3 Red Flags to Watch for When Looking for a Personal Trainer
Flag 1: They Don’t Ask Questions About Your Goals
If a trainer doesn’t take time to get to know you and find out what is motivating you, that’s a red flag! A good trainer will find out what inspired you to get in touch and book that initial consultation. They will find out about your past athletic and training experience, any injuries you may be nursing or have recovered from in the past, and they will ask you what you hope to accomplish through your training.
Pro Tip: During your initial consultation, make sure the trainer actually listens to you. They should not have a program ready to go yet, in order to make an effective, highly customized training program, a great trainer that will get results will assess your fitness and tailor the program to help you meet your stated goals
Flag 2: They Take a One-Size-Fits-All Approach to Fitness
1:1 Training is not like traditional group fitness classes. With traditional group fitness classes, everyone is told to do the same thing. Sure, there are modifications, but everyone is working the same body parts in the same sequence. There are so many contributing factors to what makes a successful fitness plan, from the tempo and the rest periods to the way an injury could flare up if the exercise is done incorrectly. If you have a new trainer and they seem to have a “tried and true” formula that meets most client’s needs, know that it will not meet anyone’s needs exactly.
Pro Tip: At Pursuit Training, even our group fitness classes are highly customized and a great complement to 1:1 training. We believe in taking a customized, holistic approach to health and fitness where everybody has their needs met and programs tailored to their goals, body types, hormone levels, and sensitivities is the best way to get fantastic results.
Flag 3: They Lack Professionalism
“I was living away from Durham Region for a time and I was exploring new options for 1:1 fitness coaching and training; a colleague recommended the trainer she had been working with, so I took a leap of faith and booked a consultation. It went okay, but I was a bit concerned when he exclusively used exercise machines and had a plan ready for me—before he had even assessed my fitness level. The next session he kept putting down my boyfriend’s fitness level (they didn’t even know eachother) and he asked me for cash to pay for the consult and this session. When I asked for an invoice and for him to email me my plan, he said he didn’t really do that. I was shocked—it was the most unprofessional experience of my life. I had been so used to Pursuit Training’s professional and regular invoicing, kind and comfortable atmosphere, and coaches that actually build customized fitness programs that I didn’t know what it was like to go to the other guys…I started making the drive to Durham Region within a week of the awful experience and resumed my sessions with my Pursuit Training coach.” –Rachel F., Client since 2010
Pro Tip: Your fitness coach should make you feel comfortable about the entire transaction: from the way they interact with you, the way they train you, to the way they bill you. They are accountable for their actions. Nobody wants to feel awkward around their trainer—the fitness studio or gym can be a vulnerable place for many people, your Pursuit Training team understands that and it is their mission to make you feel motivated, cared for, and satisfied.
Stop being disappointed by your personal training experience.
Book a Consultation with One of Our Coaches Today and Find Out Why Pursuit Training Clients Keep Coming Back.
Your Pursuit Training Team
Sign up to receive our monthly newsletter:
[contact-form-7 id=”726″ title=”Mailing list”]