Ask These Questions When Hiring a Trainer
Congratulations on deciding to take your health and fitness to the next level by hiring a trainer. This is certainly a step in the right direction for you to achieve your goals.
That said, you shouldn’t just walk into the gym and hire the first trainer you see or who walks up to you. Think of hiring a trainer like you would an employee — you want to vet them to make sure they are the right person for the job.
Below are five questions you should ask before hiring a trainer. These questions will give you better answers as to whether they fit your needs and are qualified to support your quest to achieve your health and fitness goals.
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5 Questions You Should Ask When Hiring a Trainer
Below are five questions you need to ask when hiring a trainer for the first time and without having any background information on the individual you’re looking to work with.
1. Are You Certified?
When hiring a trainer, the first thing to ask is if they are certified. It seems like such a silly question to ask, but with so many people claiming they are trainers online or even in gyms, you need to make sure. Social media has created a lot of “trainers” these days who have zero qualifications at all other than they, themselves, look good — which isn’t a solid indication that they can get YOU in shape too.
If they aren’t certified or dance around the question as to why they aren’t, politely tell them you respect their choice but thank you for the time and, unfortunately, you don’t feel comfortable with someone who is not certified or who does not have a degree in kinesiology or exercise science. You also want to understand the fitness certification they have.
2. Do You Specialize in What My Goals Are?
This is just an example, so follow along with me if it doesn’t pertain to you, and you’ll get an idea of what I’m talking about.
Let’s say you’re an overweight female who is looking to lose weight but has some medical conditions that may hinder some exercises and training modalities. If you’re hiring a trainer, you want someone who can help you achieve that safely, right? You don’t want some bodybuilder or military trainer who trains competitors or high-intensity athletes training you (that’s not to say they aren’t qualified, but it might not be their specialization that you’re in need of).
You need to find someone who is an expert at what you’re trying to accomplish and has the track record to show for it. This leads us directly to our next question.
3. Do You Have Any Testimonials?
Most trainers these days have testimonials from clients. This could be in written form or even be before and after photos. You want to make sure that there are people out there who can vouch for this individual and go on the record saying they helped them achieve [insert the goal here].
Related Article: How to Choose a Personal Trainer
If they have testimonials, look through them. Examine what people are saying or how people have changed their physique. If you feel comfortable with this trainer, continue with the questions.
4. How Much Are Your Rates?
You wouldn’t walk into a training session without knowing how much they charge, right? If you live in Los Angeles and you’re hiring a trainer in the area, you can expect to pay hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars for a training session. Most people wouldn’t be able to pay that, and certainly not long-term. So, when hiring a trainer, always ask what their rates are so there aren’t any surprises or shocks.
Taking that into account, be aware that if you hire a true expert or professional that specializes in the area you’re looking for, be prepared to pay more than you would some regular Joe in the gym who has an online training certification that they got overnight and signed up to be a trainer at the local gym the next day.
Also, ask how they set up their payments and sessions. Do you pay per session? Do you pay for a block of sessions upfront? What happens if you need to cancel a session? What if you want to ultimately end the relationship because you no longer wish to work with them or you feel they aren’t the right person if you don’t see results? You don’t know if you don’t ask (and you should do this ahead of time before something comes up with an outcome that you didn’t expect).
5. What’s Your Availability and Schedule?
When hiring a trainer, you want to make sure their schedule and your schedule jive. If they only have openings at 5am and you don’t get up until 7am regularly, either be prepared to get up super early or understand that it’s not going to work.
Related Article: The Business of Getting People in Shape w/ Jami Debernard
The same can be said about weekends. If the trainer is completely booked but has some available spots over the weekend, are you able to make that work with your schedule if you have a family and kids to take care of or have sporting events you travel to on the weekends with your kids? Or maybe you simply prefer to get your workouts in during the week and take weekends off to relax.
Take these things into consideration when hiring a trainer. And don’t feel like you need to go with the first trainer that sounds like they’re a good fit. Go out and interview a few others to make sure you choose the one that’s right for you.
Here Are Two Questions You Should Ask Yourself Before Hiring a Trainer
After you interview potential trainers, there are a few things you should be asking yourself. These two questions might actually be more important than what you asked the trainer as they pertain to YOU, personally.
1. How Was Your Vibe with the Trainer?
How did you feel talking to the trainer? It’s important when hiring a trainer to get a good feel for whether or not you’re going to be comfortable working with them. If you’re a female, maybe you don’t want a male trainer — even if they are extremely qualified and vice versa for male clients working with female trainers.
If you got the sense that something felt “off” or “not right,” keep looking. Remember, when interviewing trainers, you’re not binding yourself into anything. You’re still getting a feel for what’s out there and who you want to work with.
2. Are You Truly Committed to Working with a Trainer?
This is a biggie! Are you truly committed to hiring a trainer and working with them, or is this simply something that would make you feel good telling people that you’re working with a trainer? Because the tough pill to swallow is telling everyone you’re hiring a trainer, and then months go by, and you haven’t made any progress.
Are you willing to put in the time, effort, and consistency needed to hit your goal? Be honest! If not, don’t put yourself through the headache and financial stress of hiring a trainer. Be real with yourself, and maybe the timing isn’t right yet, and you want to stay consistent with your own workouts before hiring a trainer. That’s perfectly fine. But know what you’re getting into before you sign on the dotted line.
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