Here’s to another 5 fitness questions answered about fitness, wellness, and nutrition. I really love doing these because there is so much information out there. I have said this several times when I was teaching in person. Fitness is just like law. You can find information to support or contradict what you are looking for. I always tell people to try it out for themselves. Each person reacts differently to situations and fitness is no different. What works for someone may not work for another person. It goes back to don’t yuck someone else’s yum.
I have gotten a lot of questions about personal training lately. Finding a personal trainer can be difficult and discouraging because usually you are assigned to someone. There are several questions that I think you should ask a trainer before getting started. Your trainer will be asking you questions as well. It’s super important, to be honest with the trainer. Personally, I try to be as honest and upfront.
For example, I had someone come up to me when I was working at Planet Fitness who was training to become a firefighter. They wanted me to write them a workout specifically to what they would experience on the job and during training. I asked if they could give me a week to put something together. I researched what they were expected to do during training and on the job. I also have a few friends who are firefighters and reached out to them. I also added functional training exercises that would help with their everyday life. When I presented the workout, I was able to explain each exercise and provide the why behind each exercise.
There are a few things that I feel are super important when deciding who to work with. Right now, there are so many trainers out there with different specialties and qualifications.
What is your certification?
For me, this should be the first question you should ask. Are you certified? If so, Where? I get asked this all the time and I am not offended. Some trainers are but there are so many people who give out workouts that aren’t certified. Get certified! There are so many different types of certifications out there. There are some that you can do a test online in a few hours.
By being certified personal trainers, they are expected to get continuing education classes. Every 2 years, trainers can get recertified to continue teaching/coaching. I chose CECs that correlate with clients I want to train or that I personally wanted to get certified in. I’m currently working on a program that works with clients pre and post-natal.
I am a certified personal trainer through ACE. (American Council of Exercise). I have been a trainer for 6 years in April 2023. I have trained clients both privately and in a group fitness format. I have trained clients from ages 25-85. Right now, I am only doing online personal training. I am not taking any new clients because there are other things that I want to focus on before adding more to my plate.
Who is your ideal client?
This question is super important because what a person new to working out needs is completely different from someone who has been training for years. I am not saying a beginner can’t be partnered up with that trainer.
For me, my ideal clients are those who have never worked out and are overweight. I prefer working with clients who this is their first time in the gym. I like being the person to teach and educate them. Working with beginners fits my personality of being nurturing yet encouraging them to try more.
Another question that I feel falls into this category is what is your style? or How do you train? This is super important for you because the trainer could be hardcore and you want someone more gentle. I have this happen over and over again. It is so important to find a trainer that is going to work for you in a way that motivates and benefits you.
I also ask this question when I work with clients. I am typically not a hard or yeller when I train, but I can if needed. I am usually a yeller during group fitness when I see people not giving full effort. That is personally my biggest pet peeve when teaching.
What is your availability?
This is a great question for both the trainer to ask you, and for you to ask the trainer. If the availability doesn’t line up it’s not going to be a good fit. I think the only time this would be a good fit is if you are just getting a workout from a trainer and you’ll do it on your own.
I had a few clients where this worked out really well. I would write them a workout, go over everything during one session then they were on their own for 6-8 weeks. They would schedule one-off sessions with me if they needed me to check out their form or whatever they wanted.
This is also important when knowing where you are coming to the gym. If they can’t make it to the gym in the morning, and that’s the only time they can work out it’s not going to be a good fit. I know I am a better trainer in the morning than in the evening. When I lived in California, I would sometimes teach an 8pm class and it was a straight struggle.
What’s included in your program?
This is a very tough question, and as a trainer, I hate it because there is so much that can go into it. I can’t just tell you my program prices because they may not be what you need or want. Before I start training anyone, I set up a consultation. During this free 45-minute conversation, I get to know the person. What are their goals? How quickly are they wanting to see results? Any injuries? How often do you plan on working out in a week?
Once I have a better idea of what you are looking for I can tell you what type of program I can offer you. I also create several options for you that depend on how quickly you want to see results. If you want to see results quicker, it usually includes more sessions per week and maybe nutrition. NOTE: I have a certification in nutrition through Precision Nutrition so I feel comfortable bringing up nutrition with a client. As a client be careful who you are taking advice from. Do your due diligence.
There are several follow-up questions that I could be included here. Tracking the progress is just as important as the program itself. It’s important to see that you are lifting heavier or doing long reps or progressing through exercises. How you are receiving your workouts? How often do workouts change?
Other questions?
There are so many other questions to ask when finding a trainer that fits best for you.
What if I don’t see results? This is not a question that I think should fall directly on the trainer. There are so many other factors. What you do outside the gym is just as important as what you do in the gym?
What is your cancellation policy? Things come up, but things can’t come up all the time. Knowing the cancellation policy is important before purchasing a package. When I was working in membership, I saw someone lose a majority of their sessions because they canceled all the time. They state that they didn’t know the policy.
Do you have any testimonials or photos? Every trainer should have testimonials that they can give out or pictures of clients. I don’t have pictures but I have testimonials of a variety of types of clients. A similar question would have you helped others who have similar goals as me?