How To Choose The Right Personal Trainer

January 7 2014

How To Choose The Right Personal Trainer

Some people view personal trainers as an ‘unnecessary’ expense that’s not worth the investment. After all, can’t you perform all of the necessary workouts without their guidance? The fact is that a personal trainer is more than just someone who advises you on the best types of workouts to achieve your goals; they offer a valuable source of motivation and support, allowing you to continue on your path to better physical fitness and health. Of course, it’s important to choose the right personal trainer to get the most benefit from your sessions.

Experience and Education

The value and benefit you receive from hiring a personal trainer depends largely on their experience. Common sense should tell you that a personal trainer with minimal experience/education isn’t the best choice. Instead, individuals looking to embark on physical fitness regimen under should look for a personal trainer who’s experienced in this type of work.

Here are some are some questions to ask in regards to a personal trainer’s experience and education:

• Do they have a degree from an esteemed college or University?
• Do they hold any special fitness and/or physical training certifications?
• How long have they worked as a personal trainer?
• Are they registered with the Better Business Bureau? If so, what’s their rating?

Schedule

Assuming you have other responsibilities throughout the week (job, school, etc.), you’ll want to check to see when the personal trainer is available. If you live in a busy city with only a few local gyms, reputable personal trainers might fill their schedule rather than quickly. Don’t wait until they last minute to find a personal trainer, but instead take a proactive approach by searching for one several weeks or even a month before you plan to start your new regimen.

Location

Most personal trainers operate out of gyms, as this allow them to grow a decent clientele list with minimal effort. With that said, you can oftentimes find personal trainers by looking in the phone book, internet, or through word-of-mouth. Personal trainers hired outside of gyms may be willing to make house calls, which is a huge benefit for individuals with busy schedules and limited fee time. The downside, however, is that you’ll probably end up paying more.

Price

After shopping around for a personal trainer, you’ll probably notice a wide range of different prices. Some charge a flat fee for clients participating in group classes, while others charge per hour for one-on-one sessions. A recent study found that the average cost of a personal trainer for one-on-one sessions is $50/hour.