How To Find The Right Personal Trainer In St. Louis For You

How To Find The Right Personal Trainer In St. Louis For You

Do you need to tone up? Or maybe you just want to get more fit. Either way, you’ve decided that it’s time to get a personal trainer. This page is going to help you find the right personal trainer in St. Louis.

So what are the important points to consider?

1) They must be qualified. Unfortunately, the Personal Training industry isn’t regulated like most professions, so there is no official accreditation or standard tests. There are a series of different certifications that give you an intro to personal training. The good ones are NASM and the NSCA. The 2nd tier is Ace and ISSA, and the junk ones are NESTA and other online certifications. These certifications do a great job opening the door but don’t give you the full picture of how to be a great trainer.

The main certification I would recommend looking for is the NASM certification. This a great course and practical weekend that helps trainers get a strong base of exercise form, foam rolling, program design and muscular imbalances.

Other trainers may have more advanced certifications like the CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) or have attended several advanced courses. Learning from some of the industries bests in these courses and seminars  provides more practical knowledge than most certifications can provide. One of my favorite courses like this is the PICP (Poliquin International Certification Program) program which teaches trainers the principles to create programs to reach any goal you want. But training skill is only half the skills to being a world class trainer.

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Marshall and Charles Poliquin

Charles Poliquin (creator of the PICP program) and I

Nutrition is just as important paramount to getting great results so they must be on the cutting edge of that too.

But nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated. So can they provide a plan that meets you where you are and helps you progress to where you need to be? Do they have a program that ensures you’re following this plan?

The Precision Nutrition program (Pn1) is the best nutrition course I’ve seen to help trainers provide simple nutrition plans for any client.

Having a plan is essential, but maintaining accountability inside and outside the gym is paramount. So make sure that it’s a great fit for you both.

But even if you they have all of this knowledge in theory, it would be wise to look for someone who…

2) Has got the kind of results you’re looking for before. Or they’re qualified to make you their first testimonial. If you want to be a fitness model, you should look for someone who specializes in that. If you want general weight loss, that’s relatively simple and more people will be qualified to do that. Losing the last 10-15 pounds may require someone who has advanced knowledge of nutrition and getting people that lean. When you find a specialist you will generally pay more, but if it saves you months to reach your goal, it’s worth it.

If you get someone who is a jack of all trades with no experience or certified knowledge of what steps you have to take to reach these goals then they’re just guessing. Quality coaches and personal trainers in St. Louis are constantly learning to improve their knowledge and execution of their training/nutrition programs. I can tell you first hand that holding peoples hand through the process with people of gaining muscle mass and losing body fat is different. Losing the last 10 vs. the first 20-80 is very different too. Basically, experts know what to focus on and what to ignore to keep their client sharp and focused.

Can they get you results like this?

Amanda Schmitt Before After

3) Your schedules line up. We find that scheduling is the biggest challenge for most people. In America today we work 50 hours a week, don’t sleep enough, or feel like we’re bad parents if we’re not present with our kids 24 hours a day. In short, we’re too busy. For this reason, 30 minute sessions have become the rage for many people seeking a personal trainer in St. Louis. I did this exclusively for a period of time and honestly, it’s not in the best interest of the client, so I prefer 45 minute sessions now. Anything over an hour is detrimental, but 45-60 minutes maximizes effectiveness and efficiency.

Battle Ropes

4) Cost is in your budget. Personal training isn’t cheap, but it can be reasonable. Good personal trainers usually charge $60-$100 an hour for one on one rates. You usually pay for talent, so beware of the cheap trainer that only makes you sweat, and doesn’t make you better. Workouts like this may lead to some weight loss, but not the awesome body you probably want.

So what should you do? At Faster Fitness we help our clients with our Personal Training and Group Personal Training program. Our Personal Training program provides a custom program so you reach your goals fast. It has a flexible schedule so it’s easy for you to be consistent, and it provides complimentary Group Personal Training sessions so you get even faster results.

Then we offer Group Personal Training, which helps you get lean and more athletic. This program allows up to 12 people in a training session with you so you get the right amount of personal coaching and group energy. Each session provides strength training to help build your metabolism and ideal body. Plus it has Metabolic Conditioning to burn fat and improve your endurance.  With memberships starting at $149 a month you get a great value too.

Just remember, this is an investment in yourself. You’re learning how to lift, eat better and be healthy. If you can’t afford prevention, you can’t afford disease!

5) They need to be someone you like. Trainers are a different bunch. We love training, eating healthy and may view the world a little different than the average cat, but you should look forward to every session and view them as an essential part of your health team. On the flip side, they need to be someone who you can respect and that will hold you accountable to coming consistently, eating healthy and not drinking your self silly every weekend.

Personal Trainer results

6) Location. I put this last because usually its the first thing people think about. I know it’s easy to stay in your bubble, but sometimes it’s worth stepping outside of it. Driving 15-20 minutes for Group Personal Training 3 days a week is probably worth it because it’s more effective than 6 hours a week on your own. But it helps if it’s within a reasonable distance of your work or home.

 

 

What if you already have a personal trainer in St. Louis?

Here’s the points I’d consider to see if you should maintain their services:

1) Is training you the best part of their day? A good trainer helps provide you energy on your off days, and helps you thrive on your good days.

2) Do you have a clear plan in place to reach your goal? If not, could you get one? If you can’t get a clear plan in place then why did you hire them to begin with? To make you sweat?

3) If you have a plan in place, are you doing your part? If not, do you need more accountability? Do they have a system in place to hold you accountable to keep you sharp?

4) Is it fun? Training is hard, but should be fun. We hope it’s the best part of everyone’s day when they’re in here and it usually is, until they meet the prowler 🙂

 

5) Is your trainer improving? Today, I recommend nothing that I stood for 6 months into my personal training career, which was about 12 years ago. Why? Because I learned. I studied. I read research and developed my own opinions and philosophies from the industries best, not from the “big guy” from Gold’s Gym. I’ve tested what works and what doesn’t work with my clients and continue to find simpler, faster solutions for everyone. This is one of the fastest changing professions you will find but the best of the best know what may help their training and what is BS.

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Niki Before After Picture

Niki’s Before and After Picture

So where should you go? Obviously I’m biased, because our Personal Training and Group Personal Training programs at Faster Fitness deliver world class training for an unbeatable value.

But there are other great options to find a personal trainer in St. Louis. I’d check the PICP find a trainer feature to find PICP trainers, or look at the letters behind peoples names.

I’ve seen great results at places like CIHP, Pursuit Fitness and Performance, Complete Fitness Results and through a few Club Fitness trainers.

If you follow this guide, and execute the game plan, I’m confident you’ll get the results you seek.

Now, let’s get to work!

 

Ps, If you are interested in our service, contact us today![/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

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About the Author: Marshall Ray

Marshall Ray is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), Level 2 Poliquin International Certified Strength Coach (PICP), Biosignature Practitioner and a certified Precision Nutrition Coach (Pn1). He is the founder of Faster Fitness and co-founder of Femme Fit. He's passionate about building a community of people who love fitness and taking control of their health.