7 Important Questions to Ask Your Personal Trainer

You have decided this is your time to finally get into shape…maybe lose those unwanted pounds, chisel out washboard abs, build some new muscle, or gain some much-needed flexibility. But, let’s be honest, this isn’t the first time you have made this decision.

What, or who can make this time different, and actually help you achieve your goals? The answer could, quite possibly, be a personal trainer. A personal trainer can offer you a roadmap for achieving your goals, while also providing support, motivation, and innovation.

Maybe you have thought about working with a personal trainer before, but found the process a little intimidating or overwhelming. Well, we can help break it down for you. First, we will talk briefly about what a personal trainer can help you achieve. Then, we have provided a comprehensive list of questions to ask your personal trainer before hiring them. These questions can help you laser focus on determining if a specific trainer is a right fit for you.

One-on-One Training

So, let’s first talk about what one-on-one training can do for you. Bottom line, a personal trainer can help you overcome the obstacles that may arise on your fitness journey, and take you to heights you didn’t even know you were capable of achieving. Whether your goal is to develop an individualized weight loss program, build some muscle, cut some fat, or just need additional accountability, a personal trainer could be great for you. The right trainer can help you unlock your hidden potential, maximize your performance, and keep you motivated along the way.

If you have never engaged in a formal fitness routine, you may have no idea where to start. In fact, if you are faced with the task of setting up a complete exercise routine, you might become so overwhelmed, you never even begin. A personal trainer can sort through this overwhelm and put together a complete program for you including cardio, nutrition, weight training, and flexibility training.

If you’re not seeing results from your current fitness routine, a personal trainer can also help. A trainer can take a look at your existing routine and offer some tweaks. Maybe you need to add some additional cardio time, or maybe you need to use heavier weights with fewer repetitions. A personal trainer can evaluate your current regime, and make these suggestions. A trainer can also elevate your current routine by pushing you a little harder than you may be willing to push yourself.

Maybe you have been a fitness devotee for a long time, but you are getting bored with your routine. Work-out ruts, in fact, can lead to plateaus, overuse injuries, and burnout. One-on-one training is a great way to get a fresh perspective with new ideas, new equipment, or new challenges.

Customised Training

Another great reason to work with a trainer is if you have a specific illness, injury, or condition that offers additional challenges when working out. A personal trainer can assist you in creating a program that helps you achieve your goals without risking re-injury or new injury. A trainer can also offer expertise for clients who deal with chronic health conditions like arthritis, heart disease, or diabetes.

Hopefully, we have convinced you working with a personal trainer can be advantageous to you in many ways. When you hire a personal trainer, you are making a significant investment in yourself. By taking the time to conduct an interview with a potential trainer, you will be maximizing this investment, and saving time and frustration of working with the wrong person.

Think about your initial interview like you would dating. You can go out with someone who is absolutely amazing. That does not mean that person is right for you. A personal trainer is much the same. You will spend a fair amount of one-on-one time with this person…possibly sharing some of your life, your vulnerabilities, your hopes, and your goals with them. There are trainers to suit all personalities, fitness types, and budgets. You can find one who is the perfect fit for you if you take the time to interview them and consider his/her responses.

7 Important Questions to Ask Your Personal Trainer

Here are seven questions to ask your personal trainer to evaluate whether he/she might be right for you. When formulating questions to ask your personal trainer, it is important to ensure you do ample research.

How long have you been a personal trainer? What education and/or certifications do you have in fitness training?

For obvious reasons, you want to know how long your potential trainer has been working with clients. It’s also helpful to understand how much of an investment they have made in their education. This will give you an overall idea of their commitment to their career, and the type of expertise they have to offer.

What is included in each session? How long are the sessions? What is your cancellation policy?

It’s helpful to understand what you will be getting with each session and the duration of those sessions. Also, many trainers require at least a 24-hour cancellation. With your current commitments, will you be able to abide by this policy?

Do You Offer Expertise in Meal Planning?

Most trainers will agree that diet is 80-90% of achieving long-term fitness goals. If you have struggled with diet in the past, you may need the assistance of your personal trainer in creating a nutritional strategy that is right for you.

Do You Have any Client Before and After Photos?

This will help you understand if that trainer has a good track record of getting clients results. These before and after photos will also offer you a glimpse as to what you might be able to accomplish with their help.

How Do You Assess New Clients?

If your trainer doesn’t have a plan for establishing your starting point, he/she will have little chance of successfully guiding you to your goals. Assessment can also help to motivate you, as they give you a baseline from which you started. A good assessment should include measuring body composition, cardiovascular endurance, muscle strength and endurance, and joint flexibility.

What Is Your Training Style or Preferred Style of Encouragement?

You need to ask yourself whether you would perform better with someone who has a drill-sergeant training style, or maybe someone with a little softer approach. Understanding this will be critical in finding the trainer who will motivate you.

What is your plan for me? Where do you see my workouts going?

The answer you are looking for here is a plan that is very specific to you. Does this plan address what you laid out as your initial goals? Does this plan accomplish this in a way that is enjoyable to you?

Having the right personal trainer can make all the difference in helping you finally achieve your health and fitness goals. By taking the time to conduct a comprehensive interview with a trainer, you will be able to mitigate potential problems in establishing this relationship. This could be the time you finally achieve your goals. And, you could establish a great new relationship in the process.