Find the best trainer for you

WHEN it comes to finding the perfect trainer, one size doesn’t fit all. We reached out to some of the city’s most popular instructors to find out what you should look for in a fitness coach for every situation.

To beat the blues

Look for trainers who have life-coaching certifications, advises Mantas Zvinas, a SoulCycle trainer in NoMad and founder of fitness travel group SurfYogaBeer. Such trainers can help you set physical and personal goals to stay motivated inside and out, he says. Countless studies also suggest that working out for 30 minutes a day can help stave off the blues.

To build endurance

If you want to take a Tough Mudder in stride, get a coach who can push you to the limit without burning you out. “A trainer’s program should incorporate progressively faster timed runs [and] proper breathing,” says Josey Greenwell, a trainer at Barry’s Bootcamp in Murray Hill. Plus, Greenwell says, it helps to find someone who’s completed endurance competitions.

To lose weight

You still have plenty of time to shed the pounds before swimsuit weather without a crash diet. Instead, find a coach who focuses on discipline at the gym and in the kitchen. Tatiana Firpo, a trainer at Gotham Gym in Soho, says someone with a nutrition certification is a good idea, and suggests you bring a grocery shopping list with you so your trainer can look it over.

To focus

Y7 Studio yogi Stephanie LaSpina says to keep focused and present, you’ll want a trainer who keeps you on your toes by mixing up your workout regimen up to four times a month. “Look for teachers who grab your attention and help you tune into the inner workings of your body,” says LaSpina, who teaches at the studio’s Soho and Flatiron locations.

To build muscle

To maximize muscle building, trainer Courtney Paul, who teaches at YG Studios in Chelsea, says you’ll want someone who pushes you to use a variety of weights to keep you from hitting a plateau. “If you always lift the same weight you’re never going to get the results you want,” says Paul. “[By the end], you should be exhausted.”