How to choose a good personal trainer?

Everyone is aware of the benefits of performing resistance training, but when done incorrectly, it might lead to injuries which can be quite demoralizing. This is where getting a personal trainer is essential to help correct your form when performing resistance exercises. However, hiring a personal trainer in Singapore can be quite steep for some, with prices ranging from SGD $70 to even SGD $200~ per session. You can find out more on How Should You Pay for a Personal Trainer here in Singapore.

Therefore, it is important to do your due diligence to pick the right trainer, to ensure that you get your money’s worth. So the real question is, what factors determine a good personal trainer ?

1. Qualifications

An important factor when choosing a good trainer is to ascertain the qualifications that the trainer possesses. A personal trainer should hold a current fitness certification to give you the assurance that you are working with a professional who has the knowledge and skills to provide you with a safe and effective workout. Here’s a list of some of the more reputable certifications that trainers usually possess: ACE, NSCA, NCSF, ISSA.

Also, trainers with an educational background in Sports Science is also an added bonus when it comes to choosing a good trainer. Trainers with a Sports Science background would have a more in-depth knowledge and understanding into human anatomy and physiology, injury management and prevention, biomechanics and proper periodization programming knowledge. At FITLUC, most of our trainers have several years of Sports Science education under their belt in addition to their PT certification, together with proven client records, so you are definitely in good hands !

2. Communication Skills

It is important to find a personal trainer with good communication skills. A good personal trainer has to not only be capable of planning a workout routine for you, but also being able to execute his/her plans effectively. Also, even if a trainer has vast extensive sports science knowledge or certifications, but he/she is unable to explain all that knowledge into terms that you are able to comprehend, then all of that knowledge and certifications would be futile. Therefore, it is essential to find a personal trainer who possesses good communication skills, so he/she will be able to explain and demonstrate the exercises clearly.

In addition, a good personal trainer will be able to develop a personal yet professional, relationship with you as well. This allows the trainer to build rapport with you and be able to hold an-in depth conversation with you to know more about your own personal lifestyle, dietary habits, exercise history and past or existing injury, so he or she will be able to personalize your workout routine in accordance to your own personal goals.

3. Fitness Goals and Area of Specialization

When hiring a personal trainer, it is essential to be certain of your own personal fitness goals. Setting goals is important, but setting attainable goals is crucial. Also, you would want to set a specific fitness goal so that your personal trainer will have a clearer idea on how to guide you towards your personal fitness goal. You should also ensure your personal trainer’s area of expertise is aligned to your goal. Therefore, it is important to find out what is the trainer’s area of specialization when choosing a personal trainer. This helps to ensure that the trainer has adequate knowledge in the right field to guide you in achieving your fitness goals.

4. Observe Personal Trainers When They are Training Their Clients

Observation of how a personal trainer trains their clients is an important process of choosing a good personal trainer. Pay close attention to them when they’re conducting a training session with others:

• What type of exercises do you see them doing ?

• Is the personal trainer focused or does he/she seem bored ?

• Does the trainer perform and model the reps for their clients, and do they give feedback on their form ?

• Does the client appear to be working hard yet having fun ?

• Do you notice the same exercises being taught across different clients every time ?

These are some important questions that ought to be considered when searching for a good personal trainer.

Most personal trainers would most certainly be able to train you; however, what matters is finding the right trainer that will coach you, keep you motivated throughout your relationship. A good trainer will have your best interest at heart, be able to pay close attention to you during your personal training sessions, and also share tips and techniques that will assist you on your fitness journey. If you are keen to see our trainers in action training our clients, feel free to follow us on Instagram @fitlucsg and we always shares our clients in action on our Instagram stories.

5. Ask for a consultation

Having a consultation with your personal trainer to talk about your personal fitness goals and lifestyle followed by having a trial session is a good way to see if your trainer is a good fit. During this consultation, it would be good to come prepared with a list of questions. Use this opportunity to have a feel for their traits, personality, training style, specialization and how compatible the two of you are able to get along. This also helps to establish communication and trust before you start your personal fitness journey with the trainer. Some important things that you may wish to consider when finding the right trainer:

• What is their training philosophy ?

• What’s their background and why did they decide to pursue this career as a personal trainer ?

• How much do they charge ?

• What is your desired frequency of training and how long does each session last ?

• Does your trainer’s schedule fit your schedule ?

• What qualifications or certifications do they possess ?

These questions will give you a better understanding of the personal trainer and to enable you to see if the two of you are a good fit for each other. At FITLUC, a trial session will be conducted in which a suitable trainer which specializes in your desired fitness goals will take you through your first session. The trainer will also spend time getting to know you better, about your fitness needs, lifestyle habits, exercise history, if you have any pre-existing or past injuries, dietary habits and schedule as well !

At FITLUC, we have warm and friendly trainers who specializes in many different components of fitness and also have Sports Science education background or the proper fitness certifications, to ensure that you will be in good hands. So what are you waiting for? Drop us a WhatsApp message at +65 8812 0110 or book a personal training trial with one of our dedicated trainers at only SGD $50 to explore if personal training is the best choice for you!

Just a heads-up, it will probably be one of the best decisions you’ve ever made.

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About FITLUC

Looking for a Personal Trainer in Singapore? Look no further! At FITLUC, we specialise in In-Person and Online Personal Training, and we also offer house-call PT with a small additional fee. We currently base our Personal Training clients at a well-equipped gym just a stone's throw away from Outram Park MRT.

We are recognized as one of the Top 12 Best PT in Singapore and were featured on Mothership, The Straits Times, YES 93.3FM, Yahoo News, etc. Our Personal Trainers have worked with clients aged 13 – 84, from Celebrities to CEOs, working professionals and homemakers, with goals ranging from fat loss, weight loss, muscle gain to athletic performance and elderly training. Our celebrity clientele includes Maxi Lim, Hazelle Teo, Tayying, Lee Teng, Ze Tong, Benjamin Tan, Royce Lee and more.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to stay updated on our client stories and for more fitness tips from our Personal Trainers!