2380: How to Find a Personal Trainer - Personal Training Certification & Finding Exercise Experts

[00:00:00] It's another Q&A edition of Optimal Health Daily, episode 2380, and I'm Dr. Neal Malik. Hey there, happy Friday and welcome to another Q&A edition of Optimal Health Daily, where I answer your health questions related to fitness, diet and nutrition, and more. You send in the questions and I answer them for you. Oh, and if you do send in a question, we'll give you a copy of our Optimal Living Daily workbook. I'll tell you how to send in a question at the end of the show.

[00:00:26] But for now, let's hear today's question as we optimize your life. Today's question came via email. Tammy writes, First, I want to share my appreciation for your podcast. I absolutely love the format. It's the perfect little dose of advice while on my commute. That goes for OLD Finance too. I'm reaching out because I need some guidance on how to work with a personal trainer.

[00:00:52] I'm 50 years old and have been active and a member of some sort of gym for a majority of my adult life, and I've worked with a lot of trainers. I'm at the point where I want to build a little more muscle, but mostly just maintain. I know that I could benefit from working with a trainer. I know that my form needs work on some exercises, plus having the motivation of a trainer is always a good thing. The problem is, I just don't have a good idea on how best to do this. I don't want someone necessarily to build routines for me.

[00:01:22] Instead, look at what I'm doing, make suggestions and corrections as necessary. Any suggestions on how to approach this would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for your help. Thank you so much for your question, Tammy, and I'm so glad you enjoy our podcasts and find them helpful. Now, I want to first mention the fact that you've stayed active for most of your adult life is no easy feat. That's fantastic.

[00:01:46] And when it comes to finding a personal trainer, I love that you already know what you want and what you're looking for. Believe it or not, your trainer will appreciate this too. So, let's dive in. Tammy, you mentioned that you have experience with finding personal trainers. But just in case, I'll mention that the first thing you want to look for in a trainer is whether they have any kind of certification in personal training. Some of us may be tempted to hire the fittest looking person at the gym.

[00:02:15] I mean, they must know what they're doing, right? After all, look at how trim they are or muscular or ripped or fill in any adjective we might idealize here. Look at how much weight they can lift. I want to look like that and be able to do that. I totally get it. This is all completely logical. But let me use a different example. Say someone is in perfect health well into their 70th year of life. Would you hire them as your doctor?

[00:02:44] Or let me use another example. Say there's someone who finished med school but didn't take their final board exams. Would you hire them as your doctor? I'm going to assume the answer to these questions were all no. So many of us wouldn't even want to hire a doctor that's straight out of med school, even if they did pass their board exams. We often want someone with experience. The same goes for hiring and finding a trainer.

[00:03:11] You want someone that has finished the appropriate training and passed some sort of standardized exam. In the US, believe it or not, anyone can call themselves a personal trainer even without any certifications or credentials. So, a certification from a recognized organization tells us that the trainers met at least some minimum qualifications. If they have some experience working with other clients too, that's even better.

[00:03:38] Remember, the gold standard for personal training credentials in the US is the American College of Sports Medicine or ACSM. So, if a trainer has a certification through the American College of Sports Medicine, that's a great start. But there are other organizations that are reputable too. The National Academy of Sports Medicine, for example, as well as the American Council on Exercise.

[00:04:02] So, if there's a trainer with certifications from really any of these organizations, again, that would be a great start. Now, each of these organizations has a search tool to help you find a trainer with those credentials in your area. That way, you don't have to necessarily rely on just Yelp or social media to find a trainer. Oh, and if the person has first aid and CPR certification too, that's an added bonus.

[00:04:28] But beyond certification and experience, let's talk about some other characteristics. When you first meet with them, do they seem to care about what you want and your goals? Or do they have a preset program they're trying to fit you into? Do they really listen to you and help you feel empowered? It's at this time during like that first meeting, you want to tell them your goals, just as you explain them to me. Tell them you don't want them to build routines for you.

[00:04:56] Instead, you want their help with making sure you're following the proper form. In my experience, many trainers go through the motions and outline the same perfect routine with the same warm-ups, cool-downs, and exercises for the majority of their clients. They tell their clients what to do and for how long and to just push through when they're feeling tired. Instead, they should involve you in the process, not just use a standardized formula they use for every client. In fact, according to the American College of Sports Medicine,

[00:05:34] Also ask the trainer what types of clients they regularly work with and if you can contact any of their former clients. Pricing is something else you want to discuss up front. A personal trainer will charge anywhere from $20 to $100 an hour. Some will offer reduced rates for long-term packages or prepaid sessions. Please don't do that. Don't sign up for any type of long-term contract with a personal trainer. That's because you may find you don't like them after all.

[00:06:02] And if they try and sell you any supplement or meal plan, go ahead and cut ties with them right then and there. Whatever price and contract you settle on, be sure it's in writing. Then, when everything's in writing and you're ready to start working with them, they should complete a health history assessment with you. They should ask you about any medical conditions, medications you're taking, injuries, surgeries, and so on.

[00:06:29] They should also have you complete a pre-activity screening questionnaire. So, the bottom line is this. Find someone that has the appropriate certifications or credentials, is willing to help you achieve your goals, not theirs, helps you feel empowered and has the appropriate experience. Überlass deine gesunde Ernährung und die Gains nicht nur deinem Bauchgefühl.

[00:06:56] Denn bei der Ernährung gaukelt uns unser innerer Schweinehund manchmal ganz schön was vor. Sag stattdessen Hallo zu deinem neuen Coach, Yasio. Yasio ist die meistgenutzte Ernährungs-App Europas, made in Germany. Egal ob Massephase oder ein bisschen abnehmen. Tracke Kalorien, Proteine, Carbs, Fette, Bewegung und Intervallfasten. Und mit den Tasty-Rezepten bist du ready für deine Ziele. Let's go! Lade die Yasio-App jetzt herunter.

[00:07:38] If you want your voice on the show, come by oldpodcast.com slash ask. Right on that page, you can record straight from your computer's microphone. It's really easy. You can even play back your message and do retakes before sending it in. Or, you can do it the old-fashioned way and call in your question. The number is 161-ILOVE-OHD. That's 1-614-568-3643. Thank you so much for sending in your questions.

[00:08:08] It's my favorite part of the show. And thank you for listening every day and all the way through. I hope you have a great start to your weekend. And I'll see you back here tomorrow where your optimal life awaits. Let's go!