What to Expect from a Personal Trainer

What to Expect from a Personal Trainer

Personal training, while it’s becoming more established and normal is still a fairly new industry. When personal training started to gain popularity, the people who were providing the service were simply the local person who had competed in a few strength or physique events. Since then the profession has grown to allow many great trainers the opportunity to pursue a career in fitness full time. As the field becomes more mature and established, I think it’s important for clients to understand what they should expect if they decide to hire a personal trainer. When a client decides to hire a trainer, they’re using their hard earned money to achieve a goal. The client is also giving up their time and putting their trust into the trainer. The trainer is trusted to have the knowledge to achieve the goals and do so safely. Over the last 15 years, here are some things I have picked up from great trainers and also some things I’ve noticed from sub par trainers. Use this to evaluate when deciding to hire someone for your training needs. 

Prompt. Is the trainer on time to the session? Meaning are they there before you and set up ready to go so you can get the most out of your time slot? Trainers should be respectful of a client’s time and should make sure that the client doesn’t feel rushed through a session. Prompt also means in communication with the clients when they have questions about sessions or training related situations. 

Off the Phone. Unless showing a client something, scheduling next session, or looking something up for a client, a trainer shouldn’t be on their phone. I’m always amazed when I see videos online and there are clearly trainers texting on their phone while a client is working out. This is rude and shows that the trainer has little interest in making a connection with the person they’re working with. At Showtime, this is a non negotiable with our coaches on the training floor. 

Up to Date. Is the trainer up to date on the current best practices for working with the population they train? New research is constantly coming out and best training practices continue to evolve just as people do. It’s simply not enough for a trainer to take a certification test and think they’re set for their learning. Is the trainer around other credible trainers and coaches or are they only around those inside the gym they’re currently at? A trainer should be constantly reading and bringing new ideas to the table for their clients. 

Training Principles. Do they have their own training principles? Meaning are they intelligent enough to know what they believe in or don’t believe in for training. Without a set of principles, it’s hard to have structure to a training program. Without structure it’s hard to know what the key performance indicators are of the training. When someone doesn’t have principles they stand by, it becomes easier to fall for everything. 

Do they Care? Does the person seem to care and have your best interest? If the person doesn’t seem to care how your training and your life is going, why should you be giving them money or your time? A trainer can only be effective if they care about the person they’re working with. One of the things I ask our coaches is how much effort would they put into the training session if a pro athlete or celebrity was on their schedule. I follow up by asking if that amount of effort would be different for a 50 year old who has never exercised before. The amount of effort a coach puts in has to be the same every session to help people the most we can. 

Do they Listen? Many trainers favorite topic of discussion is themselves. Unfortunately, they’re supposed to listen more than they talk. Do they listen when you mention small details, do they remember certain things like birthdays, family events, professional milestones? Many trainers would be much better off spending more time listening to their clients and talking about their own personal workouts less. 

Do they have a Plan? If they don’t have a plan for you and your goals, how are they going to help you get there? It’s not enough to just say come in a few times a week and we’ll figure it out! Are there progressions on exercises or regressions based on ability? Is there planned downtime or peaking based on a client’s goals or life schedule? Trainers shouldn’t be going by feel each session. Having a plan helps map out the journey for the client, but also helps the trainer decide if there is a need to adjust something in the training plan. 

Nick Showman

Showtime Strength & Performance