Looking for a Personal Trainer but Don’t Know What to Ask?

Let me give you some ideas

(along with my answers so you can learn a little bit more about me.)

Personal trainers intimidate people.

I think it is because of the nature of our business. When you meet a personal trainer, you are usually not at your best.

Most of my future clients are down on themselves and feeling a little embarrassed they need to hire a personal training to get them in shape.

They don’t like the way they look or feel and they know they need to do something about it.

Stepping into a gym or meeting with a personal trainer is a weird, alien concept for a lot of people.

I get it. What other profession has this many stereotypes?

• Big mean steroid guy trainer.
• Arrogant personal trainer in tank top looking in the mirror more than he looks at you.
• Mean woman personal trainer stereotype.
• Beach bunny personal trainer stereotype.
• Fat guy eating a hot dog with a mustard stain over his “Personal Trainer” logo.

I have seen them all. Yes, they do exist and they all seem to be in no short supply.

Luckily there are a number of us who take this profession seriously.

So don’t get intimidated. Most of us are not judgmental and we honestly want to help you.

So with that in mind, here are a few questions you should think about asking.

I pulled these from an interview I did recently.

What advice would you give a client looking to hire a personal trainer?

Don’t base your decision on price. You are making an investment.

If you want a high return on that investment, then talk to a few trainers and go with the one you feel knows how to solve your problem.

The difference between rates with trainers isn’t that much to begin with.

There are very good reasons some trainers try and get clients based on price.

What is Your Fitness Philosophy

Work hard and have fun with your life.

Don’t be the person sipping warm water and eating carrot sticks in the corner while everyone else is drinking wine and eating real food!

Hopefully you can relate to this. Many of my clients tell me,”I wish I had called you a long time ago”. I joke with them and tell them that nobody every calls me first!

I think it is human nature. Most people need to get in shape and start with the least expensive option. So maybe it is a diet from Facebook, joining a bootcamp or buying a DVD.

And for some people that works…for a while. Most of my clients…in fact all of them have tried those methods and found themselves frustrated with lack of progress and/or injured.

That is where I come in. Combine my in home training with my online training and you have a comprehensive system for re-shaping your body. Fat loss is a by-product of getting healthy.
1. We need to fix joint pain and movement issues with corrective exercise.
2. We need to find an eating pattern that you can live with.
3. We need to work on flexibility and mobility so you don’t get injured.
4. We need to to get you lean and strong.

You won’t be successful with #4 unless you work on #1-#3.

That is why I have been selected as Trainer of the year in Parker for the last 3 years.

By the way, I come to you. If you have equipment that is great. If not, not problem. I always carry a bunch of exercise stuff with me.

If this sounds good, give me a call and we can schedule a free 30 minute consult to see if this is right for you.

What do you enjoy about your job?

The most enjoyable thing about what I do is show people that they are a lot better than they think they are.

People come to me and they are at a crossroads. Some lack confidence, have body issues, a lack of self-confidence and are generally at a low point.

Getting in shape is more about changing the way you think than the actual exercises.

Exercises are exercises. You can find them anywhere on line.

Although I see some truly awful ideas, most of the workout programs will produce some good results.

The key is not finding the right workout.

The key is working with a coach that can unlock or breakthrough those things holding you back from achieving success. That is what I enjoy about my job.

How did you get started in this line of work?

Fitness coaching is one of the few professions where you can help change a life.

I started out as the most unlikely candidate to have a career in fitness. I was a tall, gangly, goofy teenager with asthma.

Life sucked and I thought getting bigger and stronger would be a solution to my terrible life. And it was but it wasn’t easy.

Along the way I have made every mistake in the book and fallen for almost every scam. But I learned from it.

I was never a natural athlete. Everything I have I had to work for.

I am not this stud who was born with a six-pack from the womb. I have studied the science of getting in shape and really what it means to be in shape.

In fact, I am still learning after 35 years of working out. I think that makes me relatable to my clients in a way a lot of trainers aren’t.

So in a way I feel obligated to help others.

What type of clients do I work with?

Clients are 30 to 75. I actually prefer working with older clients because they are less concerned with looking good than feeling good. The one thing I have learned is that fat loss is a by-product of getting in shape. If you can’t move well, you will never be able to do the work you need to make a meaningful change in the way you look.

What support do you offer?

The biggest reason people don’t reach their goals is a lack of consistency. That is why I developed my online training system to help clients when I am not there. For only $10/month (yes that is only .32 a day) you get full access to my exercise library, workouts, workout calendar and more. It is just another tool to help you stay on track. Click here to find out more about my online training.

What is the typical process of working with a new client?

1. I offer a free 30 minute consultation. This is not a sales pitch. This is an opportunity for us to talk and see if this is a good fit. I can only train so many people. I need to make sure that the potential client will be a good fit for me and is comfortable with my training style.
2. We set goals. Realistic goals.
3. I look at body mechanics and work up a plan to make sure you can move without pain.
4. We look at eating and come up with a plan that you can follow.
5. We start working out and track the progress.

What is your pricing?

$55 an hour for one-on one.
$70 an hour for groups of 2-5 (everybody splits the cost. Not $70 apiece)
$10/month for online training

What things should a prospective client think about before hiring a trainer?

The number one problem is that people think there is a shortcut to getting in shape and losing weight.

There are more effective ways than others but even the most effective method demands effort, consistency and time.

The second problem is that the general public thinks all trainers are the same.

The truth is we are all wildly different in our approaches.

Just because your prospective trainer looks good in a tank top doesn’t mean they know what they are doing.

The third problem is that most people I meet are filled with misconceptions about fitness.

Either they are still living in the eighties or they repeat stuff from infomercials.

The science behind fitness has changed drastically so all I ask is that you have an open mind to some ideas that may not make sense to you.

Describe a recent project you worked on.

My greatest project is myself. If anyone thinks they have this fitness thing figured out they are lying to you. I am a strength guy but I can also run half-marathons and complete Spartan races. I do this to challenge myself and see if I can do it. I would urge everybody to fire up their imaginations and sign up for something that will challenge them. A little fear is a great motivator to make a change.

If you would like to find out more about my in home or online personal training, click here.