Personal Trainer – How to Find One Worth Every Penny

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Making the decision to sign up with a personal trainer is a big investment not only financially but also mentally and physically.

The cost of a personal trainer may be off-putting to many folks when there is so much free information on the internet. Why pay for knowledge that you can just google?

Well, Google is great for research but any cookie-cutter program is going to have its flaws. A big one is that it is not designed for you but for the masses.

Maybe you are on the fence about signing up with a personal trainer. I was for a while too. One of my closest friends was using a personal trainer, who I eventually signed up with, and her experience was more than enough for me to say “Take my money.”

Here I will share with you:

• Why I chose a personal trainer
• Why you should consider a personal trainer
• What to look for in a personal trainer
• Red Flags
• How to find a personal trainer
• Questions you should ask

By the end of this post, I hope for you to have the basic knowledge you need to make the right decision for you.

Why I Chose a Personal Trainer

I could list out more than a dozen reasons why I chose to work with a personal trainer. But to keep things simple, I’ve narrowed it down to my top four.

1. Heal My Relationship with Food – I have gone through many ups and downs with how I’ve treated my body in regard to nutrition. From trying to lose just a little weight to obsessively clean and restrictive eating. I talk about my story here in more detail. But I got so tired of intrusive thoughts of food all through my day.
2. Correct Disordered Exercise Habits – Along with borderline orthorexia, I had very disordered exercise habits. Endless cardio, little strength training, and little to no rest/recovery were taking a toll on my body physically and emotionally. I wanted to get strong but was scared to do it on my own. The cycle needed to change and I needed help.
3. Learn to Respect My Body – I was so unkind to my body. The degrading things I would say when looking in the mirror. It was lowering my self-esteem and I was miserable. I couldn’t even be present in social situations because I was increasingly concerned about how people saw me. It was crucial that I learned to love and respect my body.
4. Live My Life Without the Influence of Diet Culture – I was basically brought up on diets. My mother, aunts, grandmothers, and almost all of the women in my life were either on a diet or talking about why they needed to be on one. It was nauseating. I was getting so sick of having my life run by some arbitrary standard published in a grocery store checkout magazine. The buck needed to stop with me for my own sanity but for the sake of my future daughters.

If any of these resonated with you, I hope you know you are not alone. So many women I’ve spoken to have felt the same. If you are ready for a change to one or more of these then here is why a personal trainer can be life-changing.

Why You Should Consider a Personal Trainer

Similar to my reasons for considering a personal trainer, here are reasons why you should, too.

1. Learn to be Intune with Your Body – A good personal trainer will gradually help you learn how your body responds to different inputs and outputs. With consistent training, nutrition, and rest, you will start to learn how your body adapts and reacts to the positive changes you are making. In time you will learn how to take care of your body based on biofeedback, not some article you read online.
2. Heal your Relationship with Food – If you struggled for years or decades like me, being able to fuel your body without guilt or shame adequately can ultimately lead to a happier and healthier you.
3. Become Stronger Physically and Mentally – Learning to focus on strength over skinny is empowering. Felling and looking stronger can improve your mental health just as much as your physical health.
4. Love and Respect Your Body – It is amazing what our bodies can do for us especially when we take good care of ourselves. Having a strong sense of love and respect for your body is something you deserve.
5. Find a Community that Supports You and Your Goals – It can be scary to embark on a new journey alone. You may not always have the support you need from your friends and family. Most trainers usually have a community they can envelop you in to help continue to support you and give you comradery with others going through a similar journey.

What to Look for in a Personal Trainer

Now you know why you should consider a personal trainer. Now let’s talk about what to look for when choosing the right one for you.

1. Reputation – Testimonials, reviews, client spotlights, case studies, you name it is all so important when looking for a personal trainer. You should do your homework and read the feedback. The best trainer for you will be someone who has worked with individuals like you. So if you get good vibes after reading several anecdotes from people who resonate with you then you are on the right path.
2. Experience and Knowledge Base – Trainers will have varying degrees, experience, niches, etc. No trainer can know everything. However, you do want to find someone experienced. Yes everyone starts somewhere and I would never dismiss a new trainer But generally, find someone that has a solid resume and didn’t just learn everything in 3 months from some unaccredited training course.
3. Holistic and Functional Focused – A good personal trainer should have a goal of setting you up for sustainable success. That means changes won’t happen overnight and it will likely be a long process. If he or she is focused on your whole health and not just one niche that they swear by (maybe they only train with a rowing machine or something). Anyway, look for someone who will help you improve your health as a whole.
4. Willing to Work With Your Lifestyle – You should not have to fit into your trainer’s lifestyle. Your trainer should fit into yours. A good personal trainer will work with you and not force you to conform to a specific protocol. Positive changes start where you are at. Find a trainer who will meet you there.
5. Price Point – This one is variable. I will say you get what you pay for. To be transparent my personal trainer costs $370 a month. That is a lot to stomach for some people and I get that. Not all trainers will be that expensive and some will be even more expensive. Have a budget in mind but be reasonable. You likely won’t get that personalized attention for a trainer that’s only $25 a month.
6. The program is Made Uniquely for You – This is a big investment and it should be customized to you. If you are going to spend the money on a trainer make sure they are programing your nutrition and training for your specific needs. You can buy plenty of cheap cookie-cutter programs out there. A trainer should not be using one.

Red Flags

1. You Can’t Relate – If you are a mom of 3 and find a personal trainer who has only trained male bodybuilders, they likely are not for you. There is a chance they may do a great job. But air on the side of finding a personal trainer you resonate with.
2. Quick Fix Program – Sustainable change will not happen overnight. Even a 6-12 week program can be questionable. If anyone is offering you drastic changes in a short period of time, stay away.
3. Unrealistic Guarantees – Have you ever seen ads for a 6-week transformation to lose ### body weight? Sadly, I have. If anything seems too good to be true, assume it is. Change takes time and a lot of hard work. You shouldn’t have to starve and do crazy workouts. Keep that in mind when you see a tempting offer.
4. Required to Make Radical Changes – No good trainer is going to make you completely overhaul your life. They will help you make gradual sustainable changes. If anyone expects you to do something drastic then they should not be your trainer.
5. Extreme Deficit Diet Programs – This is similar to radical changes. You should not be starving. Regardless of your goals, it does not work in the long run and you will likely regain it. Look for someone who will help make incremental changes that aren’t that hard.
6. Extreme Exercise Regimen– Same as above but with exercise. Working out hard every day is not healthy and you will burn out. Avoid, avoid, avoid.
7. General Program is Cookie Cutter – If you can buy it on an app or in a pdf, don’t waste your time paying for a personal trainer who is doing just that.

How to Find One

Depending on who you talk to or what you research, finding a good health personal trainer can be really easy or really hard. Use my tools above for what to look for and red flags when on your search.

Keep in mind there are in-person and online personal trainers. Neither is better than the other in my opinion. It all comes down to personal preference. My personal trainer is online but when given the chance I look forward to meeting her in person.

1. Word of Mouth – I found my personal trainer through my close friend. Her experience and my trust in her were all I needed to know which trainer to choose. I was ready for the help and my friend was the connection to that support I was looking for.
2. Google/Search Engine – Good old Google. It can be overwhelming but with good keywords you are bound to find the right one for you.
3. Podcasts – I am a podcast junkie. I’ve heard of many great trainers just from the health and fitness podcasts I listen to. And listening to a few of their shows is a great way to get a feel for what they would be like working with you.
4. Social Media – My friend found our personal trainer on Instagram. With a massively growing community in the health and fitness world, social media has been a game changer for getting the word out.
5. Local Gym – Most gyms have personal training programs. I have never used one but a lot of gyms usually offer a free session with a trainer to get a feel for using their services. It’s a nice way to try before you buy.

Questions To Ask

Bonus! Here are some questions you should ask a potential personal trainer when considering their services.

1. Why do you like coaching?
2. How can you help me achieve my goals?
3. What does a typical client look like?
4. What do you consider success?
5. How is your program sustainable?
6. In what ways will you support me?
7. I’m not sure if I want to use a personal trainer. Why should I work with you?
8. Do you have any clients I can talk to or client testimonials?

Recap

I hope you found this all helpful. These are the values and factors I took into account when making the decision to find a personal trainer for me.

Reasons to Work with a Personal Trainer

1. Learn to be Intune with Your Body
2. Heal your Relationship with Food
3. Become Stronger Physically and Mentally
4. Love and Respect Your Body
5. Find a Community that Supports You and Your Goals

What to Look for in a Personal Trainer:

1. Reputation – reviews
2. Experience and Knowledge Base
3. Holistic and Functional Focused
4. Willing to Work With Your Lifestyle
5. Price Point
6. Program is Made Uniquely for You
7. General Program is Cookie Cutter

Red Flags to Look Out for:

1. Quick Fix Program
2. Unrealistic Guarantees
3. Required to Make Radical Changes
4. Extreme Deficit Diet Programs
5. Extreme Exercise Regimen
6. General Program is Cookie Cutter

Thank you for taking the time to read my post. If you have any feedback on finding a personal trainer or why you recommend using one, please comment below!