Takeaway Points:

Often, it’s a challenge to find the right trainer or coach - and not due to any failure on your part, but simply because there are limitations that make it a naturally hard process.
In this article, coach Meg breaks down the guidelines you should follow to ensure that you’re making the right decision, and finding the right trainer or coach.

(This post was contributed by our coach Meg Humphrey.)

For those who want the support and help of a professional, finding the right fitness coach can be one of the most difficult parts of adding a movement routine to your life. I’ve worked with a few different personal trainers and have done dozens of exercise classes over the last 15 years. In all that time, only 1 personal trainer and 3 class instructors were people that I felt comfortable working with because they were the right combination of knowledgeable, supportive, motivating, and considerate for me. It doesn’t get less difficult with experience because access is dependent on what you’re able to afford and who is around (if you are looking for in-person options). I hope that this blog can help you understand the pitfalls and limitations of trying to find a trainer, as well as give you some pointers on how to vet potential coaches and class instructors.

The Limitations of Local

Gyms are usually the easiest place for people to find trainers, but the quality and variety is unknowable. You’re stuck choosing from whomever they have available, which might mean that you have to work with someone that you’re not entirely comfortable with because they don’t have people with the demographics or experience you were looking for. For example, maybe you wanted to work with a woman coach, but none are available, or maybe you needed someone who knows how to work with hypermobile clients, but that isn’t listed as a speciality in anyone’s profile. What if you’re a queer person and you get paired up with someone who is actually homophobic or transphobic? Just one session with this person isn’t only a waste of your money (especially because in-house gym trainers tend to be pretty expensive per session), but could be very harmful. Also, depending on the gym, trainers could have a quota of personal training hours/clients they need to fill, so they may take on clients that they’re not enthused to be working with just because they have to. You really don’t know what you’re getting into when you just have to pick from a lineup with very limited information.

Just Because They’re Popular Doesn’t Mean They’re Professionals

Virtual training and classes have become a popular option for many people. Unfortunately, with fitness influencers and social media, it can also be hard to figure out who is a legitimate trainer. I’ve seen a lot of folks offering their services to coach people, but don’t have any certification. Now, I definitely don’t believe that certification is the end-all-be-all. There are a LOT of things that trainers still need to learn from other places than just their certification body (for instance, all of those programs are fatphobic and ableist, so trainers really need to do outside learning to combat those issues). However, a certified personal trainer means that they have a strong foundation of not just the science behind exercise, but how to work with clients in a variety of situations. It also means that they can be held accountable by that body and have their certification taken away if they act beyond the scope of their practice. It’s why school teachers and instructors have to go through training and maintain their credentials - they are responsible for the safety of the people in their care in an ever expanding and evolving field. Having a passion for fitness doesn’t mean that they know how to teach it to someone else or would be effective coaches.

Appearance Isn’t Everything

I think one of the most prevalent issues when looking for a trainer is the misconception that just because someone has an “ideal” body or the body that you want means that they are able to teach you and guide you into having that body. The truth is that genetics have a huge part to play in what kind our body looks like. That doesn’t mean we can’t change, but it does mean the changes we maintain have limitations. Some people can gain muscle super easily while others stay slim no matter how much they lift and how much protein they eat. Most bigger people will probably stay on the bigger side, while most thin people you see have always been on the thin/slim/small side. That doesn’t mean they don’t or haven’t worked hard to get the bodies they have, but it does mean that they started from a very different place and may not have faced the same difficulties and struggles you will.

This doesn’t just apply to their physicality, but also to their mental state when it comes to working out. For those people who live in bodies that are disparaged by society because of their size or ability, there’s a lot of negativity, fear, and trauma when it comes to exercise, especially in public spaces like a gym or a fitness class. In order for someone who has exercise related trauma to engage with fitness in a healthy and sustainable way, the trainer has to be responsive, adaptive, and empathetic to those particular needs that they might not deal with when working with thinner, more able-bodied clients. The same strategies, routines, and encouragement may not work on these clients, but they still deserve the effort and care in order to help them be successful. This doesn’t mean that those jacked, cut, slender trainers can’t be inclusive, knowledgeable coaches, but it requires a lot more specialized research, work, and empathy to cater to the kinds of people who are - at best - left behind in fitness spaces, and - at worst - have a lot of very real trauma when it comes to exercise.

This is why I think it’s really important for trainers and coaches who are outside of the typical light skinned, slim-fit socially acceptable bodies to be visible. There are a lot of fat/disabled/ BIPOC/queer/marginalized people with passion for movement, strength building, and fitness who want to work with people who look and are like them. Those trainers are out there, but in such a toxic looks-based community, it can be very difficult for them to get jobs at gyms and fitness spaces or for their services to be promoted online without being buried under avalanches of hateful comments. Don’t give up if you’re looking for them, though! They want to find you and work with you - I know that I do!

How Do You Find a Personal Trainer That’s Right for You?

Try asking them (and yourself) these questions!

Am I open to virtual training/classes, or do I want it to be in person?
What is their philosophy when it comes to exercise?

Why did they become a trainer?
Does their fitness philosophy align with my own?
Are they inclusive? What kind of language do they use?

What is their personal experience with fitness?

What was their fitness journey?
Did they or people around them struggle with fitness? How did they react and what did they learn from it?
Are they certified by a national accreditation group like the American Council on Exercise (ACE), the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), the International Sports Science Association (ISSA), or the National Council on Strength and Fitness (NCSF), etc.?

Are their methods what I’m looking for?

Do they work with you to make goals that are achievable and based on what you want your body to do?
Do they make personal workout plans based on how you want to exercise (home, gym, outdoor, etc) and what equipment you have access to?
Do they take into account what your body can currently do and any conditions, disabilities, and other concerns you might have?
What is their attitude toward their clients when they don’t complete a workout or are having a hard time with the exercises?
Do they provide modifications or are willing to switch out exercises if there’s something you really don’t like or can’t do?

About Meg Humphrey

Meg Humphrey has a passion for learning about how to be comfortable and feel strong in your body. She aims to make fitness and movement accessible to everyone regardless of experience, body size, or ability.

Over the last 15 years, she has accumulated experience in various exercise modalities (including powerlifting, 5x5, CrossFit, kickboxing, yoga, spin, HIIT, and more), and has used this knowledge to help friends and family members craft their own routines. She leads with kindness, compassion, and patience to show that exercise and fitness can be for anyone in any body.

About Adam Fisher

Adam is an experienced fitness coach and blogger who's been blogging and coaching since 2012, and lifting since 2006. He's written for numerous major health publications, including Personal Trainer Development Center, T-Nation, Bodybuilding.com, Fitocracy, and Juggernaut Training Systems.

During that time he has coached hundreds of individuals of all levels of fitness, including competitive powerlifters and older exercisers regaining the strength to walk up a flight of stairs. His own training revolves around bodybuilding and powerlifting, in which he’s competed.

Adam writes about fitness, health, science, philosophy, personal finance, self-improvement, productivity, the good life, and everything else that interests him. When he's not writing or lifting, he's usually hanging out with his cats or feeding his video game addiction.

Follow Adam on Facebook or Twitter, or subscribe to our mailing list, if you liked this post and want to say hello!

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How To Find The Right Personal Trainer