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Home › Articles › Physical Fitness › Personal Trainer Know-how

Personal Trainer Know-how

Top Tips for Picking a Personal Trainer

By Sue Marquette Poremba

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. Many clubs offer incentives for trainers to sell sessions. If you do belong to a club where trainers are required to sell, Swain says, "be careful not to hire a trainer who only looks at you as a dollar amount." Only hire a trainer who has your best interests in mind.

  • Take it slow. It's your trainer's job to whip you into shape – to an extent. "Don't live by thinking 'no pain, no gain,'" Swain says. "Getting into shape is a marathon, not a sprint. Feel free to build slowly, and don't work with a trainer who makes you so sore you don't want to come back."
  • Test the waters. Feel free to schedule sessions with different trainers to find out what works for you. And if you must sign a contract, make sure you have the right to work with different people. "If you're paired with someone who doesn't turn out to be a good fit, your sessions will be a dreaded hour," Swain says.
  • Hit it off. If you don't click with your trainer, your workout won't work out. While going to the gym is something we should all do, you aren't required to be there. If you don't enjoy it or dread time with your trainer, you will likely skip the gym all together.
  • Don't buy bulk. There's a temptation to buy a larger package of sessions because you'll save money. "Consider buying only a lesson or two at first to see if you're comfortable with a particular trainer," Swain says.
    • Questions to Ask

    Chris Carnecchia, a personal trainer based in Washington, D.C., says you shouldn't be shy about interviewing the trainer before hiring him or her. "First you want to make sure your schedules are compatible," he says. "And you should decide if you want a male or female, and what the focus of your workout is – sports or bodybuilding, for instance."


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