Trying to find a quality trainer is sometimes like trying to find a needle in a haystack.  Trainers have all different styles, methods, facilities to use and equipment at their disposal – but, which trainer is best for you?  When you know what to look for, it’s easy to spot the rock stars from the duds.  And if we’re being honest, everyone wants the rock star trainer that produces the rock star results.  Let’s review a few tactics before the trainer scouting recon commences.

THEY LOOK HOW YOU WANT TO LOOK

It’s a very simple concept that could not be truer.  How best to obtain a physique you want, then taking advice from someone who already has it?  There are all different body types in the world, which needs to be understood – it should not be a goal to obtain a physique that is a completely different body type.  But, when someone has achieved a certain level of fitness, muscle conditioning and athleticism, it really is a thing of beauty along with the physique that compliments it.  I was once told that in order to achieve success, you should find someone who already has accomplished what you want and copy what they have done.  What better way to achieve a goal than to get a road map directly from the horse’s mouth? 

However, just because the trainer has an aesthetically pleasing physique, does not always translate into them knowing how to train someone else to do what they can do.  There’s also the possibility of wanting to train with a man as a woman.  Pay close attention to how their clients look.  Being a quality trainer means that they produce results CONSISTENTLY with multiple clients.  The trainer I want will have a lot of clients in my demographic and in the physical condition that I want to be in.  On the path to success, it is essential to immerse yourself amongst the best and to train with those in the physical condition you are aspiring to have.

OMG…DID HE REALLY?!

Reputation really is important in every industry.  Part of a trainer’s job is service with a smile!  Spending an hour with a person that you basically know nothing about can be really dry and boring if they’ve got the personality of a wet mop.  Or, it could be incredibly uncomfortable because he’s constantly hitting on you as you’re between sets of squats.  Whatever the cause for the really awkward interaction during training sessions, this could have been avoided.  Ask questions about the prospective trainer!  Speak to other staff, SPEAK TO THEM and speak with his/her clients. Investigate what kind of reputation the prospective trainer has.  Learn from others what to expect when you train with that person and speak with them directly to see if there are any personality conflicts.

This investigation is warranted because going to the gym does not need to be miserable or something that is to be dreaded.  It might help inspire some motivation to have a smiling face to greet and good times to be had while lifting.  Point being, make sure that the trainer you are interested in working with will not only give you a way to achieve goals, but have fun throughout the process.  Feeling comfortable with a trainer with allow for open communication, which will help to tweak training plans, achieve goals and hopefully surpass what the client ever thought was possible.

WHAT DO YOU CALL THAT MOVE?

My favorite cardio is the stair mill, the revolving staircase, because it is one of the tallest machines in the gym and I sweat so much I look like I jumped in a pool when done.  This gigantic torture device makes me perched up on a throne to view all the peasants below still lifting.  During my forty-five-minute climb to no-where, every trainer in the gym gives me a presentation of what they’ve got.  I STRONGLY suggest this tactic because watching those while they don’t know they are being watched is true show of character.  While ‘people-watching’ the trainers and clients, there are several questions to mull over:

• Are they training hard or talking more?
• Is there a set training plan for the session or does the trainer look like he/she is winging it?
• Are they having a good time together?
• Why is the trainer trying to reinvent the wheel with that move? (small joke…)
• Is there a healthy ratio of machine work as well as free weights?
• Can the trainer teach me new workouts and skills?
• Does the client seem motivated and challenged by the workout?
• Could you see yourself doing the same workout?
• Is the trainer paying more attention to his phone than his client?
• Has the trainer designed a specific workout for each client or are they running each client through the same circuit?

Essentially, hiring a trainer is completely subjective.  Hire someone you like as a person because being at the gym and the fitness journey should be an enjoyable experience.  Be sure they have a track record clients getting the results that you want.  And, at the end of the day, this isn’t an irreversible decision.  Do the homework, investigate and try some training sessions.  The only way to know you have chemistry with a trainer is to actually start sweating and lifting heavy things together – happy hunting!

By: Samantha DiSabello