Picking the best personal trainer for you will give you a great chance of achieving your health and fitness goals. Each trainer has their own style, personality and ideas about what works best. There are also countless types of exercise to choose from and a range of certifications given to trainers by regulatory bodies or training institutions. The choice can be a little overwhelming when faced with so many variables! Here are some things you might want to consider.
It’s personal, duh!
The first and most important thing to consider when picking a personal trainer is what YOU wish to achieve. Having clear health and fitness goals will help you to narrow down your search dramatically. Some trainers specialize in weight loss, others on muscle gain or fitness. Maybe your goals are highly specific, such as wanting to complete a marathon in under 5 hours or compete in a bodybuilding contest? If this is the case, your first consideration should be looking for a trainer that specializes in your chosen activity.
It’s also important to choose someone that is suited to your level and experience. Most good trainers can adapt to trainees of any experience level within their field, but some may be especially good with beginners while others have specialist skills that can take you to the next level of your progression.
If you’re looking more for a general improvement in your lifestyle, fitness and overall health, there are also plenty of trainers out there that crossover into fields such as nutrition or life coaching. If you’re the kind of person who prefers not to use chemically synthesized products, try to find a trainer that has a similar outlook and can give you helpful advice rather than pressuring you into doing things their way.
Finding the best personal trainer for you
Once you know what you want, the next challenge is figuring out where and how to find the right trainer to help you achieve it. When searching the web, try to use specific keywords such as ‘plant-based personal trainer’ or ‘strongwoman coach’. This will give you a better chance of connecting with trainers that suit your needs. You can do the same when using Heck Yeah. Another method would be to browse through lists of trainers and see who catches your eye.
Once you have found some options you like, the next step is to speak with your potential candidates to get an idea of which one will be the best personal trainer for you. Remember, this a job interview and you’re the boss (it’s also good to remember that the nicest bosses get the best employees). Don’t be shy to ask questions that are important to you.
This can include things related to the training itself and more personal questions that will help you to get to know the actual person. The second part of that statement may seem strange, but you’re far more likely to see great results if you work with a trainer that gets you. After all, strong relationships are the foundation of human success.
Final thoughts
Before you can choose the best personal trainer for your specific needs and goals, you must first be clear in your mind about what those things are. Once you find some promising trainers, go through a ‘hiring’ process. You’re going to spend money, time and energy with this person. Take your time to find the right one and don’t be shy to ask questions that will help you to determine who that is.
Qualifications and certifications are certainly important, but you don’t have the time to research every single one. You can check up on a trainer’s credentials if you have any doubts, but you should mostly focus on what they can actually do rather than what they are qualified to do. Sometimes, extensive experience or a high level of success in a particular field is more than enough. In other cases, certification through a specific organization can prove that even a newly qualified trainer is at a high level.
Ultimately, the best personal trainer for you will be the one that understands you and your aspirations and has the skills to help you to achieve them.
