You’ve tried different ways to get in shape, and each time you tell yourself “this time, it will be different.” But the story is always the same – you get motivated, you hear “Rocky” music playing in your head, you start working out a few days a week, but then, after 2-4 weeks, it becomes more sporadic. And then, even more sporadic. And then, “life” happens, so you drop off completely for a few months, only to start things over again. Eventually you come to the realization that you need some professional help, and you can’t do it on your own. So you Google “best personal trainer Toronto.”

You’re not messing around this time. If you’re going to spend the money on a personal trainer, you want to make sure it’s the best one you can find.

In this article, I’ll show you:

  • Common mistakes people make when looking for the best personal trainer in Toronto.
  • 9 criteria that you can use to find the best personal trainer help you be the best version of yourself.
Best personal trainer Toronto
Original source: here.

But before we dive in, let me disclose my biases up front. I am a personal trainer. I’ve been a personal trainer since 2006, and I have a team of trainers as well. I think that we’re pretty good, but I’ll be humble (and honest) enough to say that we’re not the best. Why don’t I think that we’re the best? Because there’s no such thing as best, as you’ll learn later in this article.

However, if you do want to chat with us, to see if we’re a good fit for you, just fill out the application form on our home page. It’ll be just a quick, 10-15 minute, no pressure, no sales pitch call.

With that out of the way, let’s get to it.

Common Mistakes People Make When Looking for the Best Personal Trainer in Toronto

Mistake #1: Believing Google

                The most common-sense thing to do when looking for the best trainer is to simply Google “best personal trainer Toronto.”

                Why is that a mistake? Because as soon as you type it, Google will pull up lists of websites that lead you to a bunch of names of personal trainers.

                There’s just one problem with that: a lot of trainers pay to get there. How do I know? Because I get approached by websites like that all the time, and they always want you to pay them to appear on their list.

                So it’s not a list based on merit – it’s a list of who’s willing to pay.

                Just think about it logically: for the editor to determine who is actually the best personal trainer in Toronto from their list, they’d have to use each trainer’s services, for a prolonged period of time (long enough to see results), and compare each trainer head-to-head.

                First of all, that’s a multi-year process, and second of all, that would end up being in the tens of thousands of dollars. You think they’re doing that kind of research?

                Furthermore, if there was an objectively “best” trainer, every website listing the best personal trainers in Toronto would unanimously list the same person at the top. But that’s not the case. So, whether you are looking for personal training to lose weight, muscle building and lifting weights, contest prep, fascial stretch therapy, or online training, you deserve a trainer who is a great motivator and ready to put in the work to help you reach your goals.

Mistake #2: Only Going Based on Certifications

                Simply looking a trainer’s number of certifications is good, but I wouldn’t put 100% faith into it. Why? Because there are a lot of “seminar junkies” out there. They go to seminars to acquire certifications, but don’t actually use the knowledge they gain in those certifications. In the past, I’ve interviewed trainers from educational institutions that give 2-year diplomas (like George Brown College, Seneca, etc.), and 4-year degrees (like York University, Guelph, and others), and although they tend to be better than those who just have a weekend certification, it’s still not a sure thing.

                And unfortunately, unless you use their services, you wouldn’t know that.

                Having said that, I’m a huge believe in professional development/continuing education. I even wrote a massive article about what I personally do for professional development, as well as the best seminars that I’ve attended.

                So I wouldn’t completely discount it, but I wouldn’t put 100% faith into it either.

Mistake #3: Not Specifying Best for What

                You are not like anyone else. You have your own unique goals, situation, injuries, etc. that you bring to the table. The best personal trainer for soccer is almost definitely not the same person as the best personal trainer for a woman going through menopause.

                It’s almost like asking “what’s the best store?” The obvious next question might be “best store for what?” Best store for groceries? Best store for jewellery? Best store for home improvement?

                The same goes for personal trainers. How can they help you reach your fitness goals? Big fitness changes are about lifestyle modifications and meeting the client’s individual needs.

                The one thing that I can say with nearly 100% certainty is that the best personal trainer is not a generalist. The best personal trainer for you is a specialist in your goal.

                While I don’t claim to know every personal trainer in Toronto (though I do know a lot), within my network, the best personal trainer when it comes to exercise and nutrition during and after cancer treatment is Riaz Aziz. The best personal trainer when it comes to helping people step on stage and look good in front of an audience and judges might be Mike Demeter.

                As you can see, different personal trainers are “the best” at different things. In the case of my team and I, our “territory” is:

  • Fat loss for women over 40
  • High blood pressure (I even wrote an Amazon bestseller on the topic)
  • Type 2 diabetes (I wrote another bestseller on that topic)
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Osteoporosis
  • Chronic pain

But I’ll also readily admit what’s not our forte, and it’s a long list:

  • Children’s strength and conditioning
  • Bodybuilding
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Cancer
  • Neurodegenerative conditions
  • Rehabilitation after a car accident

…and more.

                So if you’re looking for the best personal trainer, it’s important to specify best “for what/who.”

Now you know the 3 most common mistakes when it comes to looking for a trainer, but I won’t leave you hanging. If this is what you don’t do, then what do you do to find the best personal trainer for you?

                That’s what we’ll cover in the next section.

Criteria for Finding the Best Personal Trainer for You

In no particular order:

Criterion #1: Relevance to Your Goals

                If your goal is to just lose a few pounds, get toned, or get in the best shape of your life, do you really want to work with the “best” personal trainer if their specialty is helping 8-year-old soccer players run faster? Probably not. An amazing trainer is focused on helping their clients achieve their goals and helping them feel confident in their own skin. The fitness industry is loaded with misinformation, but when you find the right personal trainer, they must have several years of experience, promote a positive self-image and be able to recommend the right diet plans for their clients’ body and lifestyle (and sometimes the right diet plan is not a plan at all, but more like strategies to handle emotional eating, stress eating, cravings, etc.).

                So in your Google search, specify who you are, and your goals, and see what/who comes up.

                Some searches you might use:

  • Personal trainer for fat loss
  • Personal trainer for diabetics
  • Personal trainer for a slow thyroid
  • Personal trainer for depression

…you get the idea.

Criterion #2: Time in the Industry

                How long have they been in the industry? Are they a fly-by-night trainer, or are they a career trainer? There are lots of personal trainers who do it part time, or don’t take it seriously.

                If they have been in the industry full-time less than about 3 years, there’s almost a 0% chance that they’re the best. Doesn’t mean they’re not good, but hey – you typed in “best personal trainer Toronto”, so I’m helping you find the best.

In addition to having certifications and a comprehensive resume, the best personal trainers should possess some experience in fitness assessments, meal planning, and helping clients reach their fitness goals. A fitness trainer with experience knows how to introduce health and fitness to clients of all skill levels with injury prevention at the top of their priority list.

Criterion #3: What They Do for Professional Development

                Yes, I mentioned earlier not to place 100% faith in the courses they’ve taken or the certifications they have, because some personal trainers just acquire certifications, without any intention of using the knowledge gained. It’s simply their form of entertainment. Some people go to concerts, some people go to certifications.

                But nonetheless, the majority of personal trainers wouldn’t shell out $1000-$2500 per course if they didn’t plan on using at least something from that course.

                Most personal training certifications require trainers to take a certain number of courses to maintain their certification. It’s a tiny little amount. But the best personal trainer doesn’t take courses because they have to. They take courses because they want to, and usually far and above the bare minimum that it takes to not lose their certification.

                That’s the kind of trainer that you want – a curious one.

Along with great experience in personal training, certifications demonstrate that a trainer has a great sense of curiosity. Therefore, personal trainers in Toronto that offer training services with recent reviews, certifications and are motivated to help clients achieve their health and fitness goals should be considered.

Criterion #4: Nutrition

                Do you need help with nutrition as well? Chances are if your goals are fat loss, muscle gain, or athletic performance enhancement, you’ll want a trainer who can help you with nutrition.

                But not just putting together a meal plan. You don’t need a person to do that for you. In this day and age, there are really good free programs where you plug in your personal variables, and they spit out a really good meal plan. The best one that I’m aware of is Precision Nutrition.

                So what you need is not a meal plan. Because most people don’t stick to a meal plan. You need a personal training instructor who will help you with:

  • Emotional eating
  • Stress eating
  • Mindless snacking
  • Cravings
  • Lack of planning

Those are the real drivers of success when it comes to sticking to diet plans. Your fitness journey is not just about having a beautiful body; it’s about feeling healthy, visible results, and lifestyle changes.

Criterion #5: Wellness Concierge

                In my opinion, the best personal trainers are not just trainers, but know a little bit about a lot of health-related issues. And when they reach the limits of their knowledge, they know who to refer out to.

                For instance, a personal trainer may know the most common medications, and how they affect the body. But when the client needs more help in that area than the trainer can provide, the trainer should have a good pharmacist they can refer to.

                Or a trainer may be great when it comes to helping people recover from injuries, but there are certain things that a personal trainer can’t do (like spinal adjustments, soft tissue work, joint manipulations, etc.). For example, if the client has had knee replacement surgery, they should have a good chiropractor or osteopath that they can refer to for advice on their health and fitness.

                So ideally, the best personal trainer has super deep knowledge in their area of expertise, and some general knowledge in a bunch of related topics. When they reach the limits of their knowledge in those tangential areas, they should have someone they can refer you out to.

Criterion #6: Success Stories Relevant to you

                Now you know that there’s no such thing as a “best” personal trainer, and that “best” really refers to best for something.

                So you want to ask the trainer about success stories relevant to you. Are you coming to the trainer for help with fat loss with a slow thyroid? Ask them for success stories of other clients in your situation who they’ve helped. Looking for a trainer who can challenge your muscles without damaging your joints, because you have arthritis? Ask for success stories of people similar to that. If you are looking for a personal trainer in Toronto who is skilled in weight loss, weight training, or focused on transforming women’s lives, you need a trainer who has success stories relevant to you. This would be the ideal starting point during your search.

                I have a whole section of my website devoted to success stories. In there, you’ll notice what kinds of people we can do a great job with. As well, you’ll notice what kinds of clients we don’t really work with. To echo an earlier lesson: a great trainer might be the best for someone, but they’re certainly not the best for everyone.

Criterion #6: Price

                I assume that since you didn’t just type in “personal trainer near me”, but you used the word “best” when looking for a trainer, you don’t mind paying higher prices for a better trainer, and rightfully so. I elaborate on all the reasons behind it in my article on why a more expensive personal trainer is usually better.

                But nonetheless, not many people have an unlimited budget, so it should be a criteria, but definitely not the most important one.

Criterion #7: Personality

                If you’re going to spend 1-4 hours per week with a personal trainer, you have to make sure that their personality is compatible with yours.

                In other words, if you’re looking for a bootcamp-style personal trainer, and you instead get a zen-monk type of trainer, you’ll be disappointed. Or if you’re looking for a more gentle trainer, but get a drill sergeant, you’ll be disappointed as well.

                Often, clients sign up for the result, but they stay because they like the trainer as a person. They’re just fun to be around.

                But how do you know their personality if you’ve never met them? After all, that’s not something you can learn from a Google search.

                That brings me to my final criterion.

Criterion #8: What Do They Offer?

            In this day and age, virtual personal training is becoming more and more in demand. A skilled virtual personal trainer can offer training services to their clients. It grew in popularity during COVID, but people started seeing the benefit of it when either the trainer they wanted wasn’t in their city, or if they are away on vacation, and they need some short term support.

            In home personal training is another option that some trainers offer (though sometimes at a premium, to account for travel time). Whether doing virtual training at home, or you feel comfortable working out in a gym, ensure the instructor can meet your specific needs.

                That brings me to my final criterion.

Criterion #9: Can You Sample Them for Either Free or a Low Price?

                No matter how much you read about someone online, there’s nothing like getting something from them for free before you ever become a client. Just as a way to sample their style, personality, expertise, etc.

                Here are some things you can sample for free, if they’re available:

The last 2, we definitely offer. And while I can’t say that my team and I are the best trainers, we might be the trainers that you need. Or we might not be. But if you want to find out, just feel free to go on our home page, and fill out the application form. We’ll have a simple, 10-15 minute chat either over the phone or zoom (or heck, even by email if that’s what you’re comfortable with). It’s not a sales pitch, and there’s no pressure. If after that, you want to book a complimentary assessment, cool. And if not, no sweat, no obligation and no pressure.