10 Reasons You Need to Change Your Personal Trainer

Before understanding the big reasons to ditch your personal trainer let’s be fair in saying that personal trainers are of great help. When you can’t understand or have the mindset of a gym goer or don’t have time to count your calories, balance all meals and understand the range of motion for each exercise. Other ways a personal trainer helps immensely is that he or she can act as a friend or a counsellor when one is in need to just talk or get through a rough patch in life. However let’s clearly understand that these are one-off instances and that it’s a trainers job to motivate you, guide you and mentor you in your fitness journey.

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Let’s face it. People make mistakes. People however, also correct those mistakes and don’t make them again. Hence don’t be super uptight when it comes to these errors because we should understand everyone is human. That being said, if any of these mistakes happens multiple times, or a combination thereof, it’s time to consider changing your personal trainer.

• Talking to others– This is one of the biggest gripes and errors when understanding whether you need a new personal trainer. Your trainer is there to instruct you on how to exercise and teach you the right form alongside keeping your intensity high. How is that supposed to happen if he/she talks to her friends at the gym or otherwise. A good idea here is to constantly ask “Am I doing this right?” and if you don’t get a reply maybe it’s time to move on.
• Talking about themselves- Another idiotic thing I see so many trainers do. Trainers are in charge of marketing themselves and initially it’s wise to listen to their accomplishments when you’re signing the contract but if afterwards all they talk about in the training session is their latest workout plan, their body fat percentage, their awards and/or their lives, then you might just have hired a narcissist. Drop him or her and move on. They’re their to improve you, not advertise themselves.

Tip: Always opt for a CPT (Certified Personal Trainer) as opposed to someone who isn’t certified

• Your routine never changes- So I’ll be the first one to admit that too many changes to your routine will hinder you rather than help you. However, lets assume the following situation. Your trainer shows up every Monday for the past 2 years and tells you to do chest and Friday is Legs. Again, instead of jumping to conclusions maybe ask him/her to change up something. If he or she is rigid then you know what to do. Also, an extension to this would be improper routines. Meaning a trainer prescribes a plyometrics program for an obese person and a crossfit workout for an ectomorph.

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• He/She doesn’t listen to you- No matter what list, a top 10 or 5 signs you need a trainer, a trainer needs to be receptive to feedback which means he/she needs to listen and incorporate changes. Allergic to peanuts? Stop eating peanut butter! Moreover if any exercise causes you pain, before it leading to any common workout injuries, fire this stupid trainer! Every body is different and joint issues may lead to the inability to perform certain exercise movements.
• Your trainer is unhealthy- One really needs to be a special kind of stupid for hiring a personal trainer out of shape. If he or she is so brilliant and gives such magical advise, then why haven’t they done anything about themselves? Examples of this would be a 40kg trainer prescribing a mass gainer program. Of course this being said, personal trainer doesn’t mean male model. Enough to be in shape to dole out advise. You wouldn’t take investment advise from a homeless person would you? Use the same logic for your trainer.
• BroScience vs CPT- “You shouldn’t squat below 90 degrees”, “Take your protein shake immediately after you workout. Don’t wait for even 1 minute!”, are some of the phrases that should immediately alert you that your trainer is not qualified to be a trainer and/or that he/she does all his reading and research on the internet. Furthermore, it’s always good to have a certified personal trainer but do understand that certifications are a dime a dozen. Some accreditations are more valid than others including: ACE: American College of Exercise, ACSM: American College of Sports and Medicine, ISSA: International Sports Science Association

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• Shady supplement dealer- Supplements get a bad rep usually and because of this  there are many common supplement myths. Rest assured that certain supplements are definitely helpful but if your said trainer prioritizes supplements over food, run as far as you can away! Also, if your trainer is brand crazy, meaning he is only promoting one brand, that means that your trainer is on the brands commission. What is the right time to switch your personal trainer? Right now. Run away!
• On the phone constantly- My biggest gripe with personal trainers. Trainers aren’t surgeons so theres no impending doom or any crisis that can come any way in a 1-2 hour training session. If the trainers phone is going off during your training session or if they are constantly on the phone it’s time to break up with this trainer. Although to be fair, again ask them a certain query just to be sure.
• You don’t get along- Listen there’s no emotional connect here. You’re paying the said trainer for a service. If you aren’t happy or just don’t get along then theres no use of hiring them, no matter how good the trainer is. The trainer and the trainee relationship is supposed to be brilliant, which is why like any relationship, when it sours down, it’s time to change it or understand the problem. You’re the master of your own life, so needless to say your physique and mental wellness is dependent on someone here. If you’re not satisfied, move on.
• You’re ready to move on- The answer to for how long you should have a personal trainer, entirely depends on you. A beginner needs the guidance of form, whilst the intermediate lifter may want to learn more about techniques like mind-muscle connection. However, advanced bodybuilders don’t need a trainer, so understand your needs and take a thoughtful decision. A well-rounded physique can be made with or without a trainer provided you have the ideal training mindset.