Maybe getting in shape was one of your resolutions for 2019 or maybe you just need a little help seeing the results you want in the gym, but hiring a personal trainer is one of the best ways to hold yourself accountable and see real results from your workouts. At Plunkett Fitness, we want you to have all of the information you need before hiring any personal trainer, including one of ours. Here are a few things that you should look for in a personal trainer before you hire them.
5 Things to Look for in a Personal Trainer
First, you should only hire a personal trainer with proper certification and experience. While there are numerous different types of certifications, we recommend finding a trainer that has a certification from the American College of Sports Medicine, the National Strength and Conditioning Association, or the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Some trainers also have college degrees in sports medicine and other related fields. If you are fine working with someone who is completing this type of training under supervision, then that is appropriate as well. However, you shouldn’t work with a trainer that doesn’t have the training and experience needed to be a personal trainer.
The second thing you really need to consider is personality. You want to work with a trainer that you are comfortable with, and a big part of that is based on personality. Find someone who can motivate you the way that you want to be motivated and can relate to you throughout the journey.
Cost is another thing you will need to consider when selecting a personal trainer. While cost is generally based on certification, experience, specialty, and location, it is still important that you are comfortable with the price that you are going to be expected to pay. Personal trainers usually charge an hourly rate. These rates can be hundreds of dollars an hour. If you don’t currently have the budget for a personal trainer, you can look into semi-private training or discount sessions.
Availability is another factor to consider. You probably have a job and other obligations that you need to be considerate of when scheduling personal training sessions. Not all trainers will be available at the same times that you are, so you might need to look at a few different options for trainers to find one that has an appropriate time-slot for you.
Does your personal trainer track your progress? While your personal trainer may not want you to focus on the number on the scale, there are numerous ways to track your progress throughout your personal training sessions. It is important that your trainer shows you how you are progressing, whether it is how much more weight you can lift than the day that you started, your PRs, weight loss, or inches lost. You might want to see a few of these improvements. Tracking your progress might also change over time. At first, you might be concerned about weight loss. When you are a year into the process, you might be more concerned about reaching certain weightlifting goals. Your trainer should be willing to track different things for you throughout your journey.
3 Red Flags to Watch Out for in a Personal Trainer
If a personal trainer isn’t willing to build a program especially for you, then you should move on. Personalization is very important in this business, and if a trainer can’t provide that, then you should find someone else. A lack of personalization means that you aren’t getting any real benefit from your personal trainer. Plus, if you have injuries or special considerations that need to be accounted for, you could risk serious injury during a training session that isn’t made just for you.
A distracted personal trainer is not going to be worth your money. Remember that you are paying for this person’s time, and you deserve to feel like you are getting all of their attention during your sessions. If your personal trainer is working on things for other clients, on their phone, or talking to other people in the gym during your sessions, you should go somewhere else and look for someone who is willing to give you their undivided attention during your sessions.
A silent personal trainer isn’t going to give you the coaching that you might need. Your trainer should be showing you how to perform movements and correcting any errors in form to prevent injuries. If your personal trainer isn’t watching you during your training session or telling you where you can improve, they aren’t doing their job properly. Even if you already have the form down, your personal trainer should be encouraging you throughout the workout.
If you are interested in hiring a personal trainer in Overland Park, Kansas, give Plunkett Fitness a call today at 913-390-3360. One of our trainers would be happy to sit down with you to go over your personal training options.
