How to Find a Personal Trainer

Interested in personal training, but not sure where to start? Here are three ways to find the trainer who’s best for you.

Many first-time gym members experience feelings of intimidation and an overall sense of “I don’t know where to start” when they take the leap of joining a new club. There are weight machines everywhere, and people darting to and from group fitness classes—overall, gyms can be a little overwhelming for newcomers.

Perhaps one of the best ways to alleviate this sense of discombobulation, and to keep the momentum going (you just joined a gym after all—good for you!), is to ask for help from someone who knows the ropes: a personal trainer.

Personal trainers are kind of like gym spirit guides. They assess your overall fitness and goals, and prescribe workouts to help you attain those goals. But perhaps best of all, they help you navigate the various weight machines and equipment so you can put what you learn to good use, even when you’re not meeting one-on-one with your spirit guide.

But how do you find a personal trainer, and figure out which one is best for you and your needs? You are new to this, after all. Here are three simple ways to find your ideal personal trainer.

Finding a trainer

  1. Get a recommendation. Have friends who work out at your gym? Ask if they or anyone they know has worked out with one of the personal trainers at your gym. Ask them about their experiences, and who they would recommend. You trust your friends to recommend good restaurants, right? So why not personal training, too?
  2. Do some research. You can go online and find personal trainers at a gym near you. Read their bios—see what their strengths are. Maybe one works with people recovering from injury. Maybe another is big on muscle definition, or weight loss. Whatever your needs, there’s likely a personal trainer who meets them.
  3. Ask the club. Still unsure of which trainer to go with? That’s OK, just let the club manager know. Tell him or her what you’re looking for (male/female, goals, injury rehab, time of day, etc.), and chances are the club manager can find you the perfect trainer to meet your needs. They know their trainers better than anyone!

Interested in personal training? Find out more about it at 24 Hour Fitness.

Photo credit: jacoblund, Thinkstock