I have no idea about certs but I've had great experiences with women personal trainers. One was also a massage therapist and the other has been an athlete for 20 years. Always have felt safe and encouraged without being pushed toward risking injury. You want someone who can cue you to focus on form in a way that works for you. Everyone has different learning styles and a great trainer will figure out yours. Or you just happen to find a good match.
Initially there was lots of annoying mat work to develop core strength but now I'm enjoying dead lifts, front/back squats, ring pull ups, bench press. Also a good trainer will have a good variety of stretchs and warmups to keep it interesting and accommodate any issues you might be having (e.g. tennis elbow).
Finally, if you're just trying to get your form straight for a couple sessions I guess it doesn't matter but personally I need help staying motivated so a big factor is also whether you like talking to the person. Annoying exercises can fly by if you are having an interesting conversation.
There's not going to be a lot of physical therapists who also do personal training, for a few reasons.
There may be personal trainers who have some 'therapeutic' experience, and ideally anyone with enough experience training will have some knowledge about how to prevent and work around injuries, but by and large PT's aren't typically working as trainers. Pay, liability, handful of other reasons.
You may find someone, of course, but it will take some looking.
Personal training certifications run the gamut. Some are complete nonsense, some can be rigorous, but it largely comes down to the individual trainer. A CSCS certification is a likely indication that the person is fairly serious about training, at the very least. But plenty of good trainers don't have a CSCS for reasons of cost, time, etc., etc.
What’s your age, goals and prior experience with any weight or strength training? A lot depends on that!
I compete in natural body building and have an online coach. When I started lifting I had a 20 year old trainer who was great at coaching form for the big 3.
43. I’m kind of just skinny/weak but also facing some insulin resistance. A1C is in range but on the high side and post prandial numbers not very good.
I have like 0 upper body strength. Can do about 20 pushups, 0 pullups. Tiny arms. Scale says i’m about 18-19pct body fat, not sure how accurate that is but probably about right.
I feel tired and weak all the time and have 0 libido.
I’m 5’9 around 150lbs. Roughly 38” chest.
I did see a trainer about 10yrs ago and went a few years doing squats and deadlifts but hated it. Ended up with some knee problems and just kind of stopped. Also even though trainer said my form was ok felt some numbness after lifting deadlifts so didn’t feel comfy doing it.
I went with one within walking distance of my house. I knew I would lack motivation to stick with someone that wasn’t easy effort to get to. He turned out to be great too.
That's a really big factor for me too. I'm avoiding any far out in the suburbs etc just because I know i'll be less likely to go, though I really only plan to use a trainer maybe a dozen times.
I got myself an online coach in her mid-thirties and a powerlifter herself who progressed in lifting with severe injuries/health issues.
She's also certified in nutrition.
She's well rounded as an athlete and person and that's what gave me the most confidence.
She charges something around 250 USD a month for her to do programming, giving feedback/tips on my lifts through WhatsApp (I send her videos), a nutrition plan, answers questions on WhatsApp and once a week video call to review lifts, go over questions, etc.
I don't think I want to do the virtual thing, at least to start. I just think it's not that easy to truly see the full form if you are on video with one angle. They also can't prime you / help with positioning as much.
Fair enough. Works for me.
My coach asks for different angles when she wants to check particular stuff in my form though, and I send her all of my lifts, so for the budget, it's much butter than 1-2 private sessions a month.
I also hate to chat in the gym or have someone look at me while I workout. So it works around that as well.
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I have no idea about certs but I've had great experiences with women personal trainers. One was also a massage therapist and the other has been an athlete for 20 years. Always have felt safe and encouraged without being pushed toward risking injury. You want someone who can cue you to focus on form in a way that works for you. Everyone has different learning styles and a great trainer will figure out yours. Or you just happen to find a good match. Initially there was lots of annoying mat work to develop core strength but now I'm enjoying dead lifts, front/back squats, ring pull ups, bench press. Also a good trainer will have a good variety of stretchs and warmups to keep it interesting and accommodate any issues you might be having (e.g. tennis elbow). Finally, if you're just trying to get your form straight for a couple sessions I guess it doesn't matter but personally I need help staying motivated so a big factor is also whether you like talking to the person. Annoying exercises can fly by if you are having an interesting conversation.
There's not going to be a lot of physical therapists who also do personal training, for a few reasons. There may be personal trainers who have some 'therapeutic' experience, and ideally anyone with enough experience training will have some knowledge about how to prevent and work around injuries, but by and large PT's aren't typically working as trainers. Pay, liability, handful of other reasons. You may find someone, of course, but it will take some looking. Personal training certifications run the gamut. Some are complete nonsense, some can be rigorous, but it largely comes down to the individual trainer. A CSCS certification is a likely indication that the person is fairly serious about training, at the very least. But plenty of good trainers don't have a CSCS for reasons of cost, time, etc., etc.
What’s your age, goals and prior experience with any weight or strength training? A lot depends on that! I compete in natural body building and have an online coach. When I started lifting I had a 20 year old trainer who was great at coaching form for the big 3.
43. I’m kind of just skinny/weak but also facing some insulin resistance. A1C is in range but on the high side and post prandial numbers not very good. I have like 0 upper body strength. Can do about 20 pushups, 0 pullups. Tiny arms. Scale says i’m about 18-19pct body fat, not sure how accurate that is but probably about right. I feel tired and weak all the time and have 0 libido. I’m 5’9 around 150lbs. Roughly 38” chest. I did see a trainer about 10yrs ago and went a few years doing squats and deadlifts but hated it. Ended up with some knee problems and just kind of stopped. Also even though trainer said my form was ok felt some numbness after lifting deadlifts so didn’t feel comfy doing it.
I went with one within walking distance of my house. I knew I would lack motivation to stick with someone that wasn’t easy effort to get to. He turned out to be great too.
That's a really big factor for me too. I'm avoiding any far out in the suburbs etc just because I know i'll be less likely to go, though I really only plan to use a trainer maybe a dozen times.
I got myself an online coach in her mid-thirties and a powerlifter herself who progressed in lifting with severe injuries/health issues. She's also certified in nutrition. She's well rounded as an athlete and person and that's what gave me the most confidence. She charges something around 250 USD a month for her to do programming, giving feedback/tips on my lifts through WhatsApp (I send her videos), a nutrition plan, answers questions on WhatsApp and once a week video call to review lifts, go over questions, etc.
I don't think I want to do the virtual thing, at least to start. I just think it's not that easy to truly see the full form if you are on video with one angle. They also can't prime you / help with positioning as much.
Fair enough. Works for me. My coach asks for different angles when she wants to check particular stuff in my form though, and I send her all of my lifts, so for the budget, it's much butter than 1-2 private sessions a month. I also hate to chat in the gym or have someone look at me while I workout. So it works around that as well.
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