diff --git a/pytorch_lightning/trainer/trainer.py b/pytorch_lightning/trainer/trainer.py
index 88130e1b59..c7edc1c935 100644
--- a/pytorch_lightning/trainer/trainer.py
+++ b/pytorch_lightning/trainer/trainer.py
@@ -982,7 +982,7 @@ class Trainer(
             parsing.clean_namespace(model.hparams)
 
         # links data to the trainer
-        self.attach_data(model, train_dataloader, val_dataloaders)
+        self.attach_data(model, train_dataloader, val_dataloaders, datamodule)
 
         # check that model is configured correctly
         self.config_validator.verify_loop_configurations(model)
@@ -990,13 +990,8 @@ class Trainer(
         # hook
         self.call_hook('on_fit_start', model)
 
-        # on multi-gpu jobs we only want to manipulate (download, etc) on node_rank=0, local_rank=0
-        # or in the case where each node needs to do its own manipulation in which case just local_rank=0
-        if self.can_prepare_data():
-            if self.datamodule is not None:
-                self.datamodule.prepare_data()
-            model.prepare_data()
-            self._is_data_prepared = True
+        # hook
+        self.prepare_data(model)
 
         # Run auto batch size scaling
         if self.auto_scale_batch_size:
@@ -1013,18 +1008,17 @@ class Trainer(
         # set testing if set in environ
         self.testing = os.environ.get('PL_TESTING_MODE', self.testing)
 
-        # choose accelerator
+        # -------------------------
+        # TRAIN
+        # -------------------------
         self.accelerator_backend = self.select_accelerator()
-
-        # setup accelerator
         self.accelerator_backend.setup(model)
-
-        # train!
         results = self.accelerator_backend.train()
-
-        # teardown accelerator
         self.accelerator_backend.teardown()
 
+        # -------------------------
+        # POST-Training
+        # -------------------------
         # hook
         self.call_hook('on_fit_end')
 
@@ -1037,7 +1031,16 @@ class Trainer(
         # used for testing or when we need to know that training succeeded
         return results or 1
 
-    def attach_data(self, model, train_dataloader, val_dataloaders):
+    def prepare_data(self, model):
+        # on multi-gpu jobs we only want to manipulate (download, etc) on node_rank=0, local_rank=0
+        # or in the case where each node needs to do its own manipulation in which case just local_rank=0
+        if self.can_prepare_data():
+            if self.datamodule is not None:
+                self.datamodule.prepare_data()
+            model.prepare_data()
+            self._is_data_prepared = True
+
+    def attach_data(self, model, train_dataloader, val_dataloaders, datamodule):
         # if a datamodule comes in as the second arg, then fix it for the user
         if isinstance(train_dataloader, LightningDataModule):
             datamodule = train_dataloader
@@ -1059,10 +1062,7 @@ class Trainer(
 
         use_ddp_spawn = self.use_ddp and self.distributed_backend in ['ddp_cpu', 'ddp_spawn']
 
-        # -------------------
-        # route training mode
-        # -------------------
-        # DDP2 (cluster only)
+        # choose the appropriate accelerator backend
         if self.use_ddp2:
             accelerator_backend = DDP2Backend(self)
 
@@ -1072,15 +1072,12 @@ class Trainer(
         elif use_torchelastic_ddp:
             accelerator_backend = DDPBackend(self, mode='torchelastic_ddp')
 
-        # regular ddp using .spawn
         elif use_ddp_spawn:
             accelerator_backend = DDPSpawnBackend(self, nprocs=self.num_processes)
 
-        # ddp
         elif self.distributed_backend == 'ddp':
             accelerator_backend = DDPBackend(self, mode='ddp')
 
-        # dp
         elif self.use_dp:
             accelerator_backend = DataParallelBackend(self)
 
@@ -1098,7 +1095,6 @@ class Trainer(
 
         return accelerator_backend
 
-
     def can_prepare_data(self):
         should_call_dm_prepare_data = True
         if self.datamodule is not None and self.is_overridden('prepare_data', self.datamodule):