These days, “personal trainers” are all over the social media landscape. A lot of folk throw the title around for glamour or because it seems more compelling in their quest to be influencers. You couldn’t be blamed for thinking that finding a personal trainer is trivial: open up Facebook, Instagram, or Tinder and just choose someone who looks the part, right?

Nope.

Everyone wants a “good” personal trainer (or at least should want a good one) — because everyone wants the best success possible with their health and fitness aims. But few stop to think what “good” really means. What are the qualities that make a personal trainer “good” as opposed to not?

How about finding the “right” personal trainer instead?

Does that seem even harder?

Actually, it’s easier. This way, you narrow down your search using several easy-to-gauge qualifications and qualities before you spend more than a few minutes with them. And within a few minutes of being with them, you should start forming a clear picture of the rest of the important qualities.

Does appearance matter?

A lot of people look at a personal trainer and assume they’re good —or not— based on how they look.

There’s some logic to this. A personal trainer that looks “good” presumably must know something valuable that they’re self-applying. People also figure it says something about the personality or character of that trainer. They might think the trainer has self-discipline or cares enough to work hard… on top of knowing what to do. Somehow this seems meaningful to a lot of people seeking a trainer.

While this line of thinking has some validity, especially if your own aims are primarily aesthetics over health or fitness, it should be easy to see how this neither forms an accurate or full picture, nor is it a truly reliable indicator of a trainer’s abilities or worth. It’s a little like evaluating an electrician based on how much you like the fixtures they have in their own home.

It’s important to keep in mind that many great trainers don’t have certain genes to give them a certain look; have not been athletes their whole lives (only later gravitating to fitness as a passion); and while some do, a great many are not using performance enhancing drugs. Many are not some specific gender —or whichever archetypical trait— someone might expect. Many might not care to be big… or strong… or even lean! A person’s priorities in bodily autonomy often reflect, yet are not a reliable measure of, their expertise. Coming up short on any of these aspects doesn’t mean someone isn’t a great trainer. Knowing fitness and how to teach it are absolutely not dependent on looking a certain way.

Knowing fitness and how to teach it are absolutely not dependent on looking a certain way.

So my first bit of advice is: if you’re not finding the right trainer after looking at the ones who stood out visually, consider those you passed over based on appearance. I won’t try to talk anyone out of starting with the ones that appeal to them according to looks. There are valid reasons to judge on looks. After all, this is a person you will spend significant time with, in close proximity. You may be seeking a role model in terms of physical build. You may seek to be inspired by their extreme discipline or devotion. You may want someone whose looks keep you motivated. Sometimes —I hate to say this— people just want someone whose looks they find attractive and it makes them want to be in the gym. If that’s what it takes then that’s what it takes (as long as everyone keeps things professional and maintains proper boundaries!). These might not be the best reasons to choose a personal trainer, but it’s foolhardy to pretend they don’t play a part.

Regardless: as much as you can put appearance as a factor aside, it will serve you well to do so.

On a related note, while few want to be trained by someone who dresses like a slob, fashionable, brand new, or expensive clothes (or vehicles) should not be taken as indicators of training quality. In fact, any trainer who seems overly flashy is one you should vet a little more cautiously.

Certification works

Next bit of advice: Look for someone who is certified.

Yes, there are plenty of crappy certified trainers and there are plenty of excellent uncertified persons who call themselves trainers. Regardless, you’re sure to spin your wheels if you don’t start out by winnowing the field fast. This single criterion helps with that far more than not.

Someone who takes the time to get certified cares enough to make a career out of this and do it right.
Getting certified is not easy. Trainers must do well on an exam that covers basic anatomy, relevant physiology, kinesiology, principles of training, injury prevention, nutrition, some aspects of psychology, professionalism, business skills… and even CPR.
Finally, maintaining their certification requires continuing education. Each year, trainers must submit proof to their certifying bodies showing a minimum number of credit hours spent learning relevant topics in order to qualify for renewal.

When you consider a candidate who has definitely studied for and passed their exam, versus someone who hasn’t, you’ve vastly increased your odds of landing on a good trainer. You’ll spend less time on your hunt.

And if you’re seeking someone to help with more than just your gym performance, perhaps as a health coach or for nutrition, then certifications and educational background matter even more.

When you consider a candidate who has definitely studied for and passed their exam, versus someone who hasn’t, you’ve vastly increased your odds of landing on a good trainer.

Insurance

Does your prospective coach carry liability insurance? If not, they’re unprofessional and likely not certified either.

Buying insurance means a trainer is taking their business seriously, as well as their accountability to clients. Meanwhile, a trainer without insurance is not to be trusted. They may not even be telling the truth about being certified or anything else they claim.

You click

This is pretty simple but also one of the most important things. You’re not going to date your trainer, but having some positive chemistry is a must. If you don’t feel confident and comfortable being yourself around your trainer, it’s not going to work out well for you.

If you don’t feel confident and comfortable being yourself around your trainer, it’s not going to work out well for you.

Age

Younger trainers often have more energy than older trainers and may benefit from more recent advancements in science. Their educations are more rooted in the latest and greatest sports science. Younger trainers may be less jaded about certain things. Younger trainers may also be coming directly from a recent athletic background in which they personally experienced newer applications of exercise science and physical therapy techniques. Not to mention, coming immediately on the heels of such a background means they are probably fully steeped in all things athletic while pursuing a discipline they have cared more about than anything else for as long as they’ve been alive. By patronizing a younger trainer, you could also be helping to support a great career that returns enormous value to the community.

Older trainers have more human experience and may be more empathetic. They may care more about your results than impressing you. They have also proven themselves with time. Older trainers may have spent more years learning more health-related sciences as well and they may be able to offer you more value beyond pure personal training. They may benefit from a richer interdisciplinary experience. They may have encountered and surmounted more personal adversity, particularly related to health. If you’re seeking a health coach more than just a trainer, chances are you’ll want someone on the older side. Stereotypical as it may seem, it’s pretty fair to imagine a younger trainer offering exuberance and motivation while an older trainer, a bit mellower, brings patience and deeper understanding to the table.

In any case, the single most relevant way age is going to factor regards how you identify with your coach, the degree to which you both share culture and communication styles. This means: picking someone in an age bracket similar to yours has a big edge when it comes to clicking with them.

But this also means you should be mindful not to let this commonality sway you more than other factors, most of which are significantly more important.

So never close your mind to any age bracket. You’ll be surprised more often than not to meet a trainer who defies preconceptions of age. Give any age a chance. When all other factors are on point, simply consider the unique advantages either a younger or older age may present and make the call based on which you need the most.

Never close your mind to any age bracket. You’ll be surprised more often than not to meet a trainer who defies preconceptions of age. Give any age a chance.

Price matters

Don’t look for cheap trainers.

Similar to “certified or not”, just because a trainer is cheap doesn’t mean they’re bad (and just because a trainer is expensive doesn’t mean they’re good). But on average, a trainer is either cheap because they can’t hold on to clients or because they’re juggling too much in life and wouldn’t be able to afford to give you the level of service you need to succeed. It’s extremely rare to find a great trainer for cheap (let alone who stays cheap). You’d have to find someone just getting into the industry, who has a good support system at home, and who is well educated and mature.

That’s a big ask. Easier not to play that lottery.

Similarly, keep in mind that trainers who work for chain mega-gyms are essentially indentured servants. You might luck out and find a good one. After all, plenty of us in the industry started our careers in that capacity (✋🏼). But even the best are overworked or at a minimum underpaid. They don’t really have the bandwidth to focus all their talents on you. They will not be your trainer (the gym will assign you whomever they have available or even switch on you without asking). They will not be fully dedicated to you. They may suddenly quit or not show up.

Worse than all of that: the gym simply doesn’t care about you or have your back. They just want you to sign up for a training package and hope you never actually show up. They oversell their trainers, who only actually get paid (minimum wage) for scheduled time actually spent with a client. The gyms rake in huge dollars with this racket. You’d be one rare and lucky customer to get a training experience worth the money you spend, no matter how cheap they try to make it with a sale or promotion.

You should seek out and support independent trainers in your community. You’ll benefit greatly from someone who knows what they are doing, who’s dedicated entirely to you, and who can actually earn a living doing what they love so they can continue to provide great service… and you’ll help foster a local ecosystem where new trainers will feel like they have a chance to succeed. This in turn, will attract more quality people to the profession in your area which will give you and your neighbors better options for health and fitness coaching.

It should also go without saying: coaches with more extensive education or experience, and those who offer specialized services should cost more. Think about your aims and needs. Hire someone who can adequately cover them.