Looking for a Personal Trainer? 10 Questions to Ask Before Hiring One

By Patricia Salber, MD, MBA

Medically reviewed by Dov Michaeli, MD, PhD

Updated on April 19, 2021

Bringing on a personal trainer can be a key to finally getting fit. Here are 10 questions you should ask before hiring one.

Be sure to ask your new personal trainer what equipment you need to have before your first session. (Photo source: iStock)

Have you decided (once again) that this is the year you are going to get fit? And, this time, you are really going to stick with it way past the third week in January. Then hiring a personal trainer might be the ticket to your sustained success. Not only will a personal trainer help you optimize your exercise routine but committing to another person, one who motivates you, can be just the thing that gets you in a permanent exercise groove. Whether you are new to personal trainers or in the position of having to get a new one for whatever reason, you should do your homework before hiring someone so that you end up with the trainer that is just right for you.

New Dr. Michaeli’s Review Notes appear at the end of the story.

Hiring a personal trainer is a journey

Hiring a personal trainer who suits you is sort of like dating before marriage. Not everyone you try out is going to be a good fit for the long haul. In fact, as Audrey Throne (the previous author of this post) noted,

“There’s a lot more to choosing the right partner than just going out with a person with the best abs in town.”

Remember, just because somebody has the body you always dreamed of doesn’t mean that they are going to be a good fitness coach. You need to know if they are able to articulate exactly how to get similar results. And it would be best if you resonated with their style of training. Are they like the sergeant at a boot camp, or are they more like your mother, gently nudging you to get it done? Which style works best for you?

Related content: Want to Make Fitness a Lasting Habit? 5 Strategies That Will Help

So, how do you find a personal trainer?

The first step in the journey is to ask your family and friends for potential referrals. I have had two personal trainers in the last 15 years…