Choosing a personal trainer

avatiach

I am thinking about getting a personal trainer. There are lots of options in my area, I am wondering what people would suggest for questions to ask/things to look for in choosing. Thanks!

lorrpb

I encourage you to do a search on mfp for similar threads. Your is common question asked about 1x week.

avatiach

Shoot--I did, but maybe I searched for the wrong thing because not much came up...

Cherimoose

Why do you want a trainer? The things to look for can vary depending on whether you want a trainer to teach you how to lift weights.. or you want some motivating to help you lose weight.. or you have an orthopedic issue that you want to improve.

canadianlbs

i looked for someone who showed signs of being a person i could respect as a human, not just a trainer. may not be everyone's schtick but it's a big one for me. i'd spent a year by that point, listening in on personal trainers working with clients in a public space . . . and then listening in on how they behaved when the clients were gone and only their buddies were there. the guy that i found [for powerlifting, primarily] has a website that starts out right in your face with 'all kinds of people lift here and i'm not taking your *kitten* if you imagine you're better than any of them.' pretty aggro for someone who turned out to be such a peaceable guy, but when i saw that i figured: this is a person that i can work with, i bet.

so your mileage may vary but i think that making lists of what disqualified so many 'qualified' trainers for me was extremely helpful.

avatiach

My biggest thing is that I want my abs to be stronger because I think that will make my other exercise better and safer, and I hate ab exercises.

Mslmesq

Why don’t you try pilates then.

TavistockToad

avatiach wrote: »

My biggest thing is that I want my abs to be stronger because I think that will make my other exercise better and safer, and I hate ab exercises.

What exercise do you currently do?

brig220

I just got a trainer to help me with my weightlifting form and create a personalized program. I learned a lot in 2 sessions despite having exercise for many years. I realized that I was doing exercises the wrong way just so I could add more weights. The woman I hired thought classes at my gym. She is close in age to me, has done competitions, but most importantly has a great sense of humor

cwolfman13

Before getting a trainer, I'd sit down and write out what I want and expect from a trainer...

When I started working with a trainer, I wanted someone who was more specialized in working with athletes and training all around athletic performance vs say a trainer who is specialized in body building or power lifting. I also wanted a trainer who was well versed in Olympic Lifting.

My primary driver was wanting to be a stronger cyclist. I found a trainer who is a retired BMX pro and multi national champion and world champion who still coaches elite amateur and pro riders as well as a handful of road riders and a smattering of individuals in other sports as well as Joe Schmoes like me.

I'll certainly never be an elite rider by any stretch of the imagination, but his training programs have made me more athletic in general and a better rider than I was before. Every single client of his does Olympic Lifting as part of their programming whether they're in their teens or they're 70...he also incorporates a lot of explosive plyo stuff like box jumps, speed training hurdles, etc...

lorrpb

avatiach wrote: »

Shoot--I did, but maybe I searched for the wrong thing because not much came up...

I searched for "personal trainer" posts in this forum in the past 6 months. Here are 350 threads on this topic. Not all will apply to your specific question, but I'm sure several will.
A personal trainer was a great help to me. I didnt' look around, I just went to one who was near my house because convenience was key. I worked with him for 2 1/2 years until he closed his studio. Obviously if I wasn't satisfied I would not have kept renewing. Good luck to you.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/search?adv=1&search=personal+trainer&title=&author=&cat=7&tags=&discussion_d=1&comment_c=1&group_group=1&within=6+months&date=today

Alidecker

I have used a trainer for a long time. He asked me about my goals, I gave a very general answer and he made me talk more. I think the first session was a lot of talking. I was really trying to lose weight at the time. He helped me set goals on how to achieve that along with adding some fitness goals. After losing a significant amount of weight, we discussed goals again and at that point there were more fitness related goals that I wanted to work toward along with the continued weight loss. Now, every January he asks me what my goals are for the year and we discuss how to reach them.

So, make sure the trainer listens to what your goals are and understands them and willing to change things up at some point when you get new goals. I also noticed that he didn't treat all clients the same, different work out plans for different goals.

cwolfman13

Alidecker wrote: »

I have used a trainer for a long time. He asked me about my goals, I gave a very general answer and he made me talk more. I think the first session was a lot of talking. I was really trying to lose weight at the time. He helped me set goals on how to achieve that along with adding some fitness goals. After losing a significant amount of weight, we discussed goals again and at that point there were more fitness related goals that I wanted to work toward along with the continued weight loss. Now, every January he asks me what my goals are for the year and we discuss how to reach them.

So, make sure the trainer listens to what your goals are and understands them and willing to change things up at some point when you get new goals. I also noticed that he didn't treat all clients the same, different work out plans for different goals.

Yup...that's important...

Cherimoose

avatiach wrote: »

My biggest thing is that I want my abs to be stronger because I think that will make my other exercise better and safer, and I hate ab exercises.

Don't be surprised if a trainer doesn't do a lot of ab exercises. Most of the better trainers realize that the abs work as a team with the rest of the body, so most of their exercises focus on the rest of the body while indirectly working the abs at the same time. For example, squats, which are classified as a "leg exercise", also train the abs well. But they may not "burn" your abs like ab exercises.. which is not a bad thing.

So be specific with them about your goals, but be flexible about how to achieve them.

The better certifications to look for include NSCA, NASM, and ACSM. Some would include AFAA and ACE, but those can be hit-or-miss. A degree in kinesiology or exercise science is a big plus, but rare.