What To Look For When Hiring A Personal Trainer
Someone in my Instagram DMs was looking to hire a local trainer, but they weren’t sure where to start and what to look for. I want to share my answer here in case any of you do the same in the future. I’d be remiss if I did not plug myself, so here is that.
Now, without further ado, let’s dive into it.
Certifications and Experience
Unfortunately, most certifications can be obtained with little effort—usually a 2-3 hour test without any sort of hands-on experience or training. Having said that, NSCA, NASM, ACE, ACSM, and ISSA are the bigger organizations and acquiring one of these certifications at least demonstrates the trainer has done something to display competence.
Other fringe certs like Starting Strength, N1, StrongFirst, RKC, Renaissance Periodization, Menno Henselmans, etc. may offer an experience above and beyond some of these more cookie-cutter certs.
The problem with many certifications or certifying organizations is that many of them are out to make money, and if you make your tests prohibitively rigorous, you don’t make much money. In other words, certifying many people is good for business; making the cert difficult to obtain is bad for business. So you can see the issue there. Even the most difficult certifications may see their standards slip when they start to see green.
Good trainers should seek to upgrade their skill set regularly, which means multiple certifications might be a good sign they care about learning. But again, it's not everything. There are plenty of trainers with lots of "education" but little experience and knowledge. But any demonstration of the pursuit of further knowledge is generally a good sign.
A trainer's experience is generally more important than any certification they have. How long have they been doing this? Most trainers quit within the first couple years. Do they have a track record of delivering results over a long period of time, either through pictures or testimonials (not all goals are aesthetics-based)? In other words, do they have some sort of proof that they can do what they say they can do?
Appearance
I put appearance high on this list because it's one of the first things you’ll see and process when trainer shopping. I do believe there are great trainers out there that don't look "fit”, but I generally think a good trainer should practice what they preach.
If there is a body composition element to someone's training style—e.g., lose fat, get toned, bodybuilding—having a decent physique at minimum proves they can do it. But it's not the only piece of information you should look for. There are plenty of very fit and muscular people that would and do make terrible trainers.
In summary, they should practice what they preach, but it isn't always a dealbreaker.
Messaging and Training Style
Social media is a great tool for personal trainers because it allows trainers to spread their message beyond their local market, but it also allows local folks to see what they’re about. It's a resume of sorts of the type of training you do, the results you get, and the knowledge you have. It's a great first stop for anyone looking to learn more about what you do and why they might want to hire you. For example, here is mine.
When shopping for trainers, if they have social media, look at the type of content they're putting out. Does it align with what you want? Are they mostly delivering information and talking about how they can help you, or are they talking about themselves and how great they are? In other words, are they a trainer first or an influencer first? There is nothing wrong with the latter, but they likely won’t be a good pick if you're looking for someone to help you reach your goals.
When discussing topics, does the trainer speak in absolutes? Do they discuss how x diet is better than all other diets and that everyone should do it? Do they say y training style is the only one worth doing? It's okay to have preferences for yourself, but they might try to force you into something that's not a good fit for you. Dogmatism or black and white thinking is generally a sign that a trainer is not open-minded, which can be problematic when you want a tailored program or when providing feedback.
Lastly, the style of their training needs to match your goals. If you want to do circuit-style training but a trainer specializes in traditional strength training, you probably won’t be a good fit. You may not be sure what their style is, so ask them during initial communication to explain what type of training they do. If they can’t or won’t, that’s a red flag in itself.
And speaking as a trainer who has had to turn many people down over the years, please don’t be offended if a trainer thinks you’re not a good fit. We’re trying to save you time, money, and frustration. That’s why I always keep a list of other trainers with different training styles I can refer potential clients to.
General Professionalism
When you're looking to hire a professional, they should act like a professional. That means using proper grammar and spelling during initial conversations, using the right tone, being timely with responses, communicating clearly, and generally being respectful toward you and your time. There are too many trainers out there to hire one that's a jerk or doesn't care.
This also goes for any social media they have. Are they dressing like a professional and communicating like one? Are they constantly taking pictures of them partying and shitfaced? Or does every picture look like a modeling shoot in Cancun with only underwear? Social media is also a good place to find any political opinions that might make a trainer a bad fit for you. You might think someone’s opinions outside of training don’t matter, but you’re going to be spending a lot of time with this person, so you need to jive with them.
Client Turnover
It may be difficult to tell what a trainer's turnover rate is as a prospective client, but any signs that they can't keep clients around doesn't bode well for their services. Do they constantly need to fill spots, are you seeing new and different faces all the time, do they seem desperate to get you to sign up? These can all be markers of a high churn rate, and that's a red flag.
Clients come and go because we ultimately want them to be autonomous, but if it seems like a trainer has a revolving door of clients, that's not good.
Pricing
Price on its own doesn’t tell you much about the training experience. Some trainers overcharge and some undercharge, but generally if a trainer is cheap, the training will be poor and ineffective. There are obviously exceptions, but good trainers know their worth and will charge accordingly. But there are also trainers whose cost is completely out of alignment with their value. Don’t automatically assume because a trainer is expensive, they are worth it. They may have arbitrarily set their prices based on other trainers at their gym.
Training works like any other profession; if you want a quality service, you’re going to pay for it. The difference between a good trainer and a bad trainer can be HUGE.
You have to ask yourself, “Do I want to save money and get nothing for it, or spend a little more and actually get results?” I hate fear-mongering, but in my experience, pinching pennies on training will greatly increase the risk of getting injured during the process.
Bottom line, be prepared to pay more for a good service, and know that looking for the best deal may mean getting nothing for your money.
Onboarding and Training
Just because you start training with someone doesn’t mean you have to continue training with them. Here are the biggest things you should look for in a trainer once you’ve started working with them:
Is the onboarding process smooth? Is there even a process to it? Do they answer your questions before you start? Do they lay out what to expect?
Are your schedules consistently at odds with one another? Trainers have to juggle the schedules of multiple clients, so it can be difficult to sync up consistently. If the schedules are out of alignment, don’t feel bad about ending the relationship. You’ll save both of you future headaches.
Are they on time? Constantly showing up late, even by a couple of minutes, is unprofessional. Your time is valuable, and a trainer should respect that.
Are they actually watching you and providing feedback? It drives me absolutely insane to see a trainer staring at their phone for the entirety of their session with a client. As a client, do not tolerate this. You’re paying for their attention, not just their presence.
Do they offer trial runs or money-back guarantees? See if you can try a session or two, or at least have the ability to get a refund if you don’t like it.
Are they actually recording your workouts and numbers? You cannot expect to make progress if you’re not tracking anything. If it doesn’t seem like your trainer is recording anything, how will they know if you’ve improved?
Summary
Training is a big investment, but one that pays for itself many times over if you pick the right trainer. Hopefully, this article has given you some helpful tips when you’re looking to take the leap.
If there is anything you think should be added, please drop a comment here or shoot me a DM on Instagram. If you still think you need help with this process, email me at bo@stansellfit.com and I can help you navigate.
Thanks for reading.