How do I choose the best trainer?

Q: I live in Wilmington and am in the process of finding a trainer. I’m a high school student, and my goal is to get big and strong for lacrosse season next spring.

Do you have any suggestions on how to find the most qualified trainer for the job? At the gym where I work out, there are a couple of trainers who have won all kinds of weightlifting contests.

Do you think one of them would be a great place to start? I’ve never worked with a trainer before, so this whole thing is new to me. - Paul

A: It’s hard to say. They could be excellent trainers, but I think you need to consider more than how strong they are before you make your choice. In fact, this reminds me of a similar personal experience. Years ago, a client and I traveled to California to train with the world’s strongest man. The so-called strongest man will remain nameless, but at the time he was famous for bench pressing almost 900 pounds.

He owned a gym where he supposedly trained people how to get into shape. I have to say that at the time I was very excited. As a former power lifter, I’ve always respected feats of strength and looked forward to learning something new.

But what I witnessed made an everlasting impression on me and my philosophy toward training.

When we arrived, the massive bench-press champion was putting a client through a workout by requiring the trainee to hit a heavy punching bag.

The only problem was that it was unclear who was putting who through the workout. At 5-feet-11-inches tall and 365 pounds, Mr. Big was in such poor cardiovascular shape he had to lean against a table the whole time he was training his client.

At one point, the boxing lesson required the champ to walk about five steps to illustrate a technique, and afterward he literally doubled over as if he had run a 5K. It was hilarious.

I couldn’t help but wonder why anyone would pay a trainer who was a walking heart attack to help someone get in shape. To me this wasn’t fitness; it was a joke.

The moral of the story is, do your homework. Take the time to watch someone train before you hire him or her. Just because people win a contest or hold a couple weightlifting titles doesn’t mean they’re the right fit for you.

Some people view training as a quick buck, while others have spent their lives learning everything they can about fitness, so don’t rush into anything. Be sure to check out some of their clients. Chances are if they are happy and making good progress, you will too.

There is no better advertisement than a string of happy clients, because results speak for themselves.