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Thursday, May 22nd
FitnessTrainer is different from some other sites in our review. Rather than offering its own personal trainer services, FitnessTrainer serves as a database. You just need to answer a few fitness questions, and then you'll see a list of private personal trainers who are local to you. The sessions are traditional 1-on-1 meet-ups; FitnessTrainer just makes it easier to find your best match. The questionnaire is quick and asks for your location, who the sessions are for, the client's age, the ideal start date, the best time for training (morning, afternoon, and evening), and what days of the week you want your sessions. Finally, FitnessTrainer will ask you about your primary goal, and you can see your results.
Find a private trainer for you
There are a variety of different fitness focuses offered through the private trainers on FitnessTrainer. The main six you can narrow down to include weight loss, weight gain, firming and toning, flexibility, increasing your muscle strength, and aerobic fitness. Some of the personal trainers offer online training only, and each professional listed will include client reviews as well as details about their training. Some have up to Master's Degrees in exercise and fitness. You can see what courses are offered by each individual. For example, the top options listed for "toning up” included a specialist in kickboxing and circuit training, as well as a specialist in nutrition and exercise.
Tons of options with different specializations
Every personal trainer on FitnessTrainer is a little different, so you can look for any kind of fitness at any level or any frequency. Each FitnessTrainer professional will have his or her listed availability, certifications, and prices on the page. In just our local area there were more than 50 personal trainers available to sift through. Some of the specializations we saw included:
Cost around $348 to $2,000+ per month
Depending on who you choose as your personal trainer, the cost will change. The prices are listed hourly, and for options in our area, we saw costs from $29 per hour up to $198 per hour. If you break that down into three sessions per week for an hour at a time, the cost could range from $348 to $2,000+ per month. Keep in mind that you have the flexibility to choose how many days and how many hours, so you can find some wiggle room in cost depending on your needs. Some personal trainers on FitnessTrainer do have some packages where you can prepay for time at a discount too.
You pick your experience
Depending on who you choose, your personal trainer experience through FitnessTrainer can be more DIY or hands-on guidance. Some trainers offer fully online programs, so you can do video chat and keep up with your trainer at a distance while you manage your workout yourself. Others offer weekly meetups (sometimes multiple times per week) to get that in-person feeling where you can learn and make adjustments to your form. It's totally up to you what experience you want.
Impressive individual reviews
One of the best features of FitnessTrainer is that there are individualized reviews for each trainer available on the platform. All of the top recommended trainers in our selection had a full 5 stars from previous clients. One trainer had feedback from verified reviewers showing that his training sessions were relaxed and educational. Another review for the same individual stated that he was an excellent trainer with hard but fun sessions. We love this feature as you can choose individual trainers based on their feedback, and you don't need to worry about getting a trainer who isn't a good fit because the full transparency of the reviews makes it simple to see what you're getting into at a glance.
Top pick: one-stop shop
If you're looking for the best place to find a variety of personal trainers and see them at a glance, FitnessTrainer is for you. It's a one-stop shop of in-person and online private personal trainers. Whether you want hands-on experience with a particular approach like calisthenics or strength training, or you want something laid-back and focused on weight loss, you can find the perfect personal trainer for you here. With 5-star ratings and certified and fully-educated personal trainers on this platform, you have the pick of the lot and a comfortable price range to work in. For these reasons, FitnessTrainer comes out as our top pick with a perfect 5 stars.
Getting fit is one of the most significant steps toward caring for yourself. Many people find that going to the gym by themselves, though, can be overwhelming - especially if they're not sure what to do with all the machines and weights. Often even long-time gym members need help leveling up their workout and creating a targeted fitness plan for building muscle, or need support for an injury they want to strengthen.
Either way, a personal trainer is a great option to up your gym game. A talented personal trainer will whip you into shape, but on your terms and with a plan that fits your body, workout style, and goals.
A lot of folks think that personal trainers are for top athletes. And, while a personal trainer can be essential for those who need to complete specific goals for a sport or competition, a workout beginner can get just as much out of a personal trainer as a gym pro. Grabbing a personal trainer as a newbie can help you through the weeds of discovering what movements are safe for your body, how to use equipment properly, and how to see the results you want as quickly as possible.
There are innumerable benefits to getting a personal trainer (at any level). For one, you can be sure you'll have more effective workouts (workouts that serve a purpose for your body and your goals, and increased difficulty where needed to keep your body challenged). The process also includes a personalized experience where your trainer analyzes your current fitness level, health concerns, and previous injuries, and creates a tailored workout plan for your needs. Plus, your customized plan can offer you support in and out of the gym - including nutrition and recovery practices that will help you when you're not working out.
Finding a good personal trainer can be tricky, though. You'll want to make sure and check on potential candidates' education, areas of expertise, experience, and any certifications. The best certification agencies include the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NSAM), the National Exercise Trainers Association (NETA), the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), the American Council of Exercise (ACE), and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). Checking to see if your preferred personal trainer has a background in sports medicine (or a degree) is a good rule of thumb to know you're getting the proper advice from a medically-sound background.
While, at the end of the day, selecting a personal trainer is a super individualized process (you will need to like the trainer and spend a decent amount of time with him or her), we can help you get started on your search. To make sure you find the best personal trainer for your fitness goals, we've put together some factors to help you narrow the options:
To help you find the right place to kickstart your fitness journey, Top Consumer Reviews has reviewed and ranked today's most popular platforms for hiring personal trainers online. This way you can focus on getting your gains and trusting that your trainer is there to help keep you on track!
Select any 2 Personal Trainers to compare them head to head