How to tell if you have a good personal trainer?

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kelhea
kelhea Posts: 52 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've only had a personal trainer for a few sessions and am considering purshasing more sessions with him. However, it's very pricey and do not want to spend all of this money on a PT if he's just stringing me along for some extra cash. So that being said, how can I tell if he's a good trainer, cares about my goals and knows what he is talking about or if I need to consider trying a different trainer or just not getting one at all?
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  • MsSquatAlot
    MsSquatAlot Posts: 238 Member
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    Well foremost is if you are seeing results. PT is expensive. Ive known good and bad trainers alike. May I ask which gym you go to? (Just curious, not exactly relevant) If you have certain types of health insurance, they pay for your gym membership and training.
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
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    do you like him? thats how i pick a trainer. If he's just a local gym fitness trainer, they are kinda all the same so the deciding factor is if you like him and have fun during your training session and feel good when you leave. If its a specialized trainer, i like to see their resume of athletes they've trained and what they and their students have accomplished , etc.
  • kelhea
    kelhea Posts: 52 Member
    edited September 2016
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    GoodLife fitness
    And yes I do like him, he is very outgoing and motivating and I'm comfortable around him, just not sure If he's in it for the money and doesn't really know what he's talking about haha
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
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    they are all in it for the money, its his job and career. If you like him, keep training with him and as you get better and more experienced you'll figure out what he knows and doesn't know. No trainer knows everything, they all have their own styles, weaknesses , skills, etc. I assume you are very new to training, so you will learn something from him and when you feel you aren't learning anymore, thats when its time to move on to another trainer. But if you have doubts about him, no harm to jump around from trainer to trainer. You'll gain something different from each one.
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    edited September 2016
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    Is he certified by a national, reputable organization such as the ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine)?
    Is he current? No suspension, complaint, or punishment?

    Is he operating within the scope of his license?
    (No nutritional advice, for example. Not trying to sell supplements, not trying to set you up with a meal plan, other than in the most general of terms, or perhaps using printouts / handouts from a website such as the USDA or other similarly reputable site.)
    ((Of course, if he also has a degree in nutrition, ignore that. But I'd want to see proof.))

    Do you feel like he listens to you, responds to your questions, goals, etc?
    Is what he teaches you related to your goals?
    It is doable, but just a bit challenging?

    Do you get along OK, have a good "vibe"?
    Are you learning?
    Are you seeing results?

    Is he teaching you to be self-sufficient? THIS IS IMPORTANT!!!!
    There's a big difference between teaching someone the basics (which will likely take a few weeks, depending on how often you meet, and how often you practice on your own), letting them work on that for a month or so by themselves, then checking in for a session or two, correcting any problems, adding some challenges & new moves, checking in in another month for another tuneup, etc.,
    including telling you how to make your workout harder as you need to in between tuneups,
    vs.
    "the only way you're going to get any better is if you're working out with me at your side twice a week".
    Obviously, you want to avoid the latter person, because they're mostly out to make money.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    PMed you. :)
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
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    kelhea wrote: »
    GoodLife fitness
    And yes I do like him, he is very outgoing and motivating and I'm comfortable around him, just not sure If he's in it for the money and doesn't really know what he's talking about haha

    What (if anything) makes you say that he might not know what he's talking about?
  • kelhea
    kelhea Posts: 52 Member
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    What (if anything) makes you say that he might not know what he's talking about?[/quote]

    It's nothing that he did really, I've just been hearing horror stories from other people (ppl who have never had him as a PT) how they didn't know what they were doing and just get a quick online certificate. From what i "think", he knows what he's talking about but at the same time i don't know anything about fitness/exercise and am not sure if he's just saying random things to sounds smart? If that makes sense at all?? Lol
  • jessmcd1986
    jessmcd1986 Posts: 20 Member
    edited September 2016
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    kelhea wrote: »

    It's nothing that he did really, I've just been hearing horror stories from other people (ppl who have never had him as a PT) how they didn't know what they were doing and just get a quick online certificate. From what i "think", he knows what he's talking about but at the same time i don't know anything about fitness/exercise and am not sure if he's just saying random things to sounds smart? If that makes sense at all?? Lol

    Stick with him for a few months, as long as he isn't coaching you on technical lifts and just doing general training you will be fine. I out grew my personal trainer for a proper powerlifting coach recently, as I was starting to learn more than my PT, but that's not to say he wasn't an awesome trainer, just not enough knowledge to be a power lifting coach. As mentioned above, everyone has their strengths, give it time, do what you enjoy and if need be, upgrade to someone with the training in the particular area you want to train in.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    kelhea wrote: »

    It's nothing that he did really, I've just been hearing horror stories from other people (ppl who have never had him as a PT) how they didn't know what they were doing and just get a quick online certificate. From what i "think", he knows what he's talking about but at the same time i don't know anything about fitness/exercise and am not sure if he's just saying random things to sounds smart? If that makes sense at all?? Lol

    Tell us a few things he's said... there's enough knowledge here to tell you if he's talking bollocks or not!
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
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    kelhea wrote: »

    What (if anything) makes you say that he might not know what he's talking about?

    It's nothing that he did really, I've just been hearing horror stories from other people (ppl who have never had him as a PT) how they didn't know what they were doing and just get a quick online certificate. From what i "think", he knows what he's talking about but at the same time i don't know anything about fitness/exercise and am not sure if he's just saying random things to sounds smart? If that makes sense at all?? Lol[/quote]

    Do you know this person's background? Agree with @MKEgal the trainer should teach you to be self sufficient.
  • LazSommer
    LazSommer Posts: 1,851 Member
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    is he hot?
  • LiftHeavy33
    LiftHeavy33 Posts: 40 Member
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    Are you a member of good life fitness in Nebraska? I live in Lincoln if so! I've heard good things about the trainers there!
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,209 Member
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    How to Select a Personal Trainer
    http://body-improvements.com/articles/industry-articles/how-to-select-a-personal-trainer/

    10 Signs You Should Break Up With Your Trainer
    http://dailyburn.com/life/fitness/personal-trainer-break-up-signs/

    How to choose a personal trainer
    http://www.stumptuous.com/how-to-choose-a-personal-trainer

    Additionally, a red flag is if the trainer gives all clients the same exercises, or does mostly machine or isolation exercises. :+1:
  • esjones12
    esjones12 Posts: 1,363 Member
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    I've worked with some really great trainers and coaches. Really depends on your goals as to what makes a really good one. It is hard to tell without having a few sessions with one. But in one or two sessions I would say a good PT should be watching you like a hawk (you are paying them for their time) - and be making corrections to your form. A good one will tell you what not to do, what to do, and how this impacts other things. Especially if you are new to fitness.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    A lot of them get online certification. That in and of itself doesn't prove whether they are good or not. This is not a regulated industry, there are no educational requirements, and there is not government oversight. What is their training experience and their personal fitness experience? Have they been working out hard core for 20 years, or did they just start last year? How long have they been certified? What other training/certifications do they have (there are specialty certifications)? How many clients have they worked with (5 or 100)? Can they give you references to other clients?
  • terrinicolefit
    terrinicolefit Posts: 99 Member
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    Like everyone else mentioned, make sure he is certified by an accredited program by the NCCA. Also, when working out he should be teaching you what to do, what not to do, how to perfect your form, etc. He should be there to support you while educating you so that you can reach your goals, etc. etc.
  • rldeclercq4
    rldeclercq4 Posts: 269 Member
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    kelhea wrote: »
    GoodLife fitness
    And yes I do like him, he is very outgoing and motivating and I'm comfortable around him, just not sure If he's in it for the money and doesn't really know what he's talking about haha

    Everyone is in it for the money when it comes to their job. That's a primary reason why we work... That said, it is your money, you determine what value you're looking to get out of it. I can tell you that when I had a trainer in 2011 I didn't really get stronger or lose weight but I think I had a great trainer. The lack if results was me not doing anything at home in the kitchen to support my goals and I wasn't following up on the gym on my own time. One of those "you get out of it what you put into it scenarios."
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
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    If he spews any pseudoscience or bioscience run!
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
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    Did the trainer do some sort of movement assessment before they has you do any exercise? The functional movement screen is good but there are others.

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