5 Questions to Ask a Personal Trainer Before Hiring

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In Episode 12 of the Studio 78 podcast I interviewed Sade about her passion for health and fitness. During the episode she discussed the importance of finding a qualified trainer. Below she’s provided 5 questions you should ask a trainer before agreeing to work with them.

1) Where did you get your certification and what is your certification in?

You want to write this information down so you can research where their certification is from and what exactly they are certified in. Some programs have levels of certifications.

2) Are you certified in nutrition? If yes, then ask where they got their certification and what type.

You need to know that all the work you are putting in the gym isn’t in vain. Nutrition is going to be your key to success. Going to the gym alone is not going to be enough, you need to have someone who knows what they are doing nutritionally to guide you.

3) If your trainer doesn’t have a nutrition certification, then you need to ask if they work their training programs with a nutritionist.

Again nutrition is key!

4) Ask how much experience does this trainer have. Ask to see clients before during, and after pictures.

Any trainer worth people’s time and money will keep detailed information about each client. What you are looking for here is attention to detail and that this trainer will personalize your program (training, cardio, and nutrition) uniquely to you. Everyone’s body is different, so cookie cutter programs don’t always work.

This will also help you gauge coaching styles for a trainer. Are they going to be your cheerleader, into every detail, very hands on, or a coach who likes for you to do things on your own so you can learn more. So you need to decide do you want a coach who will do everything for you or a drill sergeant, neither is bad just something to think about when picking a trainer to match your goals.

5) Finally, your goal should always be to not need a trainer after a period of time so you need to know that your trainer is willing to have you learn as you go and that they will answer every question you ask of them in detail.

Example: I am working with a trainer who just increased my cardio by 15 minutes for the week and reduced my carbs while increasing my protein intake. I ask my trainer why the increase in cardio and change in nutrition? And my trainer responds with “Sade remember you said you want to fit into that beautiful blue dress for your cousin’s wedding in May? Well I want to turn things up a notch so you can lose fat with the increased cardio and lower carbs but maintain your muscle with the increase protein so that dress can not only fit but fit in all the right places. You may or may not see a drop in weight on the scale since we are going to be training hard for you to build muscle but that dress is not only going to fit it will look amazing on you.”

What just happened here is 1) your trainer pays attention to your goals and has made adjustments to your program to help you reach and exceed those goals. 2) Your trainer took the time to explain the reason for the changes so you can learn about your body and what will work best for you in the future if you decide to train yourself in the future.

If you want to find out more about finding a good trainer or coach please leave a comment or contact Sade on Instagram: @mochafashion78.

Article credit: Sade