How to Choose the Best Personal Trainer for Your Fitness Goals and Budget

Irv Rubinstein has a PhD in exercise science and has run his own fitness training studio in Nashville, Tennessee for 35 years. He apparently speaks highly of the benefits of using a personal trainer, for both seasoned gym-goers and newbies.

“Most people can teach you a bicep curl,” Rubinstein told The Associated Press. “But few people can tell you how to do it if you have shoulder pain.”

“Finding the coach who is the best fit for you can be challenging,” Rubenstein admitted.

How important are credentials and education, or are personal and motivational skills more important? What about the cost? And how often should you use the services of a personal trainer? These are just some of the questions anyone looking for a coach should ask.

“How do you determine who is the best?” – asked Rubinstein. “The best is what suits you best. But finding it is a difficult task.”

Education and credentials

In the United States—and many other countries—there is no national or local government agency that licenses trainers. Certificates are usually issued by private organizations, some of which are more reputable than others, and many of which are in the business of generating revenue rather than credibility.

The American College of Sports Medicine is the most renowned in the United States. In Canada, this is the Canadian Academy of Sports Medicine and Exercise Medicine.

“You should probably ask if this person is certified,” said Rubenstein, the STEPS Fitness director. “I think it’s valuable, but I don’t think it’s important. And you should ask about academic preparation.”

He also issued a warning.

“If a person gets all their information from the Internet — as far as you can tell — I would avoid that person,” he said of a potential coach.

Personality and motivation

Guy Andrews leads the ETC exercises. from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Like Rubinstein, he says coaches and clients must agree. Credentials are important, but personality fit is important.

“First and foremost, it’s a service relationship,” Andrews said. “So first you need to establish a connection with the coach. You must like him. Personality is of paramount importance to me. I don’t care how qualified a person is, how well educated he is. If you can’t enjoy working with a coach, your relationship with them is doomed to fail.”

Ask friends or gym operators for recommendations. This may be helpful in your search. A good indicator of a successful relationship is how many years has the referrer spent with their coach?

“If clients have been with a coach for eight or 10 years, that’s a good sign,” Andrews said. “It’s not enough to look good in a tank top.”

Rubinstein offered another truth and laughed: “Most people who work with a coach for any length of time will tell you that they are the best.”

Another good sign when evaluating trainers is whether they offer a “no contract” relationship. This means you won’t lose money if you stop service.

“Then you have a coach who is honest, confident and maybe has the skills to help you,” Rubinstein said.

You should also consider the coach’s motivational style. Rubinstein has repeatedly stated that the quality of “compassion” is a key factor in choosing the right person. But some may want to be pushed by a basic training sergeant.

“The reckless military mentality may suit the young, the most prepared,” he said. “But for the average person, this behavior may not be motivating or stimulating.”

What’s the price?

The price is difficult to determine. Costs vary by country and within countries by geographic region. In the United States, you can pay $100–$150 per hour in major cities and $50–$75 in other regions. Rubinstein also said the cost compares favorably with manicures and similar personal care services.

The cost may be prohibitive for some, Rubenstein said. This often excludes younger people and may favor older clients who have greater purchasing power and greater need for services.

“It sifts out the people who need a coach from the people who need one,” he said.

How often with a trainer?

Andrews and Rubinstein said that beginners should meet with a coach two or three times a week for the first six weeks. After this, once a week or even once or twice a month may be sufficient for maintenance and assessment.

“In terms of motivation, I don’t think for the average person one week is going to be enough in the beginning,” Andrews said.

Rubinstein elaborated: “If a person is not used to being in the gym, does not feel comfortable or does not feel safe, working out with a trainer twice a week is a basic program that will benefit him – muscular, cardiovascular, balance, etc. d. Once they learn this, a person can go once a week or once a month. But that means they have to be motivated.”

Setting goals

So, you’ve found your coach and are ready to get to work. So what now? Set some goals.

There are four main goals, depending on the client: weight control, general fitness, special needs and general health.

For each client, “routines may overlap, but the frequency, intensity and duration will vary,” Rubenstein said.

Setting goals in the first interview was critical, Andrews said.

“If both sides are not on the same page when it comes to what they want, they are doomed to fail,” he said.

A good coach recognizes unrealistic goals, Andrews said.

“It often depends on how they want to look after hiring a personal trainer,” he said. “In my experience, a client who is focused on how they will look after a workout rather than how they will feel is setting themselves up for disappointment.”