Last updated: April 2026
Choosing a personal trainer is crucial to success, and finding the right one can make a significant difference to your long-term health and fitness results.
Finding the right personal trainer is crucial to success. You go to an accountant for your finances, a mechanic for your car and an electrician for your appliances. Why wouldn’t you ask a professional to help with the most important thing in life…your health and fitness?
The next thing you need to ask yourself is…How do I go about finding the right personal trainer?
The personal training industry is one of the fastest growing industries in Australia, with hundreds of new trainers becoming qualified each week. This is a fantastic thing to see, but it also comes with its downside. The more diluted the market becomes, the harder it can be to find a quality trainer who can help you with your goals.
I firmly believe that EVERYONE would benefit from having a personal trainer guide them with their health and fitness. The world’s best athletes, politicians, businessmen/women and even celebrities all have professionals to guide their health…why can’t the everyday person?
And how does the everyday person go about finding the right one?
What to look for when choosing a personal trainer
The New Year is underway and with that comes the renewed push to get fit and healthy. It is the time for New Year’s resolutions and ‘new year, new me’ is all the rage, but if you really want to make your goals a reality, it is important that you find the right trainer for you.
So what are some of the qualities that you need to look out for?
Knowledge
A trainer who has dedicated their life to health and fitness has a wealth of knowledge on correct nutritional habits and exercise prescription.
Finding the right trainer in this respect is crucial. If you invest time into finding the right trainer, you will be rewarded with someone who can absolutely change your health, fitness and life.
Career
The average lifespan of a personal trainer in the health and fitness industry is about 18 months. Very few make it past 3 years and an even smaller amount make it past 5 years.
It is vitally important you find a trainer who foresees personal training as a long-term career. If they believe this, they will have passion and passion trumps just about anything.
Area of expertise
There are many different areas of health and fitness that a personal trainer can focus on.
Take into account what your goal is, and find a trainer whose knowledge aligns with that. The closer your trainer’s expertise is aligned to your goals, the higher your chance of success.
If you are unsure what that process looks like, it can help to understand what happens when you start personal trainingand how your goals are structured from day one.
Respect, rapport and reliability
These 3 R’s are crucial to an ongoing lifestyle change.
When you have a personal trainer, you must have mutual respect, strong rapport and complete reliability. If any of these are missing, long-term success becomes very difficult.
Consistency is built through trust and structure, which is why understanding why consistency in training is so difficult to maintainis so important.
They have to love their job
It may sound simple, but having someone who genuinely loves what they do makes a huge difference.
There will be times where you lack motivation. A trainer who is passionate about their work will naturally help lift your energy, keep you accountable and push you through those moments.
Happiness is infectious — find someone who brings that energy.
Final thoughts
When making the decision to invest in your health and fitness, you are trusting your money and results with someone else.
Finding the right personal trainer is crucial and it must be someone who is the right fit for you. Take the time to do your research, visit a few facilities and trust your gut instinct.
If you don’t take care of your body, where are you going to live?
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I choose the right personal trainer?
Look for experience, relevant expertise, strong communication skills and someone you feel comfortable working with long term.
Is it worth trying multiple personal trainers?
Yes. Trying different trainers can help you find the right fit for your personality, goals and training style.
What is the most important quality when choosing a personal trainer?
Consistency, reliability and the ability to build a strong relationship are often the biggest factors in long-term success.
Ready to get started?
If you’re looking for guidance, structure and accountability, we can help.
At Authentic Personal Training in Crows Nest, we match you with the right coach based on your goals, experience and personality.
Start with our 3 sessions for $30 intro offer and experience the difference for yourself.
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