looking to FIND a personal trainer?
​here are 5 questions to ask before hiring.

​If you're thinking you need to find a personal trainer near you to help you lose weight, tighten your tummy or tone up your arms, then read on.

Below are 5 questions (well, 6 actually) that you'll want answered before you make any sort of commitment with your dollars and your body.

Because let's face it - there are a lot of us Personal Trainers out there.

How the heck do you know if the one you are looking to hire is any good?

See, the barrier to enter the industry is low, really.

Attend a weekend course, pass a written test, and BAM! You're now a Certified Personal Trainer.

If you're thinking about hiring a personal trainer near you, there are some questions you'll want answered first.

1) "Are you CURRENTLY certified?"
This is a good intro question, because while a trainer may get certified, it takes hours of continuing education each year to stay certified.

Ask to see a valid certification from a national certification program.
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2) "Do you have a valid CPR certificate?"
This should be a no-brainer, but if you're working out with someone and something goes south, you'll want to know that person is even a little bit capable of offering potentially life-saving skills until more medical help arrives.

Ask to see a valid CPR cert.
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3) "How long have you been a Personal Trainer?"
2 months? 2 years? 2 decades?

All trainers need to start somewhere, so you may meet someone who is new to the profession but can still be a good fit for you, as long as you are comfortable with their level of experience.

The more years put in, the more references should be available when you ask.
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4) "Do you work anywhere else?"
This may seem a bit odd, but here's why you should ask: Many Personal Trainers are also students, teachers, firemen, retail workers, etc.

You want to find a Personal Trainer who is dedicated to the craft, and takes the job seriously.

Many trainers enter the industry because they know how to train themselves, and are looking to make some "side cash" to help supplement their income.

What happens when they no longer want to work the hours and keep canceling your workouts because the other job or other life stuff keeps coming up?

Full-time trainers recognize the importance of keeping clients happy and satisfied and will go to lengths to keep them that way.
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4) "I have (XYZ condition). Have you worked with anyone with (XYZ condition) before?"
Hiring someone with experience to help your own specific limitations is crucial.

A bad personal trainer will try to fit you to their workouts, not the other way around. "Push through the pain" is common, but is not correct.

Exercise limitations should always be worked around, not through.
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​5) "How many different gyms have you worked at/for?"
This may seem like another odd question, but if you are talking with a Personal Trainer who has 10 years experience and has worked out of 10 different gyms, that could be a red flag.

Now, there are definitely valid reasons why a Personal Trainer may move from club to club, but if one says they're good, and has a lot of satisfied clients, they don't typically move around a whole lot.

Ask this question and use your instinct to gauge whether you are OK with the response.

BONUS QUESTION:

6) "How would your clients describe you?"
Now you may never know the true answer to this question, but it may still be worth it to ask to see how your potential Personal Trainer answers the question.

​If the answer has more to do with how bad-ass the workouts are, and less about how adaptable and attentive the trainer will be, you may want to take more time to think about the investment.

These questions are just meant to help guide you to make an informed decision on who you'll be investing your time, money, and results in.

Experience, track records, and overall comfort level are the big indicators to help you decide if the Personal Trainer you want to hire can help you get where you want to go.

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