How to Choose the Right Personal Trainer: 10 Keys

I've been going to the gym since I was 19, and yet I only saw the results I was looking for two decades later!

Like a lot of people, I started out with no idea what any machine was for, handling every piece of equipment, barbell or dumbbell carefully, almost asking for permission and, basically, with zero guidance. Let's be honest: the gym's staff ‘trainers’ are either poorly prepared to help you or, truthfully, just aren't inclined to look out for you.

It's completely understandable: they have 20, 30 or 40 people to attend to and a space to look after. They hand you a routine with weights you don't know whether you can lift, and you can't tell if your form is right or not. With a shout of “4 sets of 10,” they walk off and come back on the second-to-last rep of the fourth set to tell you ‘that's not how the exercise is done.’ Has that ever happened to you? If it has, it was your lucky day, because they might not even have noticed you weren't doing the exercise correctly, and the worst part is that you could be hurting your body!

Most people who start going to the gym quit: they don't see results, they feel judged or they don't know how to reach their goals. If you're curious about why people quit the gym, we cover it in another post; here I want to focus on how to choose the person who'll guide you.

Is choosing a personal trainer the solution?

A personal trainer is the right way to channel your energy, time and money into the goals you're after, and works like this:

• Where are you today? (Assessment)
• Where do you want to be? (Goal setting)
• How are we going to get there? (Planning)

But there are details only A GOOD PERSONAL TRAINER can offer, and that is FEELING CARED FOR, which isn't just about each training session but also about how your goals are defined and planned, because that path has to be ‘sustainable’ for you.

A good personal trainer doesn't just work toward those short-term goals; they also don't neglect other factors that go hand in hand with your fitness, namely protecting your long-term health and making sure your development is balanced.

The most successful people rely on a specialist to reach their goals in the areas they consider key. Without a doubt, ever since I've had a personal trainer, taking care of my body and reaching my goals in this area has become much easier.

10 keys to choosing your personal trainer

1. They have the RIGHT KNOWLEDGE and know how to pass it on to you, explaining it without unnecessary jargon.
2. They earn your TRUST, because you can open up to them and tell them what's going on with you, whether emotionally, personally or physically, so they can adjust your load each session.
3. “WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER.” Hard work is overrated. It's great that you train hard and give your best every session, but you also need to know what to do to get the best results. Your trainer should be able to give you a plan that lets you, without putting your health at risk, get the best results in the shortest possible time.
4. SKILLED AT READING THE NONVERBAL CUES of their trainees. Being able to tell whether you're tired, feeling weak, need to hydrate or are in pain lets them readjust your load each session.
5. FLEXIBILITY: Plans often need tweaking when circumstances change. During the pandemic lockdowns, the most expert trainers managed to reinvent themselves and find solutions that let their clients stay in shape.
6. CHARISMA: A skill many professionals undervalue, but a key one, because this is someone you'll spend a lot of time with, and that charisma, good humor and cheerfulness will help you feel the ease you need with yourself, around others and with your own body.
7. UNDERSTANDS SELF-ESTEEM: Transformation work at the gym isn't only physical, and a good personal trainer understands that ACCEPTANCE and RENEWED SELF-WORTH are key for their trainees, so they work on BREAKING DOWN PREJUDICES.
8. A NATURAL MOTIVATOR: It's not about cheering you on by shouting “three more” or “don't give up,” but about understanding your needs and what you're going through personally.
9. ETHICAL AND PROFESSIONAL: Their training makes them competent to help you reach your goals, and they also keep their conduct beyond reproach.
10. SINCERITY AND TACT: They'll tell you the truth, not what you want to hear. But they'll know how to take care of you when they say it, and if you follow their guidance, you'll most likely see the changes you've been working so hard for and deserve.