How To Find A Personal Trainer

You train at home but want a second opinion about your workouts? If you want a professional assessment that usually means finding a personal trainer. But how to pick a personal trainer without trusting someone who has no idea what he is talking about?

Keep It Simple

You know that this website is about home workouts, but occasionally I am asked how one would find a good personal trainer, with whom you can check if what you do is good for you or what could be done better.

But how to pick one? At the most basic level, we simply rule out those that are in it for the buck and don’t have an idea what they are talking about:

What About Credentials?

Beyond that, there of course are a trainer’s credentials. You know, those fancy acronyms behind a trainer’s name.

There are many organisations giving out certificates and if you aren’t intimately familiar with the world of fitness, you practically have no chance of knowing how much real value these titles have. One could involve years of learning and a terrifying exam, but it may also be from one of those “become a personal trainer over the weekend” seminars. The term “personal trainer” is not protected – practically anyone can call himself that.

When it comes to credentials, these two organisations have, in my opinion, the highest standards:

• American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
• American Council of Exercise (ACE)

Of course, if someone is accredited by either of these two and still fails the points mentioned in the video, he or she is still a bad personal trainer.

Nutrition Tips From Personal Trainers

As soon as a personal trainer gets into talking about nutrition, that requires a qualification all on its own. If you want to have both bases covered in one person, check for certified trainers who also hold titles as Registered Dietitians (RD) or Registered Dietetic Technicians (RDT) from an accredited institution of higher learning. Only these two titles require an actual license.

On the other hand, stay away from anyone calling himself “Nutritionist”,  “Registered Nutritionist”, “Diet Specialist” etc. These more often than not mean nothing.

Don’t Be Blinded By Physique

Quite obviously an overweight personal trainer that has problems running around the block isn’t too impressive – does he practice what he preaches?

But, and that is a really big but, don’t throw your better judgment over board by thinking, “this guy is huge, he must know what he is doing”. What works for him may not work for you. As said in the video, a good personal trainer will ask about your medical history, your goals and then tailor a program specifically for your needs. If he doesn’t do that, what good will his Superman physique do you?

Picture courtesy of “LocalFitness.com.au“.