Choosing a PT

Posted on 02nd Apr 2022

 

How to find your ideal personal trainer.

Choosing the right trainer starts with your goal and your personality.
If shifting a few pounds of unwanted weight and improving your fitness is high on your agenda, 99% good, qualified personal trainers are capable of getting you there – you don’t need a renowned conditioning coach to achieve these particular goals. 
For the majority of folk, the trainer’s personality and style of teaching is more important.  Their individual approach to motivating and communicating should feel easy and familiar, we don’t all want the drill sergeant approach, but equally most of us don’t want someone wishy washy either. So, personality counts the most unless you want a very specific physical improvement, in which case speak to the trainer’s manager to source the right person for the job.

Experience often counts, but here at West Hants, for example, we have trainers like Adrian who has been Personal Training for over 20 years and Lily who has been Personal Training for only 1 year, both exceptional at their work, so don’t always judge on age and perceived experience, because unlike Adrian you could find someone with decades of experience that won’t get you the results, and unlike Lily you may find a trainer who needs a decade of training under their belt to really understand their subject.

Here at West Hants we have a no canvasing policy among our trainers. If you’re approached by a trainer who suggests they train you it’s never a good idea to agree. In my view that is totally unprofessional.  Referrals on the other hand are both ethical and more reliable. Doctors and Physios wouldn’t attempt to pull in customers through social interaction, so why should trainers.
Be careful of the trainers that constantly credit themselves. It’s usually a sign of insecurity in their position and their person. The sessions are solely about you and it’ll become apparent how good the trainer is within a short space of time without them singing their own praises.  

Also, an obvious one, do they follow a healthy lifestyle themselves? Again, that becomes obvious quickly. We wouldn’t go to a dentist who has half their teeth missing, so make sure you put your trust in a trainer who walks the talk.

On a final note, as a client you should only commit in the investment of a Personal Trainer if you’re happy to do the work, all the work.  The PT’s expertise will guide you, but it’s you that puts in the physical effort and ensures your lifestyle outside the gym accommodates that.  Trainers aren’t agony aunts, and they are not a newfound friend, they don’t want excuses as to why you’re not working at your best on a particular day.  You, their client, are their calling card, so they want you to make as much progress as possible, so think of it as a team effort, and don’t let your partner, the Personal Trainer, down.

 

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