Selecting a fitness trainer begins with asking yourself if you even need one. I have always maintained that the hardest exercise is the front door. If you regularly visit the gym and feel good about your physical health and conditioning then you probably don’t need a trainer. If you want to increase your results then a trainer can provide the guidance and incentive you need. An effective trainer is knowledgeable about all the techniques and discoveries available for exercise and nutrition programs. Not every program is designed for every person. In fact, most of the programs that you read about are scaled down versions of workout programs used by professional body builders. Most of us don’t aspire to bodybuilder levels of performance and appearance and don’t need extreme eating, supplement, and workout routines. Great results can be achieved with routines and food plans properly matched to the individual. And that is probably the best reason to get a trainer. Everyone is different. A good trainer first learns about the client and then creates a program to meet their goals and needs. So how do you select a trainer? You meet with them and listen to what they have to say. If they show more interest in what they want instead of what you want, then you need another trainer. If they’re only interested in selling you training sessions then they aren’t interested in what you need. If they continually push their supplement products then you can be quite sure they aren’t putting you first. Check their credentials. Trainers are not licensed by any government agent but they should have a certification from a reputable organization. Some certifications only require $50 and 20 minutes on the Internet. Ask your trainer about their certification and then research it yourself on the Internet. You are always welcome to email me if you have a question about the credentials of any trainer or program that you are considering. It’s your time and money. Remember that the trainer works for you.

Not all trainer-client relationships work, even with qualified trainers and motivated clients. That’s true for all relationships. That having been said, there are some things a trainer needs from a client to help the client achieve their goals. In my experience, the clients that have achieved the most are the ones that talk. Despite the mythology, trainers can’t know what you feel or think, so as a client you need to talk. It is better to have said one too many words than one too few. If your trainer does all the talking then they’re not listening to you or your body. Clients need courage more than confidence. Confidence is what you get after you’ve achieved a certain familiarity with a skill or situation. It’s the trainer’s job to take you some place you’ve never been and to ask you to do things you’ve never done. That takes courage, so don’t wait for confidence to build before you try an exercise or nutrition plan, just muster the courage. Conversely, I think it is important for a client to not do anything in which they feel unsafe or anxious. It is the trainer’s job to find the narrowest part of the river for a client to cross over to new experiences and skills. As a client, do not hesitate nor feel ashamed, in telling your trainer that you’re not comfortable with a particular exercise. The best trainers show a client a path to new exercises. Lastly, keep the relationship professional. The trainer is a business person but they are in a very personal and often intimate business. It serves nobody when the lines between professional and personal become blurred. More often than not, a friendship develops, but hopefully not at the expense of the professional relationship.