Do you have a Personal Trainer?

[inhisgrip]

I have been considering hiring a personal trainer but am undecided.

I joined Gold's Gym one year ago. I have been going to the gym pretty consistently this year and love taking the group classes. Even though I've been going to the gym all this time I just recently got my eating back under control.

I have a personal trainer in mind who I would like to hire. She is an instructor at Gold's but is a trainer as well. She is so supportive of my efforts and I know she would support the Atkins WOE. I've talked to her a little about it. The only problem is, it is so expensive. She said most people get a trainer for about 2 sessions per week. She charges $40 per session. $80/week is a little steep for me at the moment. But I know the money would be well worth it in the end.

So I guess my question is:
Do you have a personal trainer? and if so, do you find it beneficial and why? What types of things does your trainer help you with? What is a typical "session" like with your trainer? Any information you could give about your experience with a trainer would be great.

Thanks!

[inhisgrip]

Re: Do you have a Personal Trainer?

Somebody? Anybody?

[qbu]

Re: Do you have a Personal Trainer?

Sorry, I can't help with this...I don't have a personal trainer. There aren't any gyms in my area. Closest is about an hour away.

I'd love to have a personal trainer. My thoughts are that the trainer would be able to help with doing things the proper way and keeping me going when I feel like I've had enough.

I believe that ValidRouge (Joy) was working with a personal trainer. You may want to PM her and ask her about her experiences.

Best of luck!

[julirama723]

Re: Do you have a Personal Trainer?

I don't have a trainer. There is a trainer at my gym, but she is not a trainer in the sense that you hire her for sessions. She is salaried by the gym, and so if you have questions, you wait until she's free and she helps you out! She helped me get started with lifting weights, and early on when I had questions or wanted to change up my program, she was always there to help.

If you can afford it, a trainer is a great idea to get you started. They can create a program/regimen for you, and help you with form and posture. However, I'm not under the impression that a trainer is neccessary ALL the time, especially if you are motivated! Based on your workouts, I'd say that you are definitely motivated! Maybe have a couple of sessions with the trainer to get a basic program, and then go it alone, checking in with the trainer every few months.

[ValidRouge]

Re: Do you have a Personal Trainer?

He, Liz. I have been using the personal trainers at the student fitness center at the college where I work. I've had mixed opinion with the three I've worked with. The first two were part of a class where they were learning how to be personal trainers. I wasn't a paying customer and they had a set lesson plan, so while there was *some* personalization, they had set steps they had to do each week. It was an okay experience. I was a bit disappointed as they didn't give me "homework" to do when i wasn't working out with them. Each week we'd do some different exercise. I wish they'd given me specific things to do. I'm much better off if given tasks as opposed to makign it up on my own.

This last semester, I hired one of the student personal trainers at the fitness center who work for pay, as opposed to working for a grade. I have had a much better experience with him. We started out by sitting down and talking about my goals and objectives. I told him that my eating plan was not something up for debate, or negotiation. We only discuss nutrition on general terms, so that works well. I also told him I was already running and training for a marathon, so I wanted him to focus on strength training. As far as fitness goes, we started out doing a bunch of physical fitness tests, weight, body fat percentage, etc. Then each week he designs a workout. I actually meet with him twice a week. (it's affordable at the student fitness center--unlike what the trainers at Gold's is going to charge). He shows me how to use all the equipment, and he does some partner type exercises with me like medicine ball toss. Umm, he spots me and counts LOL

Here is what I get out the PT:
1) Accountability. If I'm PAYING him to work with me...I'll SHOW UP. This builds accountability into the equation (which I need). You could get the same out of an "accountability partner' (friend, coworker, etc.). I would get someone who is not such a good friend, though, that the'll just accept it if you don't show up...
2) Someone to count. Seriously....this is hard for me. LOL
3) Someone to spot me when working with higher weights.
4) Variety. Left up to me, I'd do the same thing over and over. He is always coming up with new stuff to do which keeps my body guessing and keeps me from getting bored.

[kelly50]

Re: Do you have a Personal Trainer?

I have used a personal trainer (PT) off and on for the last 7 months and have really felt it was worth the expense.

As Valid said, because I was paying for this service I always showed up for my exercise. The PT showed me how to lift the weights properly. I found out I had been doing some of them with wrong form for years. No wonder I had hurt myself in the past... The PT keeps me challenged. Left on my own, I would not push myself as much to continually improve.

Finding a PT you "click" with is also important. Interview a few before you decide on one.

[Momof3greatgirls]

Re: Do you have a Personal Trainer?

I have a personal trainer, and she pushes me to do things I would not do on my own. Like push ups She is funny, she says walk on the treadmill, I say can't do the steps....She wins
she says we are going to do push ups, I say I cannot do push ups, we do pushups I need to be pushed. I see her 2 times a week.

Amy

[jrnyback2life]

Re: Do you have a Personal Trainer?

Hi, I am also part of Golds, which is now Urban Active in Tennessee, i have had a trainer in the past but because i wasn't sure what i was doing or what i could demand of them, i basically wasted $1000 with some chick who did the same thing i was capable of doing -- going to a machine putting weights i could lift and counting to 12, resting and doing it again.

Its been about 3 years and this time i went in knowing what i wanted but more important what i needed from them. I went in firmly and with the expectation of if i wasn't happy they would be hearing from me. I spoke honestly about what i needed from them. I told them that what i needed from them was accountability, motivation, and determination that i myself easily can lack. I wanted their interest not just the knowledge of me when i walked in for my 30 minute session. I told the guy, that if i wasn't happy, at 180 bucks a month, they would hear from me. I told him that i wanted to learn from my trainer not just be put through motions, i wanted someone to explain when i asked questions and have the knowledge of what they were doing beyond fixing the weight on a machine. I told him honestly that i am a whiner and an excuse maker when it comes to exercising and that i will do everything in my power NOT to exercise if it were left up to me, and i told him after taking a deep breath lol that i wanted them to produce results and then i told him my goals. After all this, i asked him a very simple question -- so now that you know all of that why should i hire you?

This time around, things are going awesome. My schedule is for a year, i have 4 months of 3xs a week 1/2 hour sessions, 4 months 1x a week 1/2 hour session, and then once every other week for 180 bucks a month.

The guy worked out with me for free for 3 sessions to get a feel for what i did and how i was etc so he could put me with a trainer he felt right about. All of the trainers at our gym are college certified trainers, and are required to keep up with mandatory CLEs. They all have answered my questions, the first time my regular trainer and i got together we spent the half hour just talking taking measurements etc and that was after she and the guy spoke about what i had told him. My trainer if she doesn't know an answer will seek out the information and send it to me, we are in contact through email and phone even when we aren't training. She has my fitday link so she goes in and looks at the food, while she concerned with healthy eating she has never downplayed Atkins. She recently sent me a link regarding cardio interval training I had brought up to her. She pushes me but she is aware one thing i never whine about is when i have pain, and i have a LOT of pain having bad knees, ankles and shoulder.

She is conscious of all of this and still managers to accomplish my losing 13 inches in 6 weeks with only losing 4 pounds, without being on plan or doing cardio or drinking water.

If you choose to embark on a personal trainer, do your homework about where you are at, ask questions, tell them YOUR expectations and be aware of what you want from them. They work for you, despite their ability to torture you, you need to be getting what your money is paying for. Be firm and learn from what they are teaching you by asking questions and understanding.

My trainer refuses to do the weight machines, she uses the balls, rope thingies, and free weights and my own weight as resistance, when i asked her why she said because the machines only work one muscle at a time but what she does is concentrated with your core as your balance because its more natural to what you do anyway.

Its all what you want, and what you expect.

Hope this helps,

[inhisgrip]

Re: Do you have a Personal Trainer?

Wow, thanks for all the feedback guys.

Joy, your list of things your trainer does for you fits what I want a trainer to do for me! Especially the accountability and variety aspects.

Journey, that is exactly what I'm looking for in a trainer... accountability and knowledge. The way you and your trainer keep in touch through email and such is awesome. That builds in more of a relationship so that you want to work hard for her. And checking your fitday is great too! That's what I need a trainer to do... someone to whoop my butt in the gym, but also geninuely care about my success. $180/month seems very reasonable. You hired this trainer through your gym, Urban Active? At Gold's I was told it would be $40-50/session, 2x a week, so that adds up to $320/month, on the low end! The money is what's holding me back the most but I know it would be worth it in the end. I'll let you guys know when I make a decision.

Thanks for all your input.

[jrnyback2life]

Re: Do you have a Personal Trainer?

Hi Liz, my gym was gold's when i signed up for the trainer, go in and tell them you are utterly poor but that you really want to dedicate to this and you want to see what type of package they can come up with for you. I told them straight out i cannot pay above such and such a month, i think i said 200 and asked them what can they do for me. This time of year they are ready in droves to work with people because this is their busiest time.

Maybe they can't but it won't hurt to give them something to work with and see where it takes you. Are you speaking to the sales person for the trainers? There usually is a head trainer who does most of the sales pitches and he is a lot more flexible with what he can and cannot offer you.