How to Choose the Best Personal Trainer for Your Fitness Goals – and Budget

Irv Rubenstein has a PhD in exercise science and has run a personal fitness training studio in Nashville, Tennessee for 35 years. Naturally, he speaks positively about the benefits of using a personal trainer, and this applies to gray gym-goers and beginners alike.

“Almost anyone can teach you how to do a biceps curl,” Rubenstein said in an interview with The Associated Press. “But only a few people can tell you how to do it if your shoulder hurts.”

Finding the trainer that suits you best can be a maze, Rubenstein acknowledged.

How much should qualifications and education matter, or are personality and motivational skills more important? What about the costs? And how often should you hire a personal trainer? These are just some of the questions anyone looking for a trainer should ask.

“How can you tell who is the best?” Rubenstein asked. “Whatever works best for you is the best. But finding that is the challenge.”

Education and references

In the United States – and in many other countries – there is no national or local government agency that licenses trainers. Certification is typically issued by private entities, some of which are more respected than others, and many are more concerned with revenue generation than credibility.

The American College of Sports Medicine is the best known in the United States. In Canada this is the Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine.

“You should probably ask if the person is certified,” says Rubenstein, who runs STEPS Fitness. “I find that valuable, but not essential. And you should ask about academic training.”

He also issued a warning.

“If a person gets all their information from the Internet – as far as you can tell – I would avoid that person,” he said of a potential trainer.

Personality and motivation

Guy Andrews leads Exercise ETC. from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Like Rubenstein, he says trainers and clients need to jibe. References are important, but a match in personality is essential.

“It’s a service relationship first and foremost,” says Andrews. “So first you have to build a relationship with the trainer. You have to like them. Personality of mine comes first. I don’t care how well qualified someone is, how well trained he or she is. If you don’t like it with them, the relationship is doomed to failure.”

It can be helpful in your search to ask friends or gym operators for referrals. A good measure of a successful relationship is how many years has the referrer spent with their trainer?

“If clients have been with a trainer for eight or 10 years, that’s a good sign,” says Andrews. “Looking good in a tank top is not enough.”

Rubenstein added another truth and laughed: “Most people who work with a trainer for any length of time will tell you they are the best.”

Another good sign when assessing trainers is whether they offer a ‘non-contractual relationship’. This means you won’t lose any money if you cancel the service.

“Then you have a trainer with integrity and trust and probably the skills to help you,” says Rubenstein.

A trainer’s motivational style should also be taken into account. Rubenstein repeatedly said that the quality of “compassion” was key in choosing the right person. But some may want a drill sergeant with basic training to push them.

“The rah-rah military attitude could work for the young and very fit,” he said. “But for the average person, that kind of behavior may not be motivating or energizing.”

What is the price?

Price is difficult to determine. Costs vary by country and within countries by geographic region. In the United States you might pay $100-150 per hour in larger cities, maybe $50-75 in other areas. Rubenstein also said the cost compared favorably with manicures and similar personal care services.

The cost could be prohibitive for some, Rubenstein said. It often eliminates the young and may favor older customers who have more purchasing power and need the service more.

“It separates the people who want a trainer from the people who need one,” he said.

How often with a trainer?

Andrews and Rubenstein said beginners should meet with a trainer two or three times a week for the first six weeks. After that, once a week may be sufficient, or even once or twice a month for maintenance and evaluation.

“As far as motivation goes, I don’t think for the average person, once a week is enough at first,” Andrews said.

Rubenstein explains: “If a person is not used to being in a gym, is not comfortable with it or does not feel safe, meeting with a trainer twice a week is a basic routine that will give them benefits – muscles, cardiovascular, balance, etc. they teach it, someone can go once a week or once a month. But that means they have to be motivated.”

Setting goals

So you’ve found your trainer and are ready to get started. What now? Set some goals.

There are four main goals – depending on the client: weight management, overall fitness, special needs and overall health.

For each client, “the routines may intersect, but the frequency, intensity and duration will vary,” Rubenstein said.

Setting goals in the first interview was critical, Andrews said.

“If both parties are not on the same page about what they want, they are doomed to failure,” he said.

A good trainer will recognize unrealistic goals, Andrews said.

“It’s often about what they want to look like after hiring a personal trainer,” he says. “In my experience, a client whose focus is on how he or she will look after training – rather than how he will feel – will set himself up for disappointment.”