By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Choosing a personal trainer can represent an important step in achieving your fitness goals. After all, the trainer is your coach, mentor and guide.
Knowing your goals can help you know what type of trainer or coach you need — and if the potential trainers you consider can help you meet those goals. The trainer should have an education and experience in the type of training you need.
“You want to work with someone with the right knowledge,” said Anthony Serrano, a certified personal trainer and nutrition coach and director of personal training at Jada Blitz Fitness in Buffalo. “Find someone with the proper qualifications to meet your needs, like you have had a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the past. The person should be able to work with that.”
Serrano’s personal training certification is from the International Sports Sciences Association, among his other certifications in exercise and athletic performance. He also holds a second-degree black belt in taekwondo.
A personal trainer should have nationally recognized credentials, not just a weekend course.
You should set some goals as to what you want and Serrano advised diving deeper into “I want to lose weight.” Why is that your goal? Will that help you become more active, feel more vibrant or increase longevity?
“There’s more to why you want to get in shape,” he said.
He also advised looking at online references and listening to word-of-mouth referrals from people you know, as “that goes a long way,” Serrano said.
In addition to professional credentials, Conner Lorenzo, director of operations of Fitness Science and CHAMPP at URMC Department of Orthopaedics and Physical Performance, also looks for personability, since it’s tough doing something challenging alongside someone you can’t stand. He calls the trainer client relationship a personal one because of the deeply emotional reasons many people have for wanting to get healthier, such as sensitivity about their weight, a dire health warning from their doctor or an urge to improve their physical appearance.
“No matter what the goals or reason for getting into it, it’s pretty personal,” Lorenzo said.
The location and availability of the trainer can make a difference as to how faithfully you adhere to the program. Driving too long or meeting a trainer at oddball times can make it easier to slough off and skip sessions. Lorenzo said that asking about the location and availability early on is important.
In addition to asking about certification credentials, Jean Sica, certified tai chi instructor, ACE certified personal trainer and owner of Kokoro Fitness in Rochester, recommended asking friends about their personal trainer as well as meeting with trainers to discuss your fitness.
“Ask to sit down with them to get a sense of who they are and if you connect with them,” she said. “I’d never sign up with someone for more than one class with them in the beginning. You may not like what they do. See how it feels.”