How to Find a Quality Trainer

There are many characteristics of a great trainer, but there are ten in particular that every quality personal trainer possesses. These characteristics set apart the average trainer from the exceptional. These are the personal trainers that appreciate their client’s hard work and are determined to see each one of them succeed. If you can hire a trainer with these ten qualities, you can rest assured knowing you’re in the hands-on an exceptional trainer who will turn you into an exceptional success story.

Experienced

The more experience your trainer has, the better. They don’t have to have experience in a global gym or have fitness DVDs on the shelves, but they should have success stories and multiple clients under their belt. Experienced trainers have made mistakes and learned from them so that they are more qualified to train different types of bodies and personalities.

Enthusiastic

There’s nothing worse than having a negative trainer. Your coach should be pumped up for every session and be the reason going to the gym is fun! Make sure your PT puts you in a good mood and supplies tons of energy for every workout.

Communicative

In order to know how to do a specific exercise, your PT should be able to effectively communicate how to do it. Whether it’s by showing you or guiding you through the exercise verbally, they need to be able to provide you with clear instructions.

Patient

We are all different, therefore we learn and grow at different paces. One client may be easily taught and trained, while another might need more encouragement or guidance. A great trainer can adapt his or her teaching skills to the needs of each client.

Persistent

A quality trainer is persistent in his or her goals. They will want to see you succeed even more than you care to! A great trainer will not give up on his clients and will continue to push them to be the best they can possibly be.

Safe

It’s important to hire a trainer that is known for being safe with their clients. Some trainers might put their clients in risky situations, or even put them on extremely low-calorie diets to help them speed up weight loss progress. A genuine, quality trainer always puts the safety and health of their client first.

Prompt

Being late is never an attractive quality. Every trainer should respect their client’s time and be prompt for every session. They should also always follow up with weekly check-ins to ensure that you’re staying on track with your health goals.

Empathetic

A great trainer knows that starting any new routine is difficult and that their client needs to feel understood, not judged. Personal trainers should always feel empathy towards their clients who are striving to improve themselves. The gym should be a safe place, where everybody can feel free to be themselves no matter what. A quality trainer will respect and encourage their clients to express their challenges with them so that they may help them to succeed.

Trust-worthy

It’s no secret that your trainer will know more about you than most people. Trainers spend so much time working on their clients’ bodies, that it’s no surprise they need to be trusting and professional. Many times conversations in the gym lead to sharing personal information about the client’s home life or social scene. A trainer should be able to listen to their client’s concerns and comments, respectfully keeping everything confidential.

Praising

Last but certainly not least, a quality trainer is supportive, motivating, and encouraging. A great trainer knows that it is not a weakness to need encouragement, but simply human nature. They should provide their clients with plenty of praise before, during, and after every session. A fantastic trainer will recognize every accomplishment of their clients, big or small, and take the time to congratulate them on their progress.