Questions to ask a personal trainer

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Mslmesq
Mslmesq Posts: 1,001 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Can anyone offer advice on how to interview a personal trainer? I would like to find one to teach me proper form in weight lifting. I'm willing to invest about a 4-6 month period with one once a week. I don't want someone who just pushes me though. I want someone whose concentration is on proper form, even if it takes longer. I've learned first hand how easily it is to be injured by someone not paying attention to your form...unbelievably by a physical therapist. :-/

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  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
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    Credentials? Background? Degree? Unfortunately, just because someone may have those papers doesn't mean you have someone good. Keep an eye out in the gym - watch the clientele of certain trainers. Watch their style, see what type of trainer they are. Attentive, talkative, where do they spend their time, etc.

    I adore my trainer. He's awesome and it's just like having a friend there. He also has a degree in Kinesiology from Vanderbilt, former college athlete and background in physical therapy. I was pretty picky and I am glad I was. My only suggestion is to go more than once a week. I find that I learn better by repetition and would rather go for 2 months / 2-3 times a week rather than once a week for 4 months. That's my personal opinion though. My trainer is invaluable to me. Some may say it's a waste, but knowing I am lifting more than my body weight makes me feel better when I know I am properly trained.
  • bokodasu
    bokodasu Posts: 629 Member
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    I think you have most of it right there in your post - you should be able to pretty much say that word for word and then listen to their answer.

    You can also ask what their general philosophy is, if they specialize in anything, and what sort of customization they do for their clients. If they hand you a photocopied diet plan, you can probably leave right then. And if they seem like a good trainer who just isn't right for you, you can ask them if they have any recommendations for someone who is - this may or may not work, but at least where I train it's pretty common for trainers to refer clients to each other, because a) they all have different specialties and b) they all trust each other and know they'll get referrals back.

    Unsolicited advice: I started out going once a week to work on my form too, but I saw much better results when I went 2x/week instead, because I didn't forget everything and I could get quicker correction if there was something I was doing wrong. If you can swing it, it might be better to go more often for a shorter time.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,668 Member
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    Results and observation usually are your best bets. People can have all the credentials, but seeing how they interact and train people will usually give you the info you're seeking in choosing a trainer.
    We had a former trainer here who did the same program for everyone he taught, and they had ****ty form too without him correcting it, but for some reason he was popular. Results were mixed.
    IMO, if a trainer CAN'T put together a specific program together for the goals you're trying to attain on paper, then they are winging it.
    As for form instruction, ask them to show correct form for a hip hinge. Listen to how they instruct you to do it. The 2 ways I teach it is a wall test instruction and a dowel instruction. Here's a good one from bodybuilding.com

    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/hips-dont-lie-3-drills-to-nail-hip-hinge.html

    Since the hips are involved in some way or manner on just about every exercise out there, this should be a staple for every trainer to do instruct correctly.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • bokodasu
    bokodasu Posts: 629 Member
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    As for form instruction, ask them to show correct form for a hip hinge. Listen to how they instruct you to do it. The 2 ways I teach it is a wall test instruction and a dowel instruction. Here's a good one from bodybuilding.com

    Ooh, that is a good one. One of the things I like most about my trainer is that he is able to explain movements twenty different ways until he finds the one that "clicks" for me, and he never gets frustrated or annoyed when it takes me ten times as long as a normal person to get there. (I have very bad body sense. Seriously, I think I'm brain damaged.)
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    "Tell me specifically what kind of weight program you would put me on. How many reps, how many sets, which exercises, how would you handle splits?" Don't let her/him trick you in to saying what you are looking for and then regurgitate it back to you.

    "Tell me about your nutrition/diet philosophy....I want to [lose weight, get bigger, add muscle, whatever]. What would you do with my diet?"

    If the answers to either question sound sketchy or like they're getting their information from some fad program or gimmicky shtick, move on. I would think those 2 questions would expose a lot of the bullish you'd want to avoid.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    As for form instruction, ask them to show correct form for a hip hinge. Listen to how they instruct you to do it. The 2 ways I teach it is a wall test instruction and a dowel instruction. Here's a good one from bodybuilding.com

    Ooh, that is a good one. One of the things I like most about my trainer is that he is able to explain movements twenty different ways until he finds the one that "clicks" for me, and he never gets frustrated or annoyed when it takes me ten times as long as a normal person to get there. (I have very bad body sense. Seriously, I think I'm brain damaged.)

    Ohhhh I agree that's genius.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,668 Member
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    "Tell me specifically what kind of weight program you would put me on. How many reps, how many sets, which exercises, how would you handle splits?" Don't let her/him trick you in to saying what you are looking for and then regurgitate it back to you.

    "Tell me about your nutrition/diet philosophy....I want to [lose weight, get bigger, add muscle, whatever]. What would you do with my diet?"

    If the answers to either question sound sketchy or like they're getting their information from some fad program or gimmicky shtick, move on. I would think those 2 questions would expose a lot of the bullish you'd want to avoid.
    Also great questions to ask. Philosophy does matter.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
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    "Tell me specifically what kind of weight program you would put me on. How many reps, how many sets, which exercises, how would you handle splits?" Don't let her/him trick you in to saying what you are looking for and then regurgitate it back to you.

    "Tell me about your nutrition/diet philosophy....I want to [lose weight, get bigger, add muscle, whatever]. What would you do with my diet?"

    If the answers to either question sound sketchy or like they're getting their information from some fad program or gimmicky shtick, move on. I would think those 2 questions would expose a lot of the bullish you'd want to avoid.

    I've never actually talked about nutrition with my trainer. It wasn't a priority for me, plus I know that I will never follow a strict diet regime.
  • wonderbolt
    wonderbolt Posts: 48
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    My old personal trainer had a spinal tumour removed and then built her movemnt back up from paralysed from the waist down. Safe to say, that impressed me enough to hire her
  • ohnoetry
    ohnoetry Posts: 129
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    Instead of asking questions from the get-go, I would talk to your potential trainer about YOU. Your goals, fears, what kind of physical fitness background you come from, etc. From there you can gauge whether or not they are a match for you based on their reactions.

    I have had two personal trainers, and while both different, they've been equally effective in being motivating and helping me with my form and overall athleticism. I'd ask about form during your workouts. Don't be afraid to have your trainer show you how to do a certain exercise over and over, that's how you learn! :)

    Another thing that has helped me is having my trainers write down my workouts for me. That way you can do it on your own, but also track your progress in terms of weights, etc.

    Also, have a look at review sites like Yelp, it's how I found my current gym.

    Hope this helps!
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,209 Member
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    Having good qualifications like certifications or degrees doesn't guarantee the trainer will be technically competent, but it greatly increases the chance over someone who doesn't. So i would look for someone who has a good certification like NASM, ACSM, or NSCA. There are some other good ones, but those are near the top of the list. A degree in a related field like kinesiology is a big plus.

    At least 9-12 months of training experience greatly helps.

    Having good teaching skills is important too, so try to watch them train other clients, and also ask for a sample session - most trainers will oblige.

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