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How to choose a personal trainer: what to check before the first session

Guide 3 min read

What the law in Slovenia and Croatia says about trainer qualifications, eight questions for the first meeting and where trainers are on the map.

Contents
  1. What the law says
  2. Eight questions for the first meeting
  3. Where trainers are on the map

With a personal trainer you pay for knowledge and attention, not for access to machines. So before buying the first package it is worth checking two things: whether the trainer is properly qualified and whether the two of you agree on the goal.

What the law says

Slovenia. Under the Sports Act (ZŠpo-1, Official Gazette of the RS, No. 29/2017) professional work in sport is done by a sports professional who has the relevant education or qualification and is entered in the register of sports professionals (Articles 46 and 58). Education means a completed first- or second-cycle degree in a relevant field (Article 48). A qualified professional is at least 18, has at least secondary vocational education and has completed a first- or second-level training programme (Article 49); the first-level programme gives the title "strokovni delavec 1".

Croatia. The Sports Act (Narodne novine 141/22) counts instructors, coaches and kinesiotherapists as professional staff in sport (Article 17). An instructor leads recreational exercise and teaches basic technique; the law requires a completed professional training programme of at least 180 school hours (Article 18). Only a person entered in the Register of Professional Staff may do this work (Article 29).

FitBlizu does not check trainers' qualifications: a profile shows what the provider has published. So ask yourself – a trainer who works by the rules will show you their title and registration without hesitation.

Eight questions for the first meeting

  1. Do they understand your goal? Strength, weight loss, preparing for a run or coming back from an injury each need a different approach. Ask them to describe how they would plan the first four weeks.
  2. Do they start with an assessment? A talk about your health, training history and limits, plus a simple movement test. If you have a health condition, see a doctor before you start.
  3. Where will you train? In a gym (who pays the entry?), in a studio, outdoors or at your home.
  4. How do they track progress? Training notes, measurements and adjusting the programme.
  5. What does it cost and what is in the package? Price per session and per package, how long a package is valid, how far ahead you can cancel a session.
  6. Do you get a plan for the days without them?
  7. Where are the limits on nutrition? General advice is part of the job; for a diet plan for a medical condition, see a doctor.
  8. Is there a trial session? One hour tells you more than a sales pitch.

Where trainers are on the map

By FitBlizu data (12 Oct 2026) the map lists 44 personal trainers and studios in 24 Slovenian towns – most in Ljubljana (11), Maribor and Celje (5 each) – and 25 in 11 Croatian towns, 10 of them in Zagreb. You can find all of them on the Personal training page.

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