The New Personal Training Service for People Who Hate the Gym

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Finding a good personal trainer is like finding a good pair of jeans: Once you find ‘em, you never, EVER let go. But actually finding one can be tough, and that, my friends, is where Find Your Trainer, which just launched in Philly last week, comes in. The website allows you to book time with vetted trainers whenever the urge strikes you, and the trainers will meet you wherever you want, be it the office, Rittenhouse Square, your apartment — wherever. As CEO and co-founder David Hung says, it’s the perfect option for people who aren’t into all the “sexy” (read: intimidating) fitness classes and gyms out there.

As Hung tells me, he launched the service in New York City two and a half years ago after going through his own weight-loss struggle. “I grew up the fat, chubby kid my entire life. When I got to law school, I sort of found religion with fitness and nutrition and by the time I graduated, I’d lost 50 pounds,” he says. “I realized that trainers are amazing. They know things you don’t know, they push you harder than you ever thought you could be pushed, and they aren’t just for rich people and models and celebrities. So why isn’t it easier to find one?”

So, he made it easier. And after over two years of hooking folks in New York up with trainers, with over 300 trainers now affiliated with Find Your Trainer in the city, the company decided to expand to Philly.

So how exactly does Find Your Trainer work? Well, when you go to the website, you can choose from a few options. You can choose to be matched with a trainer based on your fitness goals or you can simply put in your location and see which trainers are available. Then, you can book a trainer as early as 12 hours out and have them meet you wherever you want — your home, a park, your office — or, in some cases, if you want, you can book with a trainer at a local gym (Find Your Trainer is partnered with a handful of local spots) to use their equipment. An hourlong training session will cost you anywhere between $49 and $88 an hour, and Hung tells me they’re planning on incorporating a small group option soon, which would bring the price of a session down. You can also choose to subscribe, in which case you’re charged for four sessions at a time at a discounted rate.

And I’m sure you’re wondering, if you’re going to let a stranger into your house — maybe even with a kettlebell or two in hand — how do you know they aren’t a psycho? Well, all of the trainers are vetted through an outside company, Hung reassures me. That includes background checks, verification of insurance and credentials, and more. Phew.

Right now, they’ve got about 20 Philly personal trainers on the site, and Hung says they’ve got about 20 more in the works. And if Philly turns out to be anything like New York, they should have many more in no time. As Hung says, “I feel like there’s a massive opportunity to get literally millions of people healthier in their own homes. I think there’s just a massive population that is unaddressed by all the sexy fitness options — the SoulCycles and the Barry’s Boot Camps.” You can tell he’s lives in New York, but we get his drift. Hopefully not for long!

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