#i canceled my leg strength subscription the rate was getting too high

[sneef-to-a-snorf-fight]

i swear to god the next time someone asks “what happened” when they see me using a cane im just gonna say “budget cuts” or some shit

[styrkagym]

7 tips for finding the right personal trainer

If you’re in the market for a personal trainer, chances are you’ve come across some articles with suggestions on what to look for in a personal trainer. Most articles will list a few types of degrees (exercise science, kinesiology, etc), a few nationally accredited certifications (NASM, ACE, NSCA, etc), and then discuss some obvious stuff like personality and affordability.

But there are some major drawbacks to conventional wisdom, and finding a trainer that’s a good fit for you can be a bit more involved than just checking off a few boxes. Here are some valuable tips to help you find a trainer you’ll have fun working with and will help you achieve your goals safely and quickly.

1. Certifications don’t tell you much of anything useful

Certifications have their place in a trainer’s education, but most nationally accredited certifications - the ones personal trainers are really pushed to get and maintain - are more or less worthless.

First, the tests are entirely multiple choice and based on rote memorization. This means that after passing the test, the trainer is unlikely to retain most of the information they needed to pass. It also means they aren’t required to demonstrate any practical coaching competency, which is a massive drawback - a test might convey theoretical information, but a trainer needs in-the-trenches experience to be an effective coach. Unfortunately, none of the major nationally accredited certifications have any internship or practical requirements whatsoever.

The major certifications are also full of “fluff,” basically worthless information that a personal trainer will never need to use such as cardiovascular anatomy or different types of energy systems. This can be interesting water cooler talk, but it doesn’t tell you anything about a trainer’s ability to coach movements effectively or their understanding of sound programming.

2. Commercial clubs don’t want the best trainers

You’d think that a large, commercial fitness club would want the absolute best trainers - educated, experienced, and professional. But most of those clubs are much more concerned with their margins. It’s not uncommon for them to hire young, inexperienced personal trainers who perhaps have a degree and/or a nationally accredited certification, but these trainers lack the practical experience and reputation to command a higher fee. That means the club can charge the customer - who likely doesn’t know much about how to find a personal trainer outside of their certifications - a premium fee while paying the trainers next to nothing. That’s a win for the club.

In my first personal training job, the average session price was around $50 an hour. I took home $12 an hour. In my last job before going freelance, my highest pay was $17 for sessions that cost around $55. When I went freelance, the lack of overhead meant I was able to reduce the session price while more than doubling my income. Commercial clubs can’t afford the best trainers because they command too a high a fee! Better, they reason, to hire college kids and recent graduates with little or no experience.

3. Don’t get roped in to contracts or packages

You’re at a reputable commercial club. You’ve been introduced to a trainer who you’re told is certified by NASM or another similar nationally accredited organization. Then you’re presented with a few “package” options; namely, the more you purchase the less you pay per session. You’re presented with 40 or 60 session packages costing thousands of dollars. You plan on coming in twice a week and your prospective trainer is totally fine with that - these packages are expensive, after all.

But what happens if you and this new trainer don’t click? If it becomes apparent they don’t really know what they’re doing? In an extreme case, you might decided you’re going to contact management and request another trainer. Unfortunately, most clients don’t know a bad trainer when they work with one, and will likely just decided not to renew when it comes time in a few months.

Don’t get roped into a big sale without at least a trial period first. Work with the trainer a few times, even if you have to pay a higher per-session rate, before you make an expensive long-term commitment. Or, better still, don’t purchase packages at all - at Styrka, we offer monthly subscriptions with no sign-up or cancellation fees, and no contracts.

4. Ask a trainer questions, and make sure they ask them, too.

Don’t just ask a trainer about their education or certification; ask them about their experience. What kinds of clients do they typically work with? What’s their training philosophy? What is their approach to helping you with the specific goals you’ve outlined?

A trainer should also be asking you lots of questions - about your exercise history, your fitness level and knowledge, any injuries or conditions that might affect your ability to exercise, and what’s really driving you. Why do you want to lose weight, ‘tone up’, or whatever? A good coach wants you to develop a healthy relationship with exercise, not just follow a bunch of arbitrary commands. They should talk with you about your health, your body image, and whether the timeline you’ve set for yourself is realistic.

5. Don’t be dazzled by complexity.

Good programming is simple, hard, and effective. Seeing a trainer make their client balance on one leg on a stability ball with a half-dozen bands pulling on them might look impressive, but that kind of nonsense is only going to slow you down. A good coach will keep the suite of exercises relatively small and focus on consistent proper execution of the movement.

6. Don’t worry about getting hot, sweaty, and tired.

It’s not difficult to throw together some canned, randomized workout and get someone out of breath. Here, try this:

Every minute on the minute of 3 burpees, 2 deadlifts, and 1 pull-up. Go for 20 minutes.

Without controlling for the load and contextualizing that workout within a program designed around your abilities and goals, this workout is pointless. But it’s a safe bet that it will make almost anyone hot, sweaty, and tired - even with light loads.

Strength training is different than cardio; you might not actually get all that out of breath in a heavy strength training session. That’s okay! Your coach may want to separate your cardio sessions so that you can focus more on the technical elements of the lifts. Even in cardio sessions, your coach may want you to leave some gas in the tank rather than exhausting yourself. That’s okay too! Don’t confuse feeling tired or sore with doing the work that will help you become stronger and more fit.

7. Personality matters.

Personally, I consider myself more of a technician. I am very focused on the proper execution of the movements, and I’m obsessed with structured programming. I’m not the kind of trainer who is in your face shouting “Come on! One more! Let’s go!”

But, there’s nothing wrong with wanting a trainer who will bring that kind of energy to your workouts. If you are someone who feeds off that kind of energy, I might not be the right trainer for you. At the same time, don’t get sucked into that positive energy to the point that you allow your trainer to overlook poor technique.

An experienced trainer isn’t just after a paycheck - they want the right kinds of clients. They want to work with people who are compatible with their training approach and personality. If you don’t get results with a trainer, you’re not going to be telling other people about them (or worse, you’ll simply tell people you didn’t get the results you wanted), and that’s not good for a trainer’s business over the long term.

That’s why, in addition to an in-depth consultation, it’s well worth it to work with a coach for a trial period. You’re not just trying to gel with their programming style; you’re trying to gel with their personality, too.

At Styrka we have lots of experienced, educated coaches ready to help you achieve your goals. Contact us today for a complimentary strategy session and we’ll hash out the details to get you started.