I’ve asked friends and coworkers for recommendations, asked on FB. Nada. The recommendations are either really far from where I live/work or people look at me like I’ve got two heads.

So how do you find a good personal trainer when you have no personal recommendations to go off?

I belong to LA Fitness, but I don’t trust their personal training. When you refuse to tell me upfront what fees are, buh bye.

I have some very specific goals to achieve by next spring (being strong enough to get 100 lbs of gear up the boat ladder and handling heavy dive gear easier).

With all the info floating around for free why would you wanna pay.

Btw i have this 12 week workout plan thst will get you jacked up. Only for $399

I have knee issues and sciatica/false sciatica in my left hip. I do a lot of dumbbell squats at home with 12 lb dumbbells, and I do the leg press machine at the gym, and while i can walk that 100 lbs of gear around on land, the boat ladder is much harder.

I don't see what you're trying to accomplish. Get a workout online and hire an online coach if you need advice.

You want a jackass who got "certified" in less than a week or want to hire an elite lifter to help you through problems? Id much rather get form checks and sciatica help from pete rubish than joey jackoff.

Personal trainers are really more of a social thing.  People who cant motivate themselves or just like having someone to talk to.  Nothing wrong with that but that's not what you are looking for.

Or.

I haven't used one but their test is hard to pass so i bet they are knowledgeable, you could try a starting strength coach in your area.  Id be pretty shocked if their advice wasn't top notch. Real legit coaching.  People than can actually critique something like foot position or hip position in the squat, or hip position and stance in the deadlift instead of only yelling things like "cmon, you got this".

I have knee pain too, i have switch to leg extension, leg curls and machine calf raise.  Still growing and getting stronger without scewing my knees.

I know a few will shit on my comment but safety and no injury is first priority. No shame

Physical therapist specializing in sports medicine is what you seek. They will fix specific sport focused weaknesses. Insurance wants it to be called an injury fyi.

Not necessarily true. My wife has been certified through the Academy of Sports Medicine for more years than I can shake a stick at. She fine tunes workouts to peoples' abilities and goals as well as putting food plans together. Or she did. She hasn't done personal training for a while after going back to teaching group classes.

I'd look for someone with either ACSM or NASM certification and a degree in sports medicine or fitness. I know my wife has to maintain continuing ed credits and attends conferences every year to maintain her various certifications.

Avoid trainers at gyms. The gyms are only about taking your money and tying you into contracts. It's all about sales, not your well being.

It sounds like it's a problem with your gym. Some gyms are super sketchy. I go to Crunch and their personal training pricing are upfront and includes taxes and fees in the price.

I would probably ask a PT either for recommendations or hire them directly.

They would probably know the best alternative exercises for you based on past injuries and current limitations.

Maybe this is worth a shot.  At the very least, maybe they can find someone reputable in your area.

Barbell Medicine

https://startingstrength.org/site/coaches
The Starting Strength rated coaches seem to be pretty switched on. May or may not be as well versed on the PT type stuff though.

I had 10 PT sessions last spring to rebuild left leg strength after a shingles attack (leg was so weak I couldn’t lift it to get it into the car). I contacted the hospital physical therapy department for a recommendation and they said they don’t recommend outside physical therapists. Their PT are just for injury recovery, not for building strength.

Someone who works in sports medicine is probably going to be my best bet, it sounds like. I essentially want someone to help me with what will work without injuring myself, while still meeting my goals, without me just working out, hoping it will work.

Thank you. Unfortunately, none of them are near me. At least an hour away.

That's pretty much what I'm talking about.  Correct me if I'm wrong bc the site doesn't come out and say much, but.

From what i read they use psi to do their tests which is a national company that does tests for everything including my plumbing and hvacr licenses.

Starting strength tests you on paper as well as coaching as ability, by a strength coach.

Seems like anyone could pass a book test. I did on hvacr. I have never done it in my life.  You don't want me fixing your ac. Ive done industrial plumbing for 12 years.  I have both licenses which require a pretty difficult written only test.  The hvacr covers 1400 pages of college material.

Your wife may very well be great.  There are some of course. But when the barrier is low,  most of them will be riff raff.

Just my 2 cents.  I may be wrong.  My experience tells me im probably not. I look for people with legit top level experience or a legit cert. Not an easy cert and hope for the best.

I’d encourage you to explore this option and/or Barbell Medicine. Some of the Starting Strength and BM coaches are very experienced in working with people like you. It might not require frequent face-to-face visits and online coaching might be an option.

I’d bet you’d drive an hour to dive. Think of this as part of diving prep.

I've never heard of PSI. Initially, I thought it was a cert mill but it looks more like it's just a testing facility. A proctor, basically. It's common in IT. In all honesty, my wife's been certified for so long I have no idea what she went through or the process. As with anything, though, certification is only part of the puzzle. As you've said, lots of people can study and pass a test. You want someone with practical knowledge. I don't think you'd be out of line asking for referrals etc. That's why, as someone in IT, I love Red Hat certifications. They're practical exams, not multiple choice. If you want to be a Linux admin, they give you a broken server and you have to fix it. All of their certs are like that. fwiw, they're still administered by a third-party.

I would suspect there isn't a lot of riff raff, to be honest. It's a lengthy exam and it isn't cheap. My wife is actually an Exercise Physiologist, though, which allows almost 4 hours for the exam. Also, they have formal education requirements: Minimum of a Bachelor's Degree in Exercise Science, Exercise Physiology or Kinesiology. PT doesn't require that so you might be better off looking for an EP instead.

FYI, here is a comparison of certifying bodies. I forgot about ACE. I also didn't realize that NASM is a for-profit which might lead me away from them.

Yeah, you're right. I drive a lot more than an hour to drive! I just emailed Kratos Strength Systems in Evanston, describing what I want to accomplish, when (by next May) and where I am now.

Wow, im glad i didnt read this thread before becoming a personal trainer. Evidently i dont do shit but socialize and train people who are unmotivated to do something on their own. Besides, evidently if you can find a plan online, you're  good to go...
99.99% of the responses are just balls... a good trainer can help with so much. It doesnt matter wjo their cert is from. Their desire to learn more and do more matters most.

This is true. But finding a good one is very rare. I believe that is why there is so many negative responses in this thread.

Here’s my plan:
Get a step ladder.
Put on most of gear.
Climb step ladder.
3 sets of 10. Up and down.
Increase weight/gear as needed until you can do it easily in full gear.
Your welcome.

Are you arguing that personal training doesn't have ridiculously low barrier of entry and full of a lot of riff raff?

That's absurd, if you are.

The Starting Strength place can’t be bothered to return emails or voice mails. Scratch them.

Just go on his forum and post, "Rip is wrong.  I increased my vertical jump from 23" to 39" by using quarter squats alone, in under 4 months.  Call xxx-xxx-xxxx for details."  

That’s actually not that crazy of an idea. Will hit Home Depot looking at ladders soon.