What do you look for in a trainer?

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  • firef1y72
    firef1y72 Posts: 1,579 Member
    Cherimoose wrote: »
    If you want to be a bodybuilder, definitely. For general fitness, i've found that many trainers with a bodybuilding background prefer a more limited range of exercises than other trainers, who may include more diversity, like sandbags, battling ropes, kettlebells, boxing, plyometrics, etc. Obviously there are exceptions to this, but that's the trend i've noticed. Something to keep in mind, if you like a lot of diversity.

    I've noticed this watching the few trainers in the gym I go to. The majority are really in to the heavy lifting and I'm sure they are fantastic for that, but they do seem to.use the same exercises week.in week.out, focusing on the lifting side for the majority of the time.

    My trainer doesn't work in the gym I go to, we train outside (in all weather) and while she does emphasize form (even when I'm lifting on my own or in someone else's class I hear her voice in my head "head up, engage shoulders, chest up, bum down, etc. Etc") no two PT sessions are ever the same (ok there are some amraps that we do every couple of months to assess my fitness level and any improvement), and she has me working on all areas of my fitness.

    She also shouts at me, a lot, but that is what works best for me. She shouts at me, I swear at her and say I cant, she gives me the look and then I discover I can

  • surfbug808
    surfbug808 Posts: 251 Member
    ku140 wrote: »
    As a former trainer, I hope I can offer some insight as well! Full disclosure: I did not have a degree and had an ACE certification.

    I think picking a trainer is an incredibly personal experience.
    I was a great trainer for some people based on their goals and what they needed out of a trainer. I wasn't a good fit for others based on those same reasons.

    Being a trainer at a large corporate gym was awful.

    Getting an inside perspective does help. I realize that if a gym doesn't treat their trainers well, it's probably going to translate in some way to the training (whether that's attitude/morale, accessibility to gym equipment, marketed approach or whatever). I agree, it's about the right chemistry and alignment too. My partner doesn't like gyms (having managed one for over a decade she got real sick of them), and hired a trainer and they worked out in the park together weekly. I've considered that as well, though right now, I think I'd like to be indoors with access to certain equipment etc. All of the feedback on this thread is very helpful!

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