A trainer’s job is to help clients become their fittest and healthiest self. They do this by helping them achieve realistic goals based on their abilities, medical history and fitness experience. When it comes to building strength, remember, the smart way to get strong involves a balanced approach that considers not just your workouts, but also your nutrition, sleep, and stress management.

But there are some things a trainer wishes you knew that might make you think twice about working out with one.

1. It’s Not About the Gym

Most people who work with a personal trainer would probably say that their fitness goals aren’t just about getting in shape, but about feeling better. This includes not only the physical but also mental well-being, which is why most of us make the effort to sweat it out at the gym or participate in group exercise classes like yoga and Zumba, or even just take a long walk in the park.

But the truth is that you don’t actually need to go to a fitness studio or a gym to achieve your desired results. A great workout can be done at home, outside, or on the street, as long as you have the right equipment and a good plan to follow.

Many personal trainers may have a first meeting with their clients that feels more like an interview, asking them questions about their sleeping habits, nutrition, and other aspects of their daily lives. They don’t do this out of a desire to be nosy; rather, the information you provide can help them tailor your workouts for maximum benefit. A sore knee, lack of sleep, or unmanaged stress can impact your ability to perform at a high level in the gym, so being mindful of that and doing whatever you can to improve these factors is essential.

One thing that trainers love to see from their clients is consistency. While you may not be able to hit the gym every single day (it’s hard to get that type of consistency if you have little ones running around your house, for example), working out regularly helps set a pattern. Plus, studies show that consistency produces more dramatic results than just a few training sessions here and there.

2. It’s Not About Weight Loss

Getting into a fitness routine and becoming healthy can be daunting. There are workouts to learn, diets to follow and willpower to conjure up, but it is absolutely the best thing you can do for your mind and body. Fitness professionals are there to help guide you on this journey, and they want nothing more than to see you succeed.

One of the biggest things that trainers wish their clients knew is that it’s not all about the gym. A trainer can plan the perfect workouts, nutrition and sleep schedule, but it all comes down to a client’s own efforts outside of the gym. This includes what they eat, how much rest they get and how they manage stress.

The most important thing that clients can do is to be aware of the habits they have outside the gym, which will directly affect their results. For example, if you’re working out an hour per session but eating more than your body needs and sleeping poorly, it won’t matter how many burpees or sprints you complete.

Another mistake that clients make is thinking that exercising is the only way to achieve a healthier lifestyle. For example, adding weight to a workout can increase strength, but it’s not always necessary. There are other ways to increase strength that don’t involve adding weight, such as reducing the rep range, doing drop sets and supersets and reducing rest time.

Lastly, it’s important for clients to be respectful of their trainers. A lot of personal trainers work on a freelance basis, and their livelihood is dependent on how well they can market themselves. If you’re rude, it can be difficult to build a good rapport.

3. It’s Not About Muscles

There’s a lot of fitness, nutrition, and recovery information out there, and it can be hard to know what to trust and what not to. But the right trainer can help you filter all that noise, and understand your specific needs and goals.

Whether you’re looking to build bigger biceps or get that elusive six-pack, resistance training is an essential component of your workout routine. And while many people think that if they don’t want to look like bodybuilders, they shouldn’t lift weights, they’re wrong.

In fact, if you’re not lifting enough weights, your muscles won’t grow bigger—you’ll just become weaker. And if you lift too much, you could get injured or even worse, hurt your joints and back.

Another common misconception is that working out all the time will help you lose weight and burn fat. In reality, the most effective way to lose weight is to combine diet and exercise. And, if you want to burn more fat, lifting weights will be more effective than aerobic activity (like walking or taking a dance class).

Plus, the more enjoyable your workouts are, the more likely you’ll stick with them and make progress over time. That’s why it’s important to find a workout you enjoy. And if you’re not sure what to do or how to get started, ask for recommendations from your trainer. They may recommend a different instructor or a new type of exercise that you’ll love. That’s the best way to ensure you’ll actually show up and work out.

4. It’s Not About Pain

If you think about personal trainers, they might conjure images of a muscular dictator shouting at you to push through the pain. But that isn’t the case for most of them. In fact, they want to help you become the healthiest version of yourself. To do that, they have to know a lot more than how to make you sweat.

For one, they should be aware of the difference between “good pain” and “bad pain.” Good pain is what happens when you force yourself past your limits during a workout. It hurts because your body is broken down & needs time to recover, but it helps you get stronger in the long run. Bad pain is what happens when you’re doing something wrong — like exercising incorrectly and stressing muscles, tendons or joints. It doesn’t hurt as much as the good pain, but it will eventually wear you down if not addressed.

A good trainer will know the right way to use different types of exercise to avoid this. They will also know the proper resting times between sessions to avoid overtraining. And they will encourage you to listen to your body when it says it’s tired. They will tell you to take a break if necessary, rather than press on and risk injury.

If you’re training with someone who tries to ignore your body’s signals, it might be time to find a new trainer. That might be because you’re wasting your money or they’re not giving you the results you need.

5. It’s Not About Intensity

While high intensity workouts can feel amazing, they’re not necessarily the best way to achieve a healthy lifestyle. In fact, they can lead to burnout, injury and even muscle imbalances if not properly balanced with other factors.

Fitness is a marathon, not a sprint. And it’s not about going all out every day, or getting your “perfect” body. Instead, the key to sustainable results is consistency – small, regular efforts that build over time and produce real change.

Having consistent exercise habits also builds discipline and teaches you to listen to your body. While some days you may have energy for a hard workout, other days your body will call for something more gentle, like a light stretch or yoga session. This is how you learn to adjust your intensity level without losing progress.

What’s more, a trainer’s job is to help you understand how your workouts and nutrition work together. If your trainer is only concerned with how intense a workout feels, or if they’re using body shaming as motivational tactics, this is a red flag.

Rather than focusing on intensity, your trainer should be using their science-backed training to get you jacked and strong or lean and ripped. That means picking lifts, rep ranges and intensities that are efficient at taking you to your productive limits, then using intelligent rest and recovery to ensure you come back stronger next time. That’s what true fitness is about – and that’s why you need to trust the process. It takes time to see meaningful changes, but the payoff is worth it. So, keep showing up and let your trainer guide you on the path to a healthier, more resilient lifestyle.