How To Hire An Expert Trainer

Hiring an expert saves you time and effort, saves you from making rookie mistakes.

The Right Expert

Buying a house? Hire a realtor. Repairing a car? Hire a mechanic. Building your body? Hire a personal trainer. It’s a no-brainer to hire the expert. We do it all the time. We look at credentials, experience, and reviews to choose the right one. But why hire an expert when you can do it yourself. You don’t need a realtor to buy a house or a mechanic to fix your car. And a personal trainer? Come on, no one knows your body better than you do…do they?

The answer is simple. You aren’t the expert. Experts live in their field, staying up-to-date with the latest information. They have spent years developing their skills to deliver a high-quality product or service. Hiring an expert saves you time and effort, saves you from making rookie mistakes.

But how do you know you are talking to the right expert? There are three main distinguishing factors that help the right personal trainer stand out from the crowd.

Degree or Certification

Check their credentials. Do they have a bachelors, masters, or doctorates degree in a related health field. Higher degrees demonstrate a firm foundational level of understanding and comprehension. Their graduating university may also be of interest as different teaching institutions are known for certain specializations.

For example, I graduated from Loma Linda University’s Masters Program and their curriculum focuses on whole-food plant-based diets.

Certifications are another great indicator, but these need to be examined with more scrutiny. Not all certifications are equal and some aren’t more than a piece of paper. Reputable personal training certifications are backed by well respected organizations such as, but not limited to, NASM, NSCA, and ACSM. These are arguably the top three US organizations. The most famous and recognized certification is the CSCS by NSCA.

As I’m writing this, I’m currently prepping for the CSCS exam. Having this certification is a huge accomplishment among personal trainers. There is a list of prerequisites that prevent just anyone from taking the test and earning the designation. 

Experience

Ask for their background experience. A trainer’s background provides a deeper understanding of their area of expertise. Most trainers learn on the job, shadow other trainers, attend workshops, read books, and earn sub-certifications to specialize. When consulting with a trainer, it is the trainer’s responsibility as a professional to only accept clients they are qualified to train. The same way a urologist does not perform heart transplants; a cyclist trainer doesn’t train boxers.

Unfortunately, there are unprofessional trainers who focus on selling. While there is nothing wrong with sales, it is morally wrong to knowingly sell a client the wrong service for their goals. A trainers job is to serve their client first.

Separate the salesman from the trainer. During your consult ask the trainer how their background and experiences specifically address your goals. This may seem like an invasive question, but good trainers are not cheap and you should know that your trainer is prepared to provide proper instruction and guidance. A professional will be more than happy to divulge their list of qualifying work. There is no replacement for experience.

My experience includes utilizing resistance training and plant-based nutrition to achieve sustainable long term health outcomes. I have applied this in practice in research, gyms, outpatient settings, hospitals, schools, and abroad in numerous South America countries.

Recommendations 

Seek out a trainer with good recommendations. Google, Facebook, and Yelp are a decent place to start, but these review sites may provide skewed and unreliable opinions. The best review is from a previous or current client that is willing to express how the trainer has helped them, not just the results they got.

Although results correlate with a good trainer, remember a client does the work and the trainer provides the guidance and support. Evaluate the advice and support the client received in reference to their goals. The training should fit the goal. A good way to interview a client is finding them on the gym’s Facebook page and sending a private message. However, the best review is always from someone you know and trust. This is the most reliable recommendation available. If you’re looking for a personal trainer, ask your social circle. They will likely steer you in the right direction.

Finding the right expert can be a challenging task. The best personal trainers often charge higher prices for their services, making consistent training with them expensive in the long. An expert trainer is a valuable investment, but finding high quality training at affordable prices is a difficult combination to find. This is why at Sculpt Fitness we run hybrid training models like our Small Group Boot Camp and Semi-Private Training, which combine small groups with 1-ON-1 coaching and accountability. These model allows us to personalize a plan for you and your goals, while keeping training affordable.