I’ve witnessed some shocking personal training in my time. I could write a full blog on all of the bad PT’s i’ve observed…

For example…

I’ve listened to a personal trainer chat the whole session about Big Brother and his boozy weekend antics!

I’ve seen a PT wear a Gym Shark stringer tank top in a personal training session! 

I’ve also heard trainers shouting and guilt tripping clients!

None of the above are acceptable! 

If you’re a person looking for a personal trainer, think twice before parting with your hard earned cash. 

Here are 5 Ways to Spot a Bad Personal Trainer…

#1 Ego 

You can spot a personal trainer with an ego from a mile off! They usually wear tight tops, maybe fake tan too (lol!), and walk around with a swagger like Liam Gallagher! 

There’s a difference between confidence and arrogance. Of course it’s perfectly acceptable for a personal trainer to take pride in their appearance, and to be confident but showing off is a whole new level (one that isn’t acceptable!).

#2 Miserable Clients 

Before hiring a personal trainer observe one of their sessions. You don’t have to pull out a seat and sit down with a box of popcorn! that would be too obvious lol! but observe them whilst you’re either on a cardio machine warming up or when resting in between sets. 

Does the client look happy? of course they may look physically tired but do they seem to be enjoying the session? Are they smiling in between sets? 

You can tell a lot by just looking at client(s) and by picking up on the aura of the session.

#3 Making Up The Session

There should be a plan for every session. Although at times it will need to be adapted i.e. injury, fatigue, etc there should always be a structured plan to follow and a goal to work towards. 

Too many trainers make up the session as they go along, looking for ways to pass time instead of focusing on their clients best interest. 

Do they have a written plan of action on a notepad? or maybe they have an iPad with a program on that they keep checking? These are all good signs.

A good personal trainer will have something tangible to work from to ensure clients are specifically working towards their goals. 

#4 On Their Phone

You’re not paying £40+ per hour for your personal trainer to check Facebook! The only time a coach should use their phone is for looking at a plan or for using a fitness app, like an Interval Timer or a stopwatch. 

If your trainer is on their phone for more than 20s at a time just quickly jump up and look at what’s on their phone screen! lol! if they’re looking at anything they shouldn’t then sack them on the spot and ask for a full refund!

#5 Turn Up Late

Of course we’re all human. At some point your personal trainer may turn up late. However, if this happens more than once every 30-50 sessions then you need to have a word! 

Turning up late is not acceptable. I think a trainer should always be at the gym at least 15-30 minutes before an appointment, checking their client plans, getting organised and ensuring enough time is left just incase of a delay i.e. traffic jam, etc. 

If your personal trainer does turn up late ask them to add on the time you’ve missed onto your next session.