Are You Ready to Start Personal Training? 4 Signs the Time Is Right

By Josiah Schultz, B.S., CSCS | 212 Fitness, Millcreek, Utah

Starting any new exercise program can be challenging, and this includes personal training. Many people are unnecessarily intimidated, thinking that it will be incredibly difficult, that they will be embarrassed by not knowing what they are doing, or that they will have to exercise for hours each day to reach their goals. In over 13 years of personal training, I’ve found these ideas to be false, and that you shouldn’t let them stop you from starting an exercise program. Our personal training program is tailored to your goals and your current fitness level, so while it will challenge you, it’s not unnecessarily tough- we challenge you just enough for you to make progress, which means it’s tough but doable. Rather than starting you with incredibly challenging exercises that can be difficult to learn, our personal trainers have you start with simple exercises you can learn quickly. They are master teachers, which means you can do the exercises well from day one, so you’re never embarrassed. Finally, you don’t necessarily need to train for hours every day, or even to train daily! Yes, most people will see better results when they can train consistently and be active daily, but most of our personal training members have seen incredible results with only two to three personal training sessions each week.

Now, making meaningful change to your health and fitness will take time and effort, so it’s important you are ready and prepared prior to starting a new exercise program. You want to invest your time and money into a program when you’re most likely to succeed. There is no “perfect time” to start personal training, but there are four key signs that you are likely to reach your goals. Surprisingly, the four biggest signs you’re ready to start don’t have anything to do with being physically ready, but are all motivationally related.

You Have a Specific Vision of What Your Life Will Look Like

The first sign that you’re ready for personal training is that you have a specific vision of what your life will look like when you reach your goals. Improving your health and fitness takes effort, and I’ve found that all people who reach their goals have one thing in common- their motivation to reach their goal is equal to or higher than the amount of work it will take to reach their goal. You can watch a quick video I made on this concept here. Dr. BJ Fogg from the Stanford University Behavior Design Lab has a great model on you can read here. It’s a simple concept, but seeing it displayed in a graph really drives the point home- if the work required to reach your goal is more than your motivation to reach your goal, you won’t succeed. If your motivation to reach your goal is greater than the work required to reach your goal, you will succeed.

Your motivation will shoot through the roof when you have a specific vision of what your life will look like when you reach your goal. I want people starting personal training to visualize specifically what their life will look like when they succeed. I want you to think about what hiking and skiing will be like when you can keep up with your friends and family and you’re not winded or feeling your legs burning. I want you to think about how fun it will be when you can get down on the floor with your grandchild and play with them, without pain or stiffness. I want you to envision the confidence you will have when you’re on the beach in a new swimsuit and feel confident in the way your body looks.

You Know Your WHY – And It Goes Deeper Than “Getting Fit”

We always start new personal training members with a thought exercise- we have them identify their “WHY”, why they have the goal they do. By digging deep into why their goal is important to them, it allows them to have a better vision of what life will be like when they reach their goal and helps them maximize their motivation. Here’s an example based on a conversation I had with a personal training client four years ago, Michelle, of how this would work:

• 212 Fitness Personal Trainer: “What is your fitness goal?”
• Personal Training Member: “To get stronger.”
• 212 Fitness Personal Trainer: “Why do you want to get stronger?”
• Personal Training Member: “So I can go hiking with my family and not struggle to keep up.”
• 212 Fitness Personal Trainer: “Why is it important to you to hike with your family and keep up?”
• Personal Training Member: “Because my kids are in high school and will be moving away for college soon. They love to hike and it’s some of the best bonding time I get with them. I haven’t been able to hike with them for a few years, and I know our relationship could be stronger if I was able to do harder hikes with them again.”

Now Michelle probably knew what was motivating her before she started with us, but when you break it down like this, your WHY becomes an incredibly powerful tool to keep your motivation higher than the level of effort required to reach your goals, and success follows. You can read more about finding your WHY in my blog post here.

You’re Asking a Personal Trainer About Real Results

There are numerous questions to ask a potential personal trainer- what are their certifications, how long have they been a personal trainer, when are they available, how much does the training cost, have they worked with people over 50, etc. These are all great questions that we encourage potential personal training members to ask. However, we’ve found that when you start asking questions about results like “How many people have you worked with who are like me and have the same goals, and what results did they get?” it shows that a person is ready to take the next step and start personal training. There’s nothing wrong with questions not related to results, but until someone starts asking about results, they’re likely still in a discovery phase, and possibly still trying to talk themselves into starting a personal training program. Again, there is nothing wrong with this, but I want you to make sure you’re ready for personal training before you start. Sometimes a great salesperson can talk you into starting a program before you’re ready. Occasionally this can work out, but often it leads to a person investing time and money into a program and not seeing results. It probably has nothing to do with the efficacy of the program, but that person just wasn’t ready to make the commitment required to achieve their goals. Additionally, it may even lead the person to become demoralized- many people have a history of starting an exercise program before they were truly ready, not seeing the results they expected, and then quitting that program. Over time, they can start to believe that they are the problem, and that they are a failure. I don’t think this is the case at all- the person is not a failure, they just started a program before they were truly ready. We are excited to work with people and help them achieve the results they are looking for once they’re ready, and it’s a great sign that someone is ready when they start asking about results.

You’ve Actually Blocked Time on Your Calendar to Exercise

I’m not talking about simply saying “I’ll exercise Monday and Thursday mornings.” or even “I will go to the gym Monday and Thursday at 6am”. Those are great, but you know you’re ready for personal training when you schedule at least two hours for uninterrupted exercise each week on your calendar. This needs to be an appointment that you would treat just like a doctor’s appointment. Your exercise appointment doesn’t get moved unless there’s an emergency. Now, I do understand that you have other responsibilities you have to attend to throughout your week. This is why I encourage personal training members to schedule their exercise during times they know they won’t have other conflicts arise. For example, a mom who is responsible for getting her kids ready for school may want to schedule her exercise before her kids wake up, or at least an hour after they go to bed. You want to make sure you set your exercise appointments during times where you won’t often have conflicts.

This may sound easy in practice, but prioritizing time to exercise on your calendar, and treating it like an appointment that cannot be changed, shows that someone has mentally made the commitment to putting in the work required to reach their goals.

Pro Tip #1- I recommend sharing your appointments with a friend or family member. Personal training is great because you are automatically making the appointment with someone else, but I’ve found there’s extra power in sharing your appointment with someone you’re close with who isn’t your trainer.

Pro Tip #2- Book these appointments on your calendar for two months upfront. If you use on an online calendar, set it up as a recurring appointment and ensure there is a notification set. If you prefer to use a paper calendar, write your exercise appointments down for the next two months.

Pro Tip #3- Look forward to the first opportunity you get to turn down an invite because of your exercise appointment. Saying “no” to friends, family or opportunities you are presented with is hard. Eventually, exercising will become such a powerful habit that you can move your exercise appointment and you know you’ll make it up another time. But when people are getting started, I like them to practice saying “no” to anything that would interfere with their exercise appointment.

Starting a personal training program can be intimidating, but the great news is that you’ve taken the first step- researching when you’re ready to start! I’ve heard numerous people over the years say “I’d love to come to your gym, but I have to get in shape first.”. I totally understand this mindset, but I want you to know this couldn’t be further from the truth! None of the top four signs you’re ready for personal training have anything to do with your physical fitness. Personal trainers provide the most value when you’re not in shape, not the other way around! Here’s some extra motivation to get started- most of the people who tell me they need to get in shape before they come to 212 Fitness never end up coming to our gym. It’s hard to start a new fitness program or to get in shape, however, our personal trainers have a proven track record of helping people getting back into fitness build strength and improve their health, whether they are a busy professional in their 40’s with young children or a woman in her 60’s who’s never done strength training in her life.

If you’re reading this and checking off some of these signs, that’s not a coincidence — you’re probably closer to ready than you think. I’d love to sit down with you and talk about where you are and what you’re working toward. We offer a free intro session at 212 Fitness — no pressure, just a real conversation. Book yours at twotwelvefitness.com/free-intro/.

FAQ

Do I need to be in shape before I start personal training?
No — and this is one of the biggest misconceptions I hear. Personal trainers provide the most value when you’re not in shape yet. That’s exactly what we’re here for.

How many days a week do I need to train with a personal trainer?
Most of our members see real results training two to three days per week. You don’t need to be in the gym every day to make meaningful progress.

How do I know if a personal trainer in Salt Lake City is the right fit for me?
Start by asking about results — specifically whether they’ve worked with people like you who have similar goals, and what those clients achieved. Certifications and availability matter, but results are the real indicator.

What if I’ve tried exercise programs before and quit?
That doesn’t make you a failure — it likely means you started before you were truly ready. The four signs in this post are designed to help you recognize when the timing is actually right.

How long does it take to see results from personal training?
It depends on your goals and consistency, but most people notice meaningful changes in energy, strength, and how they feel within the first four to six weeks of consistent training.

Disclaimer: The information provided is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, exercise, or nutrition regimen.

212 Fitness | 2191 E 3300 S, Millcreek, UT | twotwelvefitness.com | (801) 946-9732