Hiring a Personal Trainer? Here’s how to choose wisely.
By Naeemah Brown, CPT, BCS, NASM
After 15 years in the fitness industry, I know all too well the influx of interest in personal trainers that happens in the month of January. It is the month of New Year’s resolutions and fresh starts. People begin to look for help. This year is no different. Although many gyms are not open for business due to the pandemic, we have a wealth of trainers offering their services online or offering customized programs that you can do at home. Hiring a personal trainer is an investment, services are not free, so the question is how do you make a wise decision when choosing a Personal Trainer?
A Trainer is Not Always a Trainer
In this day and age the answer to this question is more complicated than it may seem. One would think you can hit Instagram and check the hashtag personal trainer and simply make your selection from what you see. But unfortunately, it is not that simple. Unlike a Doctor or Physical Therapist that has a set bar of credentials and qualifications in order to hold the title, anyone can call themself a Personal Trainer. One cannot assume that if they click on a trainer’s page and see the title Personal Trainer, or Fitness Coach or Fitness Trainer that they have a degree in the field i.e. Exercise Science, Kinesiology, Athletic Training or have completed a program resulting in a Certification recognized by one of the Health and Fitness accrediting agencies like National Commission of Certifying Agencies (NCCA) or Distance Education Accrediting Commission or the American National Standards Institute.
Standards Have Changed
Degrees in the field and or Certifications recognized by the aforementioned agencies were previously an industry standard to be hired at a gym to train clients. I began my career as a Personal Trainer working in the gym setting in 2006 and quickly became a Fitness Manager by 2007 hiring and training other Personal Trainers and held my staff to this same standard. It was the standard because it could be confirmed that individuals spent a certain amount of time studying and covering critical and relevant subjects that undergird proper, effective and safe training standards. Trainers were required to uphold continuing education credits to keep their knowledge base up to date as new science and understanding became available in the field. Ultimately, a Personal Trainer’s knowledge base had been proven and tested prior to training his or her first client.
Everyone Calls Themselves a Trainer Today
As of 2020, Statistics show that the personal training profession has been growing at a rate of 15%. Now, keep in mind that this only takes into account certified Personal Trainers. As easily observed on Instagram, there are now just as many independent trainers as there are trainers who work for a gym facility. Independent trainers train clients in home, virtually or sometimes in independent studios. Many trainers have chosen this route not to skirt having proper qualifications but because being an entrepreneur can be more lucrative and provides for a better quality of life in terms of income as a Personal Trainer. In addition, 2020 gave rise to an even greater number of independent trainers by force as the pandemic caused many trainers to lose their jobs at gym facilities and they began their journey as independent trainers - often online.
So, with increased interest in the profession and decreased enforced regulation, many versions of a Personal Trainer have emerged. In the market today, there are trainers that may have spent no time in study prior to meeting with you and go only on what has worked for them personally, to some that have non-accredited certifications that may have taken as little as a couple of months to receive or provide loose testing standards like open book or stop and start exams with unlimited opportunities to pass the test. When you now discuss the term Personal Trainer, you are truly looking at a mixed bag.
Proven Credentials Matter
But, why is this important to those looking to hire a trainer? Well, as I have observed over the last 15 years while training and matching trainers with clients, the result of someone working with a trainer lacking education in the field can be as simple as wasting their money, energy and not achieving the results they have the ability to achieve. Complications can include being hospitalized due to an allergic reaction to a meal plan the trainer was never qualified to provide or being significantly injured i.e. torn ACL or herniated disc all because the trainer was not educated on how to recognize compromised movement patterns prior to applying a load to an exercise.
I have assisted countless clients that had a poor experience with a trainer prior to reaching me or my staff, because they did not know what to look for prior to hiring the trainer and were now injured physically or financially. That is the part that breaks my heart and what I hope to avoid, by writing this article, for everyone searching for a trainer now!
So, as a currently Certified Personal Trainer with an accredited certification, up to date on continuing education, as a Certified Behavior Change Specialist, as the Founder of BodyElevated a health and fitness company providing training, coaching and classes, and as a previous Regional Fitness Director of a National Gym Organization, I want to use my expertise today to provide some tips as to what to look for when selecting a Personal Trainer and some things that should raise concern. Here’s What to look for in Your ideal Personal Trainer:
A Degree in the Field and/or Certification recognized by the NCCA
Relevant degrees include a Bachelor’s in Exercise Science, Kinesiology, Physical Education, or Athletic Training. Some trainers continue their education on to a Master degree level in areas like Exercise physiology, Physical activity for the aged, Sport psychology, Applied Kinesiology, Biostatistics, Epidemiology. The level of education does also impact the price point of the training, however, this works well for those seeking training with complex health conditions.
Outside of a degree, you would look for a certification accredited by the NCCA. The best way to check this is simply by looking at the trainer’s social media page or website, where you will normally find the acronym for their certification i.e. NASM, ACSM, ACE etc. You can then simply type the acronym into the accreditation organization website and check to see if in fact it is an accredited certification. Once you have verified that the certification is in fact valid, you can then verify that their personal certification is up to date by searching for them on the certifying organizations website. For example, if they are NASM certified, you would go to nasm.org and click on the validate credentials link. You can then simply search by name. It may sound like a lot of research, but protecting your investment and your body is well worth the 5 to 10 minutes it takes.
Experience & Expertise Specific to You
This is an easy one as it can be determined by having a simple conversation with your trainer and asking questions as you would anyone with whom you enter a relationship. Ask: When did they become a Personal Trainer? Do they have additional Certifications? Additional certifications add to the Trainer’s level of expertise and in many cases make them more equipped to deal with specific clients i.e. pre & postnatal certification, corrective exercise certification, sports performance related certifications, strength and conditioning certifications.
You can also ask if they have done courses in the specialized equipment like Kettlebells and TRX if they use them as a part of training, as use of these tools is great, but the misuse of these tools can cause injury. Finally, you can ask what experience they have working with people with similar health conditions, post injury and specific age groups i.e. clients taking beta blockers or clients with Peripheral Artery Disease or post rehab of an ACL injury, training seniors or children. You know what your current conditions are so you will be able to structure applicable questions to your needs. Surprisingly, this brief conversation can save you a world of time and money and assist in making a wise choice when hiring a trainer. If you are attending a gym and are working with a manager to be placed with a trainer, you can discuss these questions with the manager prior to meeting with a trainer, so no time is wasted.
Personal Rapport
As a Behavior Change Specialist, I recognize the necessity of trust as the basis of a successful partnership. Training is a partnership in which you are giving your trust to a Personal Trainer in order to achieve goals that are very important to you. The success of each session and the program as a whole hinges upon the trainer’s expertise, your personal consistency and effort to show up and perform each session and the mental and emotional state that allows you to do so. Trust in this case is established both by credentials and personality, which includes their training philosophy. Take time and speak to potential trainers. Watch and read the content they have posted on their websites and social media pages. What is the tone? What is the method they use to motivate and or deliver correction. What is their philosophy when it comes to training? If this does not fit with the way you like to be motivated or the way you best receive constructive criticism, then it will not be a partnership that best leads you to success.
I often remember the television commercial where a trainer is shown showing up randomly at a client’s outings and slapping the “bad food” out of their hands or yelling at the top of their lungs to get the client to perform another rep. For some, this may be the exact aggressive approach they are looking for; a “no pain, no gain” philosophy when it comes to training. This may motivate some to achieve at their next level and trust may in fact be established in this environment. However for others, like myself, this approach would make me shut down and I would not have a good rapport with this type of trainer or their philosophy. Whatever your needs, make sure that you take that into consideration, beyond the before and after pics any trainer posts. Training is a long term journey that far too many times I have witnessed clients quit too soon, because of an ill-matched relationship with their Trainer. Ask yourself, does this person make me feel comfortable and confident? Do I want them as a partner? Sounds a lot like dating, but it’s true.
Warning Signs
Even when you have taken the time to check their credentials, understand they have the right experience and establish a good rapport with them, there are still a few warning signs that may indicate that this is not the right trainer for you.
“Jumping Right In” - When injury arises it is most often not the exercise itself. It is the incorrect exercise application for the individual. This means that all exercise programs should begin with some sort of assessment of your current health conditions, movement patterns, explore your past applicable health history, inclusive of injuries and finally look at a current day in the life of you. Everything from your daily activity to an injury 5 years ago affects the current state of your body. It creates what I call your body signature. If this vital step is ignored, so may critical steps to prepare your body for particular exercises, which is a recipe for disaster.
“Soreness as an indication of progress” - There is significant work and progress that happens in the body during training that is not associated with being sore. If your trainer is in the “train until you drop” or “you shouldn’t be able to move tomorrow” camp, then this trainer may not be for you. Over-training is not productive to progress and it can most certainly cause injury. If the trainer tells you to work through pain i.e sharp, nagging, radiating or tingling this is a huge warning sign that may indicate you should not continue with this trainer. Pain is an indicator to stop the exercise and seek a doctor or physical therapist to determine the cause of the pain.
“Stepping outside their Scope of Practice” - It is very common these days for personal trainers to provide general nutritional guidance. However, if this general guidance turns to specific plans eliminating food groups, regulating times of consumption with hard rules, determining specific diets, you should raise an eyebrow! Moreover, if your program requires you to purchase and take certain supplements they sell - you should raise both eyebrows!! Registered Dieticians have Bachelors Degrees, which enable them to make specific prescriptions for your food intake. Everyone’s body is different inclusive of food allergies, differences in gut health and food intolerances and more. If you need specifics on food intake, please seek the services of a Registered Dietician.
“The Quick Fix” - Weight loss and muscle gain are a process that takes time and consistent effort both physically and in the kitchen to establish healthy habits that yield ongoing progress. If promises of drastic weight loss or muscle gain in record time or specific periods of time are being made, especially coupled with products sold I would be leery.
A Personal Trainer is a Great Investment
Overall, Personal Training is an excellent service to invest in. As a Trainer, I know other Personal Trainers that invest in training for themselves. Having an expert in the field of Fitness crafting a program based on your needs and goals that you have a great relationship with will push you to a level of success that most cannot reach on their own. It provides motivation and safety. The return on your investment becomes invaluable. So, it is well worth taking the time to assure your Personal Trainer has an NCCA accredited certification, is backed by experience and ongoing education and they are someone you can build a healthy relationship with because they truly have the ability to change your life!