What to look for in a personal trainer

zacmorris

Looing for a personal trianer at the moment.
Want to;
Get 'fit' again
Lose weight
Build my muscle back up

Haven't a clue what to look for in a perosnal trainer...
Some of the ones I find online seem very 'gimmicky' or American infomercial 'like' if that makes sense to anyone :rolleyes: ?

want to do most of my training in a gym- should i go to a trainer that has their own gym or should is that important??

Met one guy for a chat and all seems good on first impressions but I'm noti really sure what to expect.


Anyone got any advice?


Thanks in advance!

Challenge Fitness

zacmorris wrote: »

want to do most of my training in a gym- should i go to a trainer that has their own gym or should is that important??

Met one guy for a chat and all seems good on first impressions but I'm noti really sure what to expect.

Firstly, make sure they have proper qualifications and insurance. They should be on a national register somewhere stating that they are qualified to do what they are doing - The NCEF National Register, EREPS etc. Check who qualified them. But big thing - if they haven't got insurance, it is usually because they are not qualified so that is usually a good test of basic qualifications.

Also, try and find one qualified to do what you want to do - no point getting all interested in doing kettlebell/step/boxercise etc. and find your Trainer has no experience in this area.

A Personal Trainer should then meet with you - listen to you, figure out what YOU want to do and how to get you to where you want to go.

They should do a fitness assessment of some type to establish what level you are starting at so they can design a programme around that.

A personal trainer will NEVER hand you a generic training programme - it must only be a training programme designed for you only.

Some offer first session free or the like so you can see how they run their classes but a proper Personal Trainer will achieve their worth over a period of time.

As for the Gym side of it, many carry their equipment around with them and go to your house. Some will have an arrangement with a gym to allow them to use their facilities and some gyms offer a Personal Training service as part of their gym membership.

cmyk

Challenge Fitness wrote: »

Firstly, make sure they have proper qualifications and insurance. They should be on a national register somewhere stating that they are qualified to do what they are doing - The NCEF National Register, EREPS etc. Check who qualified them. But big thing - if they haven't got insurance, it is usually because they are not qualified so that is usually a good test of basic qualifications.

Also bear in mind that a qualification doesn't make a good trainer either, it's just a pre-requisite. Other than that challenge fitness has it covered with some good advice.

If you do some asking around locally, you should get some recommendations for a good trainer, word of mouth is probably the best marketing. Alternatively there are good trainers/gyms that post here regularly that would be worth visiting.

terencelewis

Trainer should be:
=> Well qualified
=> Having strong will power
=> Have ability to train in a proper way
=> With strong determination

Transform

Find someone you enjoy working with that gets results and keep going as often as you can - the end.

TommyKnocker

As well as qualifications, I would want someone I get along with, as Transform mentioned, but I would also want someone who has achieved results with other clients and I would want someone who looks like they walk the walk. They would want to look like they are in good shape themselves.


M

xgtdec

just a quick note that i recently changed trainers in the last 2 months or so, changed from one which I had to motivate to one that motivates me....

Sessions are now tougher than ever and at times ill feel ill towards the end...but i look forward to my trainer sessions every time.....would i do those intense workouts without a trainer, i doubt it...not to that intensity, its the trainer that keeps me pushing......and that to me is what makes the trainer worth having.

HammerHeadGym

Im not sure qualifications are as important as people seem to think. A, because most qualified instructors I've met over the years did not know their arse from their elbow.* and b, there are no recognized qualifications in say, indian clubs, boxercise, kettlebells etc. etc. There are qualifications made up by various groups, but only so they can qualify people who agree with them, for a fee.

*case in point, while performing power cleans at an unnamed fairview gym, an instrrucyor came over to tell me what I was doing was wrong and potentially dangerous. I genuinely asked for his assistance, as no-one wants poor formm on any exercise. He was kind enoughto demonstrate a clean. When I pointed this out, he said yes, the exercise is called the clean, from the olympic clean and jerk. I said great, but Im doing power cleans. Power cleans, he said, what are they?

alx73

dont know if you've found anyone yet but been with these and their on the ball ,their just off dame st ,near the olympia

www.darraghhayes.com/coaching/one-to-one-personal-training/ear

HammerHeadGym

Actually, while I'm on the subject, the national certificate for fitness instructor, doesn't teach the deadlift. The deadlift for christ's sake. One of the most fundamental lifts in existence. How good a cert can that be?

Wonkagirl

There are a lot of s h i t e trainers out there. I went to one recently enough, and he didnt do any assesment with me or even ask what my current levels of activity were.

He started me off with some intervals on the treadmill, walking at 6kmph and jogging at 11km.. eh, my normal intervals would be jogging at 11, running at 16.. he then had me lifting free weights of 3kg- now, to be fair, i probably look weak as i'm very lean, but i'm a lot stronger than that.

i had to stop him in the middle of the session and put him straight.. there was a total disconnect between trainer and client. I'm guessing most girls that come to him are unfit and weak, but my point being to all trainers out there, make sure you find out what your clients current level of fitness is- either by asking, or doing a test BEFORE starting the session..

I've heard great things about transform and indeed paul byrne.. i'm going to be trying either one of those next. The metcon way of training is right up my alley but i can guarantee you, a lot of these eejits you go to around town wouldnt even bother trying them- certainly not in my experience (albeit limited)..

In answer to OP- word of mouth is best methinks.. find out who's good and if your goals tie in with their method of training.

Wonkagirl

xgtdec wrote: »

just a quick note that i recently changed trainers in the last 2 months or so, changed from one which I had to motivate to one that motivates me....

Sessions are now tougher than ever and at times ill feel ill towards the end...but i look forward to my trainer sessions every time.....would i do those intense workouts without a trainer, i doubt it...not to that intensity, its the trainer that keeps me pushing......and that to me is what makes the trainer worth having.

yeah i'd agree with all of that.. unless i feel mildly ill towards the end of the session, i know i havent worked hard enough. Motivation to work harder is definitely top of my list of things to look for in a PT.. otherwise, you're flushing your money down the toilet and may as well be in the gym on your tod. as others have alluded to though, that style might not suit everyone. It'll suit people who have high expectations for their workouts, but not people who are coming from a very low base- maybe older clientele, new mothers etc.. it's all about picking the right kind of trainer to suit YOUR needs and YOUR personality..

corkcomp

I know I will get flamed for this but look for a PT who has the body you want to have - I know we dont all practice what we preach n all that but personally I couldnt take advice on fitness / nutrition from a PT who wasnt in optimal shape themselves

Wonkagirl

corkcomp wrote: »

I know I will get flamed for this but look for a PT who has the body you want to have - I know we dont all practice what we preach n all that but personally I couldnt take advice on fitness / nutrition from a PT who wasnt in optimal shape themselves

Absolutely, i dont think anyone would argue against that.. lead by example and all that. This is particularly important for females- who are looking for female PTs- mainly because we dont want to bulk up.. one of the female PTs in JS in ballsbridge is very michelin-womanesque, it would REALLY turn me off being trained by her, for fear that her training methods would bulk me up like that too!

Hanley

corkcomp wrote: »

I know I will get flamed for this but look for a PT who has the body you want to have - I know we dont all practice what we preach n all that but personally I couldnt take advice on fitness / nutrition from a PT who wasnt in optimal shape themselves

You think that'd be a fairly obvious one eh? But people don't seem to care... cos like what ya look like isn't indicative of whatcha know. Or anything important like that :D

corkcomp

Hanley wrote: »

You think that'd be a fairly obvious one eh? But people don't seem to care... cos like what ya look like isn't indicative of whatcha know. Or anything important like that :D

your dead right of course, its not indicative:D but I still wouldnt use the services of an out of shape PT, mainly because i've met plenty and it really bugs me when I see the same ones every day telling middle aged women do do 20 minutes x3 a week in the fat burning zone to fix all their problems.. end of rant:P

Hanley

corkcomp wrote: »

your dead right of course, its not indicative:D but I still wouldnt use the services of an out of shape PT, mainly because i've met plenty and it really bugs me when I see the same ones every day telling middle aged women do do 20 minutes x3 a week in the fat burning zone to fix all their problems.. end of rant:P

I love that excuse tbh... gives people a great excuse to be out of shape.

Might start using it in future.

corkcomp

Hanley wrote: »

I love that excuse tbh... gives people a great excuse to be out of shape.

Might start using it in future.

nahh, big boned, slow metabolism, and in the genes tend to be more common

HammerHeadGym

corkcomp wrote: »

...look for a PT who has the body you want to have...

I knew this would come up eventually. I disagree for 2 reasons. 1) You might be talking to a mesomorphic genetic freak,who eats crap, trains bad and still manages to look good. Or some combination of that. 2) Google cus d'amato images. he's the small fat bald guy in the pictures. The dude next to him is usually Mike tyson, his student. Tell me you would learn boxing from him!

(In general you're right though. It's just not a sure thing)

corkcomp

HammerHeadGym wrote: »

I knew this would come up eventually. I disagree for 2 reasons. 1) You might be talking to a mesomorphic genetic freak,who eats crap, trains bad and still manages to look good. Or some combination of that. 2) Google cus d'amato images. he's the small fat bald guy in the pictures. The dude next to him is usually Mike tyson, his student. Tell me you would learn boxing from him!

(In general you're right though. It's just not a sure thing)

I cant seem to figure out from your post if you agree or disagree that a PT should be judged on their own body shape but Im still sure I wouldnt want to employ an out of shape one... obviously im not saying people should only employ personal trainers who are 100% perfect ...

Wonkagirl

corkcomp wrote: »

I cant seem to figure out from your post if you agree or disagree that a PT should be judged on their own body shape ...

I guess what he's saying is that you cant generalise.. ie., a trainer could be brilliant at what they do, be incredibly motivational, but not have the best diet in the world themselves- and therefore not be in the optimal shape

I'm with you though, i wouldnt employ a trainer who wasnt in good shape... nor would I go to a female trainer who was bulky..

Transform

HammerHeadGym wrote: »

I knew this would come up eventually. I disagree for 2 reasons. 1) You might be talking to a mesomorphic genetic freak,who eats crap, trains bad and still manages to look good. Or some combination of that. 2) Google cus d'amato images. he's the small fat bald guy in the pictures. The dude next to him is usually Mike tyson, his student. Tell me you would learn boxing from him!

(In general you're right though. It's just not a sure thing)

wow i have in all my years as a trainer yet to meet the person you described in point 1!!

Jesus i went and created an alter ego just to make this very point - Adonis McShirtoff

overall, being in better shape helps but is not essential. Getting results is what matters most and as a good trainer you should have mulitple tools in your tool box to help people get in great shape e.g. a bodybuilder trainer who just does bodybuilding programs for all clients, a pilates teacher that is all about pilates, or a educo type situation where its mainly machine based.

Emmm where is the mobility work, rehab work, intervals, metcons, progressive resistance, retesting.

IMO a good trainer should never need to shout about how good they are, they just go ahead and let their results speek for themselves. In this day and age most trainers will have some kind of visual (e.g. youtube) of their work so you can see what you are signing up for.

BobbyOLeary

Transform wrote: »

Getting results is what matters most

This. Ask for references, ask about previous clients they've gotten into shape. Have they every trained an athlete for your particular sport/needs? If they get defensive and waffle on about their qualifications then you know you've hit on someone who probably isn't right for you.

I'd much rather take the advice of a PT with a pot belly who has trained 100 5'11" BJJ players than the PT with the six pack fresh out of NCEF course.

Barry.Oglesby

BobbyOLeary wrote: »

I'd much rather take the advice of a PT with a pot belly who has trained 100 5'11" BJJ players than the PT with the six pack fresh out of NCEF course.

That's a bit harsh, my abs show twice a year you know.

HammerHeadGym

corkcomp wrote: »

I cant seem to figure out from your post if you agree or disagree that a PT should be judged on their own body shape...

Oops. I'm saying that a trainers body shape is not a guarantee of his abilities and should be the last criteria you check.

Challenge Fitness

HammerHeadGym wrote: »

Im not sure qualifications are as important as people seem to think.

As I said earlier, insurance is probably more important.

No one will insure anyone who has no idea what they are doing.

Insurance companies tend to be cautious and therefore will stick to recognised qualifications.

It may not be a true reflection of the quality of the instructor but it does show that the instructor has a base overall knowledge of what they are doing rather than a specific knowledge of a certain area. They are also tied in to certain codes of practice, codes which usually require them to continually improve their knowledge. An NCEF level 1 instructor may not know how to instruct a deadlift but they have a broad knowledge many aspects of fitness instruction and an intention of moving to NCEF level 2 - the level at which proper instruction of deadlifts is taught.

The one thing you don't want is a fly by night instructor whose advice leaves you in hospital with a bad back / injured knee etc. and you have no comeback.

Find an insured PT who you get on with. As I said, try them out on a free session (most do offer them)

Transform

Challenge Fitness wrote: »

As I said earlier, insurance is probably more important.

No one will insure anyone who has no idea what they are doing.

Insurance companies tend to be cautious and therefore will stick to recognised qualifications.

It may not be a true reflection of the quality of the instructor but it does show that the instructor has a base overall knowledge of what they are doing rather than a specific knowledge of a certain area. They are also tied in to certain codes of practice, codes which usually require them to continually improve their knowledge. An NCEF level 1 instructor may not know how to instruct a deadlift but they have a broad knowledge many aspects of fitness instruction and an intention of moving to NCEF level 2 - the level at which proper instruction of deadlifts is taught.

The one thing you don't want is a fly by night instructor whose advice leaves you in hospital with a bad back / injured knee etc. and you have no comeback.

Find an insured PT who you get on with. As I said, try them out on a free session (most do offer them)

I really do not think insurance is a big factor at all as EVERYONE coming off and passing an NCEF, NCEHS etc exam is going to get insurance straight away as long as they passed.

As a really general aside - the older the trainer and the longer they have worked in the industry its more likely they are well established and good at what they do. Are there many 21yr (20 something) old brilliant trainers out there? Yes, but they have worked under someone that is well established.

My general rule for the general non-athlete focused person is would you send your mum to this person?

Challenge Fitness

Transform wrote: »

I really do not think insurance is a big factor at all as EVERYONE coming off and passing an NCEF, NCEHS etc exam is going to get insurance straight away as long as they passed.

Yes, everyone with those qualifications will get insurance easily - then again it is no indication of them being an excellent instructor.

But I'm referring to an Personal Trainer who has not got insurance and can't get it. And yes, I've met them.

When I mention insurance, you are at least looking at someone who has some level of training and ability - a good starting block. It is one of those boxes you need to tick when looking for a Personal Trainer - No insurance, no go.

BobbyOLeary

Challenge Fitness wrote: »

Yes, everyone with those qualifications will get insurance easily - then again it is no indication of them being an excellent instructor.

But I'm referring to an Personal Trainer who has not got insurance and can't get it. And yes, I've met them.

When I mention insurance, you are at least looking at someone who has some level of training and ability - a good starting block. It is one of those boxes you need to tick when looking for a Personal Trainer - No insurance, no go.

Is insurance really that big a problem for folk? I mean I've never met anyone who was a personal trainer who hasn't finished some form of NCEF-like course.

Ticking insurance off the list ranks with "has got own hair" and "doesn't look like guy off crimewatch" for me. I'd imagine for the majority of folks it's similar.

Wonkagirl

Would NEVER occur to me to ask about insurance- if youre going to someone like transform or someone else who is recommended, you can safely assume that box is ticked.

Also, if you're using a PT within a gym like westwood etc, similarly they will be covered by the gyms insurance.

i couldnt give a rattlers whether they're insured one way or the other anyway, is that a bit silly? i mean if anything happens, wont you be covered under your own insurance?

Hanley

Wonkagirl wrote: »

Would NEVER occur to me to ask about insurance- if youre going to someone like transform or someone else who is recommended, you can safely assume that box is ticked.

Also, if you're using a PT within a gym like westwood etc, similarly they will be covered by the gyms insurance.

Don't be so sure about either of them. As far as I know, the PT's in TF are being made to pay for their own insurance now. Don't quote me on that now.

i couldnt give a rattlers whether they're insured one way or the other anyway, is that a bit silly? i mean if anything happens, wont you be covered under your own insurance?

What kind of insurance cover do you have on yourself?

BobbyOLeary

Hanley wrote: »

What kind of insurance cover do you have on yourself?

VHI?

I know we're getting off topic here but what exactly are you looking to get out of the PT's insurance? If it's negligence on his part and you sue I would assume the court order for money would be binding regardless of his insurance details. Or is it so he can pay for your medical bills? Excuse the ignorance but I know very little of how this would work in the case of a PT.

Transform

BobbyOLeary wrote: »

Is insurance really that big a problem for folk? I mean I've never met anyone who was a personal trainer who hasn't finished some form of NCEF-like course.

Ticking insurance off the list ranks with "has got own hair" and "doesn't look like guy off crimewatch" for me. I'd imagine for the majority of folks it's similar.

agreed - in 10 years its never come up for me. never

Barry.Oglesby

I know a lad... and no I won't mention his name, who wanted to go to the next level as a PT. now this lad is muck. He knows all the right words and phrases, knows a lot of theory and so on (but very little practise). Anyway, he decided, like most people have mentioned on here, that what was holding him back was his physique. He was lean enough at about 70kgs. Anyway, two courses of injectables and lots of clenbuterol later, he's about 90kgs and shredded. Still couldn't tell his arse from his elbow, but now busier than he's ever been, making a good living and always busy.

He'd been a regular gym employee type PT for about 5 years before that and I would say had been mostly getting what he deserved in terms of results and clients. I mean he did okay, had a wage and so on. But now he's minted. ****e at what he does, but minted. Let me say that again. Minted. The bastard.

There's a lesson in there somewhere. Maybe an ad for PTs to take shed loads of gear but mostly I mean that under the styled hair of your "ideal body" PT there might be two hamsters running on a wheel... in opposite directions.

So like some people have said, what I would do is look at the guy/girl's CV. Chances are you'll meet them by word of mouth anyway so have a look and see what the results are like before jumping in and handing over your hard earned cash.

metamorphosis

For crying out loud - the minute exam results are out for NCEF, NCEHS etc, you can be insured that very same day with the likes of Holistic. It is in no way indicitive of a trainers ability.

FWIW - when i did my fitness cert, there was an indian girl on the course who's english was not that good, repeated pretty much nearly all her continious assesments, had no rythem and yet, somehow, got her cert. last i heard she was setting up as a PT. Would you hire her? We all know it's mostly a case of pay the cash - here's your cert. Not only are more instructors been churned out of these courses, many havn't a clue (and yes it comes with experience etc) but still get insured no probs. You have a cert, you have insurnace and having a cert does not a good instructer make.

SanoVitae

The sad truth is that there is more politics in the fitness industry than in politics itself.....

Wonkagirl

Indeed- let's add 'Must speak fluent english' to our list.. well, to mine anyway. Certain things could very easily get lost in translation and END BADLY!

cmyk

BobbyOLeary wrote: »

VHI?
I know we're getting off topic here but what exactly are you looking to get out of the PT's insurance? If it's negligence on his part and you sue I would assume the court order for money would be binding regardless of his insurance details. Or is it so he can pay for your medical bills? Excuse the ignorance but I know very little of how this would work in the case of a PT.

My understanding of this, is more to cover the PT in the event of a claim being made against him/her and to protect the gym they're working from.

SanoVitae wrote: »

The sad truth is that there is more politics in the fitness industry than in politics itself.....

This is just the 'Irish' way, I don't see any more politics than in any other industry. It's a sad fact that people seem to begrudge success in general in this country rather than embrace it. In fact my experience the fitness industry offers the opposite, there have been so many on a personal level (including contributors to this forum) that have offered me help and encouragement with my endeavours along the way.

Wonkagirl wrote: »

Indeed- let's add 'Must speak fluent english' to our list.. well, to mine anyway. Certain things could very easily get lost in translation and END BADLY!

Not sure I understand why you'd employ someone who doesn't have a word of english?

Challenge Fitness

BobbyOLeary wrote: »

VHI?

I know we're getting off topic here but what exactly are you looking to get out of the PT's insurance? If it's negligence on his part and you sue I would assume the court order for money would be binding regardless of his insurance details. Or is it so he can pay for your medical bills? Excuse the ignorance but I know very little of how this would work in the case of a PT.

The main thing is serious and long term injuries. There are guys out there without insurance.

Lets say you do something to your back under advisement by the uninsured PT. Slip a disk or something. You are now fairly sure that for the rest of your life, you will have major back problems. Doctors can only do so much but nothing will ever fix it (same applies to the knee). If your are a sportsman, that is your career out the window. If you work in an office or drive a car, you will be suffering just about every day as you sit for any period of time. Say good bye to playing anything physical with your kids.
VHI and the doc will only be able to make the pain tolerable. In fact, you may not be able to work at all and your mortgage/family will all suffer.

So you sue the guy. Drags through the courts for months (while you are sitting in pain in the court room), and while you will prob get a large settlement, the guy will prob not have more than 2 cents to rub together and you will get nothing - a probability your lawyer will tell you on day one because he knows he won't get paid by either you (an now out of work cripple) or the defendent (an uninsured chancer).

Now, get an insured PT - no guarantee the same won't happen as above, but at least you will have a nice settlement in your pocket.

When I started as a PT, my first concern was insurance, as was my solicitors. Maybe I am making a big deal out of it but my solicitor did.

As I said, it is a tick the box job.

Sangre

BobbyOLeary wrote: »

VHI?

I know we're getting off topic here but what exactly are you looking to get out of the PT's insurance? If it's negligence on his part and you sue I would assume the court order for money would be binding regardless of his insurance details. Or is it so he can pay for your medical bills? Excuse the ignorance but I know very little of how this would work in the case of a PT.

Trust me, its infinitely preferable to sue someone with insurance than without. Aside from the fact that you'll actually get paid any damages straight-away (rather than trying to seek a judgment against the person in event he doesn't pay, which is likely), the insurance company will likely run the case which should greatly speed and simplify up the process. It also increases the likelihood of a settlement.

As to why you'd sue a PT? Well, VHI won't cover your wages or other expenses if his negligence injures you so badly you can't work. Of course, this is all quite unlikely however, that doesn't meant it can't and doesn't happen.

SanoVitae

cmyk wrote: »

This is just the 'Irish' way, I don't see any more politics than in any other industry. It's a sad fact that people seem to begrudge success in general in this country rather than embrace it. In fact my experience the fitness industry offers the opposite, there have been so many on a personal level (including contributors to this forum) that have offered me help and encouragement with my endeavours along the way.

I don't think you got your point - perhaps I should have been more clear.

I'm referring to the fact that certain certificate courses are established and become the industry prerequisite not because of their quality, but because of relationships set up between them and certain insurance companies. As a result, many excellent personal trainers who are far more capabale and even far more qualified (but who don't have that specific qualification) cannot get work. This is often because insurance companies refuse to recognise their qualifications and/or gyms won't hire them.

Transform

SanoVitae wrote: »

I don't think you got your point - perhaps I should have been more clear.

I'm referring to the fact that certain certificate courses are established and become the industry prerequisite not because of their quality, but because of relationships set up between them and certain insurance companies. As a result, many excellent personal trainers who are far more capabale and even far more qualified (but who don't have that specific qualification) cannot get work. This is often because insurance companies refuse to recognise their qualifications and/or gyms won't hire them.

If the trainer is as good as you say the business will come to them NOT the other way around - this goes for all industries.

cmyk

Gotcha...wrong end of the stick there, thought you were talking about the industry in general. Don't have much experience with that as I've taken a different route.

Wonkagirl

cmyk wrote: »

Not sure I understand why you'd employ someone who doesn't have a word of english?

eh, i wouldnt- that's what im saying.. UL student said he knew of an indian girl with poor english who had set up shop.. and i said my list of criteria would include ''must speak english..'''.......

I would agree with what you say about the lack of politics in the industry- from my experiences with PTs, crossfit (and indeed tris/adventure races) it's a very supportive industry- but that's as a consumer, not working on the inside.

I think the insurance issue is being flogged to death here- any good PT will have insurance, period. I would only ever go to a PT that came highly recommended in the first instance, and had a good name- i wouldnt even insult them by asking about insurance tbh, imagine going to the likes of Transform out in sandyford and saying ''Can i see evidence of your insurance please?'' Obviously i hear what youre saying ChallengeFitness, but at the end of the day any PT worth their salt will be covered.

SanoVitae

Transform wrote: »

If the trainer is as good as you say the business will come to them NOT the other way around - this goes for all industries.

Yes, the business (paying clients) will come to them because clients only really care about how good a trainer is and what results they can get through hiring one.

The potential problem is with the gym management who have been conditioned to identify certain criteria (i.e. a specific qualification) when hiring both instructors and personal trainers.

Have a look at the specific requirements on the fitness section of jobs.ie to see what I mean.

Here's an example:

QUALIFICATION & EXPERERIENCE REQUIREMENTS (please do NOT apply if you are missing any of the following requirements):
Qualifications: All trainers must possess a **** (www.****..ie) recognized Fitness Instructor and a Personal Trainer qualification.
While both the gym and the organisation behind the qualification would argue that they are merely trying to set a very high standard in the Irish fitness industry, I'm sure there are many great personal trainers and fitness instructors unable to get work because of such requirements.

Plus, I've spent many hours training in instructors with such qualifications who haven't know their ar$e from their elbow when it came to being a fitness instructor, let alone a personal trainer.

Zamboni

Wonkagirl wrote: »

I would only ever go to a PT that came highly recommended in the first instance, and had a good name- i wouldnt even insult them by asking about insurance tbh, imagine going to the likes of Transform out in sandyford and saying ''Can i see evidence of your insurance please?'' Obviously i hear what youre saying ChallengeFitness, but at the end of the day any PT worth their salt will be covered.

I don't think asking to see proof of insurance is an insult to a trainer who has it.
It will only piss off the ones that don't.

My guess is a lot of popular PT's, Kettlebell instructors, boot camps, pilates instructors etc couldn't even spell 'liability'.

G86

It never even occurred to me to ask about insurance when I looked for a PT. OP, it's important that you find someone who will listen to what you want, and be brutally honest with you as opposed to just telling you what you want to hear. You want someone you can get on with and have the craic with too, I think that's pretty important.

With regards to training exp, ask them what kind of programs they normally do for their clients and how they would tailor a program to suit your personal needs. Ask them what qualifications they have, and if they have a specific area of interest - you should find this one their website anyway. If you're more interested in conditioning/endurance and your trainer specialises in bodybuilding then you're not going to make much progress.

Also, make sure they're not all talk and no action, some PT's know way too much about what should work, and not enough about what does work. Textbooks won't show you that, experience will. Word of mouth is definitely one of the best ways of finding a PT, if they've had results with their other clients then it's likely you won't be any different.

Wonkagirl

Zamboni wrote: »

I don't think asking to see proof of insurance is an insult to a trainer who has it.
It will only piss off the ones that don't.

My guess is a lot of popular PT's, Kettlebell instructors, boot camps, pilates instructors etc couldn't even spell 'liability'.

Yeah accepted on your first point.

Second point is inaccurate i'd imagine. Certainly my bootcamp (keepfit.ie) defo has insurance as he's always banging on about role calls relating to insurance.

ucd.1985

Zamboni wrote: »

My guess is a lot of popular PT's, Kettlebell instructors, boot camps, pilates instructors etc couldn't even spell 'liability'.

What exactly is your thinking based on?