Have you or your friends ever hired a personal trainer? Have you witnessed personal training in action perhaps at your local gym? Then I’ll bet you can tell that not all personal trainers are created equal.
I can’t tell you how much it frustrates me to see people investing their hard-earned money on trainers that, in my book, just don’t cut it. You know you’re in the wrong hands if your personal trainer exhibits some of the following qualities:
1. All they do is count your reps.
- In my opinion, you’re perfectly capable of counting repetitions. You want someone who is not only keeping count but can also guide you through the exercise and talk you through corrections.
2. Constantly sitting down instead of moving around and queuing you through the exercise.
- You want someone who is constantly moving around you, watching your form and technique like a hawk.
3. Drinking their coffee.
- umm, I don’t think this one needs an explanation. Are we are Starbucks or the gym? 
4. Talking about their personal issues.
- This isn’t “The View.” Understandably some personal issues do
come up from time to time as they relate to your fitness goals but the trainer shouldn’t be talking all session about their own.
5. People watching instead of watching you.
- You are paying good money for a trainer’s expertise. You want someone who has all eyes on you and a laser-like focus.
6. Are late for their appointments.
- Yes it could happen occasionally as sometimes we are unable to control mother nature or certain emergencies, but if it becomes habitual, you have the wrong trainer.
7. Not getting you results.
If you are following every thing your trainer tells you to do and not getting results it could be for 3 reasons:
1. You really are not doing everything they told you 
2. Something is going on hormonally or internally for you personally and should be checked by a physician (thyroid, etc.)
3. They simply are not giving you the tools to be successful.
If you are going to invest in personal training, you owe it to yourself, your body, and your pocketbook to hire not just a good personal trainer, but a GREAT personal trainer.
And I hope these tips help guide you in that decision! If these tips were helpful, share your comments below.
Hey John,
This is true; not all personal trainers are created equal. It is easy for anyone to get certified since there are not that many regulations on the industry. A person/trainer who is “fit” or appears fit may be getting results no matter what they do; eating fast food, buying fitness gimmicks etc. People think that they know something or two about how to get fit even though the person/trainer looks the way they do through superior genetics. 99% of trainers do not know what they are doing and most people get scammed.
-Kevin Phan
Hey Kevin,
Thanks for the comment and I’m glad you agree. We just have to keep educating our clients as best we can!
- John