10 Things You Need to Consider When Choosing a Personal Trainer

10 Things You Need to Consider When Choosing a Personal Trainer

It’s a big decision many of us will face eventually, and?it’s something we should try to get right the first time. It can be an expensive waste of time trying to train with someone that we don’t like, or worse yet, that doesn’t know what they’re doing; after all, the reason you want to hire a trainer is to learn the proper technique and to motivate you more than you can by yourself, right?

So it’s a decision that requires some thought and time. A good trainer will help prevent injury, will help bulk or tone your muscles, and provide you with some good chatter throughout. But how do you know a good trainer from a bad one? Upon the first meeting you can probably tell whether you like them or not, so that’s the first box checked, what then?

An?article at Huffington Post has nicely detailed 10 things?you should?check when choosing your trainer, by doing so you’ll limit the chances of disappointment and wasted?money. Among these criteria are personality and philosophy:

Personality. What motivates you? Some people do well with positive reinforcement peppered with cheerleading, while others like to get screamed at and scared into doing a few extra squats. Either way, talk to the trainer and get a feel for her style to see if it jives with what works for you.

Philosophy. This is a subtle — yet critical — point of differentiation because it can end up making or breaking your experience. How does the trainer develop his program, and on what beliefs will it be based? Is it gym-based workouts or meant to be done outside? Will you be using machines or sticking solely to free weights? Ask about philosophy and see if it makes sense for your goals and preferences.

Check out the rest of the article for other 8 criteria for making your decision. And remember, what works for one person might not be what works for you, so ultimately you’ll need to decide if the trainer is the right one to help you on your journey through the world of fitness.