As a high-end personal trainer who continues my education with training and exercises science every day, I felt that I had to write about my experience in the fitness industry so people who are not in the industry can understand it a little better. Learning more about the fitness industry and what it is becoming will help you save money, it will help you save time and it will prevent you from being injured!
If you have social media of any sort, chances are you have seen a girl in GymShark leggings doing her “booty” workout in the gym or you have seen some type of ad for Beach Body On Demand. The fact is, neither of these things will help you achieve true results. Let me dive a bit deeper.
You’re probably thinking: “Why Mandy!? Why will free Instagram or YouTube videos will not get me results? I can look them up and do them whenever I want! And I can go at my own pace!”
There is a whole list I could give you on why you should not be doing free online workouts, especially found on Instagram.
The first and most important reason is that your risk for injury is extremely high. Most of the workouts I personally have seen on YouTube and Instagram are made up of people who have little to no education or experience with training/exercise science.
They show bad/incorrect form in most exercises and they post workouts that, if done consecutively over a period of time, will cause major muscle imbalances. Muscle imbalances may not cause immediate injury so you may think you’re perfectly fine for years. But over time muscle imbalances can cause severe hip and back issues. If you are not talking to and working with a professional about your specific needs, you may be on the path to further injury.
Think about it, if someone has put thousands and thousands of dollars into their education for their training career, why would they give away all of their knowledge and hard work for free? That would be the equivalent of going through a company to remodel your home and at the end when they get to the invoice for their service, they say “Its okay, you don’t have to pay for anything! We have paid for all of the supplies and we need no payment for labor costs”. That would be nice, but it would also be asinine on their end. High end, well-educated trainers will charge for their services because this is their career. They have invested their time, effort, and money into their education. Giving that away for free would be throwing it all down the drain.
What is the best option then?
How can you get help with your fitness needs and goals without breaking the bank? Simple! Take the time to find a well-educated trainer that charges enough for them to be successful but doesn’t charge an arm and a leg for their services! Trust me, they are out there! I am one of them. There are a few simple steps to follow so you don’t get gypped.
The first step is to find someone that looks like they’re passionate about their job.
They should not be wearing flashy clothes and posting “Booty Workouts” all over the place. If you see them posting about magic teas or you’re having trouble finding a picture that’s not provocative… run away. If they’re posting about form, helping their clients and they have professional pictures and videos (meaning they aren’t half-naked in 99% of their content) they may be a good start!
The second step is to reach out to them!
Yes, we are reaching out to them already! Send them a DM or shoot them a text if possible. Below you will find a list of crucial questions to ask your future trainer. If they cannot answer more than three of these questions, they are not good quality trainers.
“How long have you been training?”
Look for anything over two years. New trainers may really know their stuff but it takes time and experience to understand how to help someone and keep them motivated.
“How many certifications/what education do you have?”
I know a few good trainers that only have their personal training certification but its very rare for a good trainer not to have other certifications or education. If you’re looking at the education you’ll want to look for exercise science. If you’re looking at certifications it would be preferable for them to have their personal training certification and others like their CES (Corrective exercise specialist), Bodybuilding specialist (Even if you’re not into bodybuilding this certification is packed with lots of education on all aspects of training), or Strength and Conditioning Certification. These are all good extras to look out for!
“What is your client retention rate?”
If they cannot answer this question, they do not have much experience in personal training. They may not be able to give you an exact number or percentage but they should be able to tell you how many clients have stuck with them for over a year.
“What do you charge?”
This question is important for you and knowing how much you can pay for online training. Don’t be cheap about it… and I say that lightly. What I mean by “don’t be cheap” is if you’re going to Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks every morning, you’re spending more than $40 per week at bars/restaurants every week or you’re buying cigarettes’ every day. You can afford online training. Personally, my custom online programming starts at $70 per month. If you are doing any of the things listed above, cut them out. In this way, you will be able to pay for online training and save money every month.
Step three would be choosing the right package for you!
Most online personal trainers have multiple packages depending on what you can spend and what you’re looking for. Make sure if you are working with a personal trainer, you have access to talk to them at least once per week so you can ask them any questions you may have or if you need adjustments with your program they can implement them for you in a timely manner.
Unfortunately, the fitness industry is turning into a bunch of uneducated people who just want to make a quick buck. But just like anything in life, there are still good trainers out there that would be more than happy to help you! You just have to look for them and take your time!
