Be honest about what it is you really want
Let your personal trainer know what your goals are without beating around the bush. It’s fine to say that you want to change the way that your body looks, or that you want to lose weight, or that you just want to be able to walk up a flight of stairs without needing to take a breather. Your personal trainer won’t be able to help you get to what it is that you’re wanting to achieve which will mean you’re likely to feel frustrated with them, unless you tell them what it is that you are actually hoping to get out of your investment.
Communicate openly
If your personal trainer ever pushes you so hard that you feel sore for the rest of the week, or you feel like they’re not pushing you hard enough, let them know. If you believe you’ve been injured from a personal training session, or the session has aggravated another injury - definitely let them know. If you feel like you’re not getting the results that you were hoping to see, or that you’re struggling to stick with the plan that you’ve set together, let them know so that they can work with you to create a solution. Likewise, if life is getting in the way and you’re dealing with some major stresses on top of your fitness goals, let your trainer know that maybe you’re not as focused on your fitness goals at the moment. Experienced trainer’s already know that the same approach isn’t going to work for everybody, so don’t feel like they won’t accommodate you if you let them know that you’re struggling.
Trust your personal trainer’s advice
Your personal trainer’s advice is based on their experience working with clients and the education which they’ve committed themselves to. If you’re going to pay a fitness professional to create a plan for you and work with you - then you need to trust that they know what they’re doing, even if it’s not the same as what your favourite Instagram influencers do. However, if their advice has any elements of sounding a little extreme, unhealthy, unrealistic or simply not true sounding at all - that’s a good sign to walk away from working with them.
Here’s a list of Don’ts when it comes to personal training:
Expect results if you’re not going to put in work outside of the session
The biggest results that you’re going to see from personal training don’t actually happen while you’re in the gym with them. It’s the commitment to proper nutrition habits daily, getting walks and other exercise sessions across the week, drinking plenty of water and maintaining a good sleep schedule which is going to help you see the most progress. Your personal trainer will be hoping that you’re actually sticking to your process-related goals when they’re not there with you, to really achieve what it is that you’re looking to achieve.
Show up sick or injured without telling them
Showing up sick to your PT sessions puts your trainer at risk of getting sick, as well as any of their other clients. And if your PT is sick and has to cancel on you, that only drags out the time you miss out on training even more! Out of courtesy, try to let your trainer know a day in advance if you’re feeling under the weather. That gives them time to replace your slot if they need to or block out that time to use productively. If you have an injury, you may still be able to attend your PT session, but please tell your trainer so that they can modify the workout they may have already had planned for you.
Cancel last minute or constantly try to change your times
Everybody needs to cancel appointments sometimes, but please do your best to let your trainer know as soon as possible if you know that you’re not going to be there. Of course, if you do shift work or have an unpredictable schedule, you may need to stick with different times every week, but you should try to keep your trainer updated when you know that you’ll be able to attend training. Not only is it disrespectful and frustrating for your trainer to have to constantly readjust their schedule to suit you, but you are showing that you are not very committed to your fitness goals by doing so - which means that you’re probably not going to achieve good results either, meaning you basically are wasting your time!
Ask for (or accept) advice outside of their scope of practice
Personal trainers are allowed to give you advice around fitness to improve your overall health and wellbeing or achieve goals specifically related to exercise. Your personal trainer may have other qualifications, but if they aren’t qualified in an area which you have questions about, then it’s always a good idea to see a different expert for advice instead. Medical advice, physiotherapy, specialist nutrition or naturopathic advice aren’t included in a standard PT certification, so take any advice they give you in these areas with a grain of salt.
Tell your personal trainer exactly how you want them to train you
You may have had personal trainers in the past who loved using kettlebells, or doing high intensity circuits, or teaching Olympic lifting, powerlifting, bodybuilding or callisthenics training. Or maybe you really love Pilates and you’re wanting your trainer to incorporate Pilates moves into your session. But trainers tend to have a skill set based around how they themselves typically like to train and what they’ve seen the most success with for their clients. It’s unlikely that they can be experts in all areas of fitness and if you’re the one who is trying to tell them exactly how you want your session run - they’re probably going to be out of their comfort zone and unlikely to do a very good job anyway. There’s a difference between telling your trainer how hard you like to be pushed and what exercises you can’t do due to physical limitations, and telling your trainer you want a completely different style of session to what they’d had planned for you.
If you’ve been looking for a personal trainer based in Auckland, I offer fully private 1-1 personal training out of my studio on Campbell Road in Greenlane - which is also close to Ellerslie, Epsom, One Tree Hill and Royal Oak. Learn more about personal training with me here and book yourself in for a free session if you would like to try it out. I am also a Registered Nutritionist (BSc) so I am fully qualified to help you with your nutrition goals as well.
Alternatively, I offer online coaching for those who live further away. Learn more about online coaching here and book in for a complimentary Zoom call to see if we would make a good fit.
