8 Questions to Ask a Personal Trainer before Hiring Them

Getting the right mobile personal trainer is very important, as you need someone who understands you, can relate to you and of course, more importantly can get you the health and fitness goals you desire in a way that is enjoyable yet challenging. We've written some advice on the sort of questions you can ask prospective personal trainers in the initial stages to ensure you find the right health and fitness expert for you!

What is your background in personal fitness?
It's always a good idea to get an idea of the background of a personal trainer before hiring them to work with you. Not only do you want to understand more about how experienced they are, but also whether they have the correct professional qualifications. It is dangerous to be instructed by someone who doesn't have the necessary qualifications in personal training and it could cause you injury. Read about Dominique's background in Personal Training.

Can I see any testimonials or reviews from your previous clients?
Don't be afraid to ask a personal trainer for references or testimonials from existing or previous clients - most personal trainers will be happy to put you in touch with clients (if the client is happy for them to do so).  At the end of the day, you are hiring a mobile personal trainer because you want results so you need to know that this is what they can achieve! Read reviews from Magic Fitness clients.

How often do your clients train with you?
It can be a good idea to ask about the sort of frequency and duration that clients train with a personal trainer, so that you can get an idea of cost if you are on a budget. However the answer is likely to be dependent on each individual client, their personal circumstances and their goals / timelines.

What would your personal training program include for me?
Some personal trainers are happy to provide a free consultation like we do here at Magic Fitness. This allows the personal trainer to get to understand what you goals are, and allow you to ask any questions and see if you hit it off together. Personally we think here at Magic Fitness that a huge part of mobile personal training is hiring someone who you click with - it always gets the best results if you can have fun together and relate with each other.

Do you think my goals / timelines are realistic?
Some of our clients initially come to us with goals that are very challenging, so we like to discuss with our clients how achievable and realistic their goals are going to be - especially if they are working to a timeline (often the case with brides, or women who have a specific event in mind that they would like to get in shape for in order to wear 'that dress'). At Magic Fitness we want to break any physical and mental barriers that have been holding you back and preventing you from achieving the results you desire, but at the same time, we will advise you if we think that the results you are trying to achieve in a short timeline, may be very very difficult so that we can manage your expectations from the very beginning.

Where would we train together?
The beauty of having a mobile personal trainer is that we can train pretty much anywhere you like, depending on the mood we're in! This level of flexibility is one of the greatest advantages to having a personal trainer as it means that we can keep your training program varied. Doing the same workout regimen, in the same environment over and over again doesn't just mean that your mind gets bored, but your body also becomes complacent. Working out at the park, on the beach and in your home keeps your mind and body guessing, which leads to better results, faster!

What is your personal health and fitness philosophy? 
All personal trainers have very different personalities, backgrounds and therefore different philosophies on fitness. You really want a personal trainer who relates to what you are trying to achieve and has a similar philosophy as you on health and fitness. Here at Magic Fitness we take a holistic approach to health and fitness and although we have clients whose main goal is to lose weight, we achieve this by altering their habits in positive ways, that are intended to be lifestyle change - not a quick fix.

What do you need from me in order to ensure we achieve the results I want?
You hire a personal trainer to get the health and fitness results you require, but unfortunately we can't do it for you! Therefore a fantastic question from clients is 'What can I do to help us to achieve these goals together?' It's like music to my ears when a client asks this as it shows commitment, desire and the decision that they will do whatever it takes to get to their goal. With clients who ask this question, we always get the best results as they are doing the right things with their diet and exercise, even on the days where we don't train with them

Don't forget to look at how fit and healthy they are! It sounds obvious but you want a personal trainer who lives and breathes what they do, in order to get the best out of you!