9 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Personal Trainer

The benefits of regular physical activity have been proven time and time again. However, it’s often understandably hard to get motivated, or to make time to go to the gym.

Many people start getting fit with good intentions and the goal ends up getting away from them.

Hiring a personal trainer is an excellent way to hold yourself accountable and get professional advice with realistic goals. 

If you’re planning on doing that, however, you should ask them some questions to make sure you hire the best possible. 

1. What Is Their Experience?

It’s always important to ask about their experience in personal training. They could have many certifications or none, and how many years they’ve been doing it might be indicative of just how good they are.

Of course, experience isn’t everything, but certifications and experience will reassure you that you’re in the right hands. 

2. Do They Have Client Testimonials?

So how do you find the best personal trainer in the first place? By looking at client testimonials and reviews.

You can often find these online, but if you can’t, then it’s fine to ask. If a personal trainer has had good results with clients before, it’s reassuring that they know what they’re doing. 

Check around their website, google them, and ask if in doubt. 

3. Can They Take Personal Situations Into Account?

Some people have personal situations that need to be taken into account when personal training, so you should always be upfront with your trainer and check they can handle those.

For example, some people have injuries that they need to be careful about or they could flare up. Sometimes intense exercise can worsen an injury, and you should always be careful.

Whether your personal trainer can handle this will be specific to them and your situation, but make sure to ask. 

4. How Many Clients Do They Have?

The number of clients is important. When it comes to how to find the right personal trainer, this number should be somewhere in the middle.

If they have no clients, there might be a reason for that. However, if they have a lot of clients, they might have a packed schedule or not truly be able to focus on you.

You can also always ask if they plan on taking on more clients, or if they expect that number to grow or lessen. 

5. What’s Their Schedule Like?

Some people have heavy work schedules or things like childcare to worry about and need a personal trainer that can fit their lifestyle.

If your schedule isn’t very flexible, you should always ask about theirs. A personal trainer who only works 9-5 may not be right for you, and you might want to find someone who works evenings, weekends, or early mornings.

Have an idea about when you’d like to work out at the gym and make sure your personal trainer can align with it. 

Many personal trainers do work outside of office hours, you just have to be sure you’re going with one who does. 

6. What Is a Realistic Goal?

You should ask what a realistic goal is for your personal training so that you aren’t disappointed later. If you’re aiming for weight loss, ask how much weight you can lose in a set period of time.

If it’s muscle tone you’re after, then your goal will be different.

Whatever it is you’re looking to achieve, make sure you tell your personal trainer and get an idea of the goal. If they can’t give you a realistic goal, then it might be time to go with someone else.

Having something to work towards is the best motivator. 

7. How Do They Handle Goals Not Being Met?

What are they going to do if you don’t meet your goal?

It’s an important question, because you need to make sure they’re flexible. Life happens, and often, goals aren’t met — perhaps because everyone’s body is different and they were unrealistic in the first place, or perhaps because you got distracted. 

Will they work with you to change the goal and decide what’s realistic in the future? 

8. Do They Provide Nutritional Support?

Nutrition isn’t a personal trainer’s full-time job, so you may need to hire a separate nutritionist if that’s something important to you — but if you want a little support, they should be able to refer you to someone or at least suggests which foods to eat. 

They have to focus on the training first and foremost, but they should have a good idea about nutrition too. 

9. Do They Have Pictures?

Especially if muscle tone is your ultimate goal, ‘before’ and ‘after’ pictures of clients really help. You can ask if they have a portfolio or social media account where they share pictures of results, because this will be a huge motivator if you know they’ve had clients who achieved the results you want.

No pictures aren’t necessarily a deal-breaker, but they’re super helpful to have. Most experienced trainers will have some available, as they want to document their progress and are as rewarded as you! 

You’ll Find the Right Personal Trainer By Asking These Questions

When it comes to hiring a personal trainer, you should ask as many questions as you need to. They’re used to being asked questions, and should be as enthusiastic and motivated by the process as you. After all, this is their passion!

Don’t be afraid to decide against someone because the answers aren’t what you need.

For world-class personal training in Orlando, check out CF gyms.