HOW TO PICK A GYM OR PERSONAL TRAINER
In this post, we’re going to talk about a very adult topic: trust.
Every time I need something done on our house I feel at the mercy of tradies and handy persons.
Often I don’t know how much [specific house task] usually costs. So it’s hard to understand the prices being presented.
More often I don’t understand how to do [specific house task]. After all, that’s why we’re hiring out in the first place. So it’s hard to know the difference between experts and hacks.
This is a common challenge for humans in a number of disciplines. When you’re looking for help and assistance on something that matters, we can all feel a bit vulnerable.
This goes for work on your house. For working with a financial advisor. For hiring a lawyer. And yes, it most certainly goes for hiring a fitness professional.
This is especially true when we consider that there’s no correlation with marketing and sales skills and the ability to actually do the job. (A point of much frustration in the fitness industry: the skill at growing a business and actually being good at one’s job often seem perversely inversely correlated.)
So how does someone decide who to hire?
Here are four steps to finding reliable help with your fitness.
1) Decide on your logistical constraints & preferences. The first thing you need to determine is your constraints. To state the obvious, the only options actually in play are the ones that work for your life.
How much money can you invest?
How much time?
How far are you willing to travel (if at all?)
You should also consider your preferences. For instance, some people just want access to equipment. They’re comfortable in the weight room and pretty disciplined so can get on with it on their own.
Other people may need more guidance and accountability. In which case, hiring a coach — or an entire team of friendly, skilled experts (guess who) — who can guide you through your fitness development is the way to go.
Your preferences should also consider your level and knowledge of fitness. If your new to fitness or have movement restrictions you'll need support to assess what you need. Having a Club or Trainer help you learn what's good and bad with exercise ensures that even when your fitness drops off, you're not starting again at the bottom.
2) Source three options. Now that you have a rough idea of your logistical needs, it’s time to gather some options.
You can crowdsource this from friend recommendations. Odds are, you can get candid reviews of their solutions.
As needed, you can add to your list by doing some Googling. This is particularly important if you have specific geographic constraints. And this is pretty much always the case when you’re looking for a fitness solution outside your house.
If possible, create a list of 5 viable options, and then whittle this down to the three most promising.
Why three? Because three options gives you some comparison, without spending forever researching.
3) Vet your options. Now that you have your three options, it’s time to look more closely at them. Check out their online reviews. Look over their social media. See what kind of content they put out. Read their website. And most importantly: visit
Go visit the facility or Trainer to get a feel for what it’s like to actually use this solution. This is really the only way to see if a given solution is going to work for you or not. This will help you understand their solution better.
PRO TIP: If possible, consider questioning some actual clients.
4) Take action! Not unlike dating or searching for a house, you need to balance “exploring vs exploiting.” This is a fancy way of saying “do some research, but not too much.” At a certain point, you have to make a commitment.
If you think you’ve found a lovematch? Consider getting the best rate with a longer term commitment.
Still not 100% sure? Most fitness solutions these days have shorter or even cancel-at-anytime options. You’ll tend to pay a premium for this flexibility. But it may be worth it to give your tentative choice several more weeks to see how you like it over time.
********** The above system will transfer pretty well anytime you’re selecting something important.
Depending on the relative stakes and size of the investment, admittedly, this may be overkill. And if you know you tend to be an “eternal researcher,” there’s a real risk you’ll never jump in and finally take action.
However, while I couldn’t possibly be more biased, I think your health and fitness deserves a solution that’s 1) truly effective and 2) genuinely workable for your life.
You only get one bodysuit. You deserve to find a solution that works for your goals, your preferences, and gets you the outcomes you want.
And we’re always here for you if you want to try out a great fitness solution :-)