Finding a Personal Trainer - 2 Questions You MUST Ask
Personal Trainer
This is a question I get asked all the time, from friends and family members alike:
How do I go about finding a competent fitness coach/personal trainer/performance enhancement coach?
These days, it's not as easy as you'd like to think. With all the marketing and hype surrounding our industry, it can be difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff.
However, when you boil it down to two questions, you can really find out a lot about a coach.
Here's what I would do, if you need to find some qualified.
Question #1 - How long have you been in the industry?
The private sector of the fitness industry is truly dog-eat-dog. If you can last more than 5 years, you're ahead of 80-90% of the population. Not only does this mean you probably have at least some idea of what you're doing, but you're passionate about it as well.
When I came out of my undergraduate program, at least a dozen of my friends immediately signed on at local fitness facilities. They were told to "sell, Sell, SELL!" and never got a moment to relax, let alone educate themselves on the actual fitness/training side of the equation!
Not surprisingly, none of these people are still in the industry.
So if you're looking to hire someone, make sure they've been around long enough to prove themselves. You might find some high-quality coaches/trainers that have been in the industry for less than 5 years, but they're the exception versus the rule.
If they pass this test, this next one should weed out the rest of the clowns...
Question #2 - Is this your full-time job?
True story: I go to a business networking group 4-5 years ago, and immediately notice this trendy looking guy with Dolce and Gabbana glasses. He's dressed for success, and his full-time job is selling high-end audio-visual systems.
Anyway, fast forward a month or so and I see him out and about. The guy now has on a skin-tight t-shirt (at least two sizes two small), he's got tattoo sleeves that would make my parents blush, and he's pretty much acting like an ass clown.
While I have absolutely zero desire to talk to him, at some point we crossed paths and in light conversation he mentions:
"Oh yeah, I personal train people on the side, too."
WHAT?!?!?!?!
So this total moron is training people "on-the-side." And we wonder why our industry is looked at so poorly.
I don't know about you, but I don't want a lawyer, account, or another other professional working for me who is doing their job "on-the-side."
I take my job seriously, and this is a full-time job for me - in fact, dare I say, I actually want to be good at my job.
If you're not good enough to make a full-time living out of this "job," then that's a big red flag.
Any clown can train people on the side, but to succeed and make this your full-time gig is a different story. Even more, if you can not only support yourself but other trainers (i.e. you own/operate a facility), you're probably doing some really good things.
Obviously there are exceptions to every rule, but if you ask these two questions to potential trainers/coaches you might be interested in hiring, I think you'll have a much better idea of who is qualified and who isn't.
Good luck!
MR
Comments on This Entry
Posted by Allen at 06:54AM on June 07, 2010
Allen Tucker's advice is learn everything you can. The more you know the easier it is to recognize when someone doesn't know what they're talking about.
Posted by Bulent at 03:09AM on June 08, 2010
great post. and so true too. i am in no way an expert in personal training, but even i can see that the majority of trainers in my gym are part time. i've seen them doing their own workouts while training clients and making clients do all this crazy outlandish stuff they're not ready for rather than building the basics. if you think training is bad in the U.S, it's gotta be worse in the U.K. i'd love to have a proper strength training center in my area but it's a dream at the moment
Posted by Dan at 05:02AM on June 08, 2010
I happen to be a "part time" personal trainer/strength coach. I am however, a "full time" secondary school physical education teacher. I consider both professions to go hand-in-hand with continuing education, exercise explanation, and movement analysis. I actually read, attend more seminars,and strive for continuous improvement more than any "full time" trainer at my gym. I hope that being "part time" is not looked at as negative to everyone. It's not like I "cant hack it" full time, I feel that educating Americas youth on the benefits of exercise is extremely rewarding. You provide me with invaluable information from your resources- thank you..........
Posted by bulent at 05:38AM on June 08, 2010
you don't sound like you're part time mate? i'm talking about a different breed of trainer
Posted by Mike Robertson at 06:09AM on June 08, 2010
Dan -
You're what I referenced to in this article - "the exception to the rule."
Obviously, I appreciate your work in our industry. However, I value even more your role in shaping today's youth.
Please don't be put off my this message; it definitely was NOT geared at someone such as yourself.
Keep up the great work!
MR
PS - As Bulent said, I think we're all referencing a different "breed" of trainer - the kind that doesn't understand or value the scope of what we really do.
Posted by Christopher at 06:40AM on June 11, 2010
It's interesting because I'm a trained chiropractor who uses mostly ART. I do real time assessment meaning I watch a movement, treat, then recheck the movements. Often, the movements are functional exercises ie. squats, lunges, press, pull-ups, etc. This allows me to make a hypothesis on a person's movement imbalances and see if it is correct almost immediately. I need to be involved with a gym because I can't truly get people healthy unless they understand how VITAL exercise is. I think in my case, delegation for programming and running workouts would be key. Any thoughts?
Posted by Mike Kozul at 07:11AM on June 11, 2010
MIke, Love your newsletter! In regards to your "finding a Personal Trainer" I too, like one of your other responders am a Full Time High School Educator and part time Certified Pesonal Trainer for my local YMCA. I was disappointed by the 'tenor' of your piece, but I understand where you are coming from. However,.........................
The key for me is about professionalism. Are you a Fitness Professional or are you just part time "Hobbyist"? I like to think there are many "trainers" out there like me who treat their clients and take their role as a trainer extemely seriously. WE Attend Perform Better Seminars like I just did in Providence, RI. WE network with the best of the best; yourself, Cressey, Cook, Boyle, Grasso, Dos Remedios.Taft, Wright etc, etc,
WE purchase, DVDs Assess & Correct, Funtional Strength Coach 3.0...
WE purchase books like Body In Balance, Maximum Strength............
My point Mike is that there are some very professional 'part time' trainers out there who are passionate about fitness and who do wish to make a difference. Let's make it a point to recognize these "professionals" as assets to the Industry!
Regards,
Mike Kozul
YMCA Personal Training
Posted by Mike Robertson at 07:19AM on June 11, 2010
@Mike -
Fantastic point!
While the piece was meant to be a bit "abrasive," the goal wasn't to offend trainers such as yourself.
As I mentioned in the piece, there are exceptions to every rule.
You are obviously passionate, hard-working, and dedicated to your craft - and I could NEVER fault someone such as yourself. So please, don't take this as a knock at yourself.
Rather, the piece was meant to "shine-a-light" on the unmotivated, uneducated, people who call themselves "trainers." These are the people that we need to get out of OUR industry as quickly as possible.
Again, great insight, and please keep up the great work. We need more people such as yourself!
All the best
Mike
Posted by Nate at 07:32AM on June 11, 2010
How come I always seem to be the exception to the rules? ;)
I haven't been in the "industry" per say for five or more years. However, this has been my passion for more than 20 years! I've been going to seminars like Perform Better and getting certifications through organizations like the IYCA even though I wasn't in the industry at the time.
And I took that passion and opened my own fitness boot camp program last November.
And although I've been working a part-time job to help pay the bills while I work on growing my business (which has grown quickly in the last few months), I'm still working "full time" working ON my business and IN my business.
Being the exception to the rule is fine by me. :)
Posted by Lee at 10:11AM on June 11, 2010
Hi Mike,
Great post but somewhat worrying (for me). I'm 40 and live in the UK and am currently training to be a CYQ Certified PT. My plan is to start my own business once qualified. To gain some experience, about to start work parttime at the local authority run gyms.
The PT qual is good but I find I learn more useful stuff from guys like yourself, coach Boyle and Cosgrove. There's nobody similar in the uk and anyway, you seem far more ahead/accessible than UK trainers & coaches.
The problem here is that people get qualified as Gym Instructors, start work in a gym and before you know it they're PTs! On a basic qualification. I'm trying to do it properly to make a difference but it's such an unregulated industry I'm up against these jokers who've got little idea about what they're doing.
Now you spring this 5 year thing on me. LOL. It certainly is a tough industry to crack.
Posted by Mike Robertson at 10:19AM on June 11, 2010
@Lee -
Don't sweat it man - you have to cut your teeth sometime and somewhere - we ALL do.
Don't let this be a deterrent; all it means is that if you're working hard and learning from the right people, you'll be heaps better in 5 years than you are now.
Good luck!
MR
Posted by Barry at 11:23AM on June 11, 2010
As another of your readers who can't make the grade by your two rules here, can you offer us some guidelines to help us build credibility as we start out in this field?
Thanks again for your helpful blog posts and podcasts.
Posted by Mike Robertson at 11:26AM on June 11, 2010
@ Barry - I'll write something up ASAP and post it to the blog.
In the interim, follow the advice above. If you're reading this blog, chances are you're already far ahead of the game...
Good luck!
MR
Posted by Greg R. at 09:58AM on June 16, 2010
Hey Mike! What about trainers who are going back to school and can only work part time! Don't Give us a bad rap!
Good stuff and very true, especially the SELL SELL SELL! AHHH It's terrible. I know guys making 3 figures training at commercial gyms, they never have a piece of paper in their hand, never write anything down. A program, whats that? I made your workout on my way to the gym this morning. (and I live 5 min away). They sure can chat it up though, compliment quite nicely and sell a choclate ice cream cone to a woman in white gloves.
GR
Posted by Greg R. at 10:00AM on June 16, 2010
Hey Mike! What about trainers who are going back to school and can only work part time! Don't Give us a bad rap!
Good stuff and very true, especially the SELL SELL SELL! AHHH It's terrible. I know guys making 3 figures training at commercial gyms, they never have a piece of paper in their hand, never write anything down. A program, whats that? I made your workout on my way to the gym this morning. (and I live 5 min away). They sure can chat it up though, compliment quite nicely and sell a choclate ice cream cone to a woman in white gloves.
GR
Posted by Greg R. at 10:02AM on June 16, 2010
* 6 Figures, 3 before the 3 zeroes that is.
Posted by Justin at 08:26AM on June 17, 2010
I think there's a place in this world for part time personal trainers.
I've been working as a web developer for years, and I can't tell you how many crappy websites I've seen put up by poor, hobbyist programmers. It bothers me how bad some of these are, but at the same time, for many companies it's often better to have a bad website than no website, and I certainly don't have time to build a site for everyone.
I think it's the same for personal trainers. There's a place for part timers.
Posted by Andy Bennett at 07:46AM on June 18, 2010
It sounds like you're NOT saying that you shouldn't hire a trainer who has done it for less than 5 years, or that you shouldn't hare a trainer who is not full-time, but that you should ASK those questions, and then thoughtfully consider the answers you get. A young trainer who is serious about what he or she is doing, focused and knowledgeable may be just right for you. Someone who has another job may be thoroughly professional about training. Besides, the training may be their "main job" even if it's not full-time, and plumbing or accounting may be what they do "on the side" to pay the rent.
Posted by Bill Yeager at 01:09PM on June 23, 2010
These are definitely good advice if you're looking for someone to train you. Experience is key for compassion. That's not to say a part time "kid" is going to be a bad trainer, but they should at least know what you're going through. I'm a personal trainer in CT and own my own gym, and yes, I hire part time staff (per diem) to train my members. However, they all have to look the part. We're professionals just as much as a banker or stock broker. Act that way! A key thing I look for during the interview process is if they mention their own battles with weight and physique. A person in great shape that was overweight in high school tells a far greater story than the natural born athlete who happens to be a trainer. Being the lucky one with a naturally fast metabolism doesn't show the same passion for fitness and activity as the person who lived through the obesity. Thanks for such great information! If it helps one person, you've done your job. Thanks for helping to keep our profession honest and progressive! Feel free to visit our website, you are always welcome! www.horizonpt.com Keep up the great work!
Posted by Bill Yeager at 01:09PM on June 23, 2010
These are definitely good advice if you're looking for someone to train you. Experience is key for compassion. That's not to say a part time "kid" is going to be a bad trainer, but they should at least know what you're going through. I'm a personal trainer in CT and own my own gym, and yes, I hire part time staff (per diem) to train my members. However, they all have to look the part. We're professionals just as much as a banker or stock broker. Act that way! A key thing I look for during the interview process is if they mention their own battles with weight and physique. A person in great shape that was overweight in high school tells a far greater story than the natural born athlete who happens to be a trainer. Being the lucky one with a naturally fast metabolism doesn't show the same passion for fitness and activity as the person who lived through the obesity. Thanks for such great information! If it helps one person, you've done your job. Thanks for helping to keep our profession honest and progressive! Feel free to visit our website, you are always welcome! www.horizonpt.com Keep up the great work!
Posted by Kelly the Victoria Personal Trainer at 10:18PM on August 01, 2010
Mike,
I definitely like your two questions. There are some people who think personal training is something to do on the side and just because you played competitive sports all of your life that your qualified to do it. The more training I took, the more I realized how much science there was to the entire field of personal training.
Kelly
Posted by Matt Anich at 08:01PM on August 11, 2010
Mike:
I'm glad I ran across this post. I completely agree with both points. It is very disheartening to run into potential leads and clients who have unknowingly hired a part-time personal trainer and are reluctant to allow a true professional with education, skills, and a true passion for others' health and fitness to work with them.
I'm a Miami personal trainer and I recently wrote an extensive article along these same lines that reviews 7 key factors to consider before hiring a personal trainer to aid those in my area who may not know how to go about picking a trainer. Your 2 questions are actually on my report - great minds think alike!
To read about my 7 questions for a personal trainer please visit my site
http://www.themiamipersonaltrainer.com
and let me know what you think!
In good health,
Matt Anich