10 Tips for Successfully Searching for a Personal Trainer
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What private coaches are right for you? That is the million-dollar question for anyone who wants to get in shape and stay there. Having a private coach can be an extremely beneficial way to maintain your fitness routine and achieve your health goals. A good personal trainer will push you past your comfort zone, ensuring that you reach new levels of strength, stamina, and endurance. To effectively find the best personal trainer for you, it’s important to first understand what their role entails. A personal trainer knows how to get you results by tailoring a fitness program specifically for your needs and goals. Whether you’re looking for someone to meet with once a week or hoping to join a gym with coaches on staff, here are 10 tips for successfully searching for a personal coach.
2-Educate Yourself
Before you start calling around to local gyms to find a personal trainer, make sure you really understand what the role of a private coach entails. First, it’s important to understand that a private coach is not a doctor. A good private coach will not diagnose any medical conditions and should not be prescribing medication or making medical recommendations. A personal coach will guide you in achieving your fitness goals, but first, they need to know what those goals are. A personal coach will work with you to create a personalized lifetimefitness program that meets your needs and goals based on your fitness level. They will also help you set realistic expectations for your goals and create a plan for achieving them.
3-Research is Key
Before you even start to think about calling a prospective coach, do your research. Research the coaches near you, their specialties, and their background. Make sure you ask yourself why you’re drawn to these coaches and how they can help you achieve your health goals. If you’re drawn to a coach because they have an impressive social media presence, that may not be the best reason to choose them. Equally important are the answers to the questions you ask during your research. For example, if you have knee issues, create sure you ask prospective coaches whether they have experience working with clients who have knee issues and what they recommend.
4-Check Licensing and Certifications
Before you start calling around to local gyms to find a personal coach, check to see what licensing and certifications are required in your state. In many states, you can find this information on your state’s Department of Health websites. Some common certifications and licenses you may want to confirm as a prospective coach have included: - PrivateTraining Certification - Confirms that the trainer has the necessary education and training to provide safe and effective fitness programming. - Licensed Strength and Conditioning Specialist (or other sports-related certification) - Confirms that the trainer has the necessary education and training to safely and effectively work with clients of all ages and fitness levels and perform a wide array of different exercises. - Registered Dietitian - Confirms that the trainer has the necessary education and training to provide safe and effective nutrition advice for your fitness goals.
5-Interview Your Prospective Trainers
Once you have a list of prospective trainers, it’s time to start interviewing them. Interviewing your prospective trainers will help you get to know them better, while also ensuring that they get to know you and your goals. To effectively interview your prospective trainers, follow these steps. - Prepare questions - Before you begin the interviewing process, make a list of questions you would like to ask your prospective trainers. These questions should focus on their experience, what they specialize in, their coaching styles and their recommendations for nutrition. - Set up a time - Make sure you set up a time with each of your prospective trainers to interview them in person or over the phone. - Write down your thoughts - After each interview, make sure you write down your thoughts and feelings about the interview. This will help you better remember your impressions and find the best trainer for you.
6-Take the Time to Feel Out a Trainer
After you’ve interviewed your prospective trainers and you’ve narrowed your list down, it’s time to take the time to feel out a trainer. This means taking your prospective trainers out for a test run. Ask each trainer if they offer free sessions or a free consultation and take them up on their offers. This will give you a great idea of exactly what each trainer is like and if they are a good fit for you. After you’ve taken your prospective trainers for a test drive, make sure you follow up with each of them afterward to let them know what you thought of the experience and how they can better serve you.
7-Ask About Coaching and Nutrition Strategies
As you’re feeling out a trainer, make sure you ask about their coaching strategies and if they use any specific tools in their practice. Similarly, make sure you ask about their nutrition strategies and what apps or software they recommend. The tools and strategies a trainer uses can make all the difference in helping you achieve your goals. For example, some trainers will use MyFitnessPal as their nutrition tracking tool, while others may use a different software or app. Similarly, some trainers will have specific coaching strategies, while others may not have their own coaching style or use any tools or strategies during your sessions. These questions will help you find out if a trainer is a good fit for you and help you make an informed decision.
8-Don’t Be Afraid to Walk Away
Finding the right trainer is important, but it’s also natural to feel a sense of anxiety and uncertainty when you’re searching for a trainer. It’s important to not get too hung up on these feelings, but rather walk away if you don’t feel like a particular trainer is a good fit for you. There are many benefits to having a personal trainer and you won’t find them by just walking into a gym. Instead, make sure you find a trainer that is a good fit for you and your goals.
9-Negotiate Fee and Commitment Length
Once you’ve found a trainer that you like and that you feel is a good fit for you, it’s time to negotiate your fee and commitment length. A good rule of thumb when it comes to negotiating your fee is to offer 50-60% of what the trainer is asking for. If they are asking for $50 per session, you can offer $30 per session or $40 per session. After you’ve negotiated your fee, make sure you also negotiate your commitment length. Most personal trainers will ask for a commitment of 6 or 12 sessions. Instead, offer to commit to a number of sessions, like 4 or 8 sessions. This will help you save some money and ensure that you are getting enough sessions to get results.
Bottom line
Finding the right personal trainer can be a daunting process, but it’s one that is worth the effort. Having a personal trainer can help you achieve results you likely wouldn’t achieve on your own. Before you start calling around to local gyms to find a personal trainer, make sure you are educated on the role of a personal trainer and what that entails. Then, follow these 10 tips to effectively search for the best personal trainer for you.