Personal Trainer.. Yes or No?

BrownEyedBetty

Your thoughts on personal trainers? I just started at a new gym and had my free session and they were trying to pressure me into signing up. Idk... I learned some great tips but I would rather just do my own thing.

suruda

If you are confident in building your own workout in a safe and healthy way with correct form, I would skip the PT for now. I WOULD definitely utilize one if I needed to change things up or wasn't achieving the goals I wanted to.

rainbowbow

BrownEyedBetty wrote: »

Your thoughts on personal trainers? I just started at a new gym and had my free session and they were trying to pressure me into signing up. Idk... I learned some great tips but I would rather just do my own thing.

This depends on your goals, etc.

My suggestion would be to get in with a personal trainer with the following:
1.) NOT located at a corporate gym. (In my opinion if they were fantastic personal trainers who had experience they wouldn't need a big gym's clients.)
2.) An accreditation through a reputable source such as ACE, ACSM or NASM. Preferable if they have a degree in related field.
3.) ATLEAST 5 years continuous experience in this field. (In other words this is their profession by choice and they are not just "paying their way through college")
4.) They are willing to tailor a workout plan based on YOUR needs and for your specific goals. NOT a "cookie cutter" training plan they apply to all their clients.
5.) They have a client list with before/afters or testimonials. Bonus if they have contact information or can otherwise show their methods HAVE worked and continue to work.
6.) They offer their service on a pay-as-you-go basis. In other words, you are NOT prepaying for their (potentially substandard) service and you are NEVER locked into a contract. A good trainer will make money in the business because their clients WANT to work with them NOT because they are obligated to.
First it's important to evaluate whether or not you even need personal training. Decide this first. Do you need support? Advice on training? Critique on your technique? Motivation? It's important to find out exactly why you need a trainer and the goals you intend to reach with their help. It's important to understand that continuously paying for a trainer can be unfeasible for some or simply unneeded.
In regards to why I suggest NOT working out with a corporate trainer is as follows;
*most do not have basic knowledge of nutrition and are notorious for spouting "bro science"
*most received a 1 day "certification" that any fitness enthusiast could pass
*most are required to assist you in a structured style (aka cookie cutter program) and aren't allowed the flexibility to assist you with your personal needs
*the trainers themselves make only a FRACTION of what you're paying the gym (ex. I paid 70$ for an hour with a "master trainer" at LA Fitness. He only made 15$ of that)
*most gyms will require you to sign up for a year or even TWO in a contract with outrageous prices (which don't go to the trainers)
*these gyms sales guys use harsh sales tactics and are usually not trainers. They literally provide sales services and will discuss your "goals" and then dump you on a completely different person when you go for actual training. They will convince you you're getting a fantastic deal and act as though you literally cannot walk away from the deal- but wait, this price is an exclusive offer that is only good for TODAY! Seriously, these guys care about making a sale (think a timeshare salesman or a car salesman) they do NOT care about your personal health. A common technique is them telling you how they went through some great personal transformation after an injury or life changing event.
*These trainers are usually newbies biding their time and trying to get a client base until they can work as an independent trainer.
I could go on... after working with numerous trainers and considering this field as a long-term career for myself it's my opinion that these corporate gyms aren't good for trainers and aren't good for clients either.
Best of luck!

ninerbuff

PT's are great if you're not a consistent person or lack actual knowledge on weights and machine use. You can learn online by videos, etc., but it's quite difficult to gauge your form because you may be only to see it from one or two angles at most. No one can really see what they are doing from behind unless they have a strategically placed mirror, which is rare.
Lots of place will offer you to buy sessions, but you don't have to use them on consecutive days or weeks. Many of my clients buy one session at a time, use it, then check back the next month or two to help them change to another program.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

jorinya

It's a personal decision that only you can make because you know yourself better than anyone. If you feel you would benefit then go for it! If you feel you will not be able to cope then leave it!! Its up to you!!! Good luck!!!!

AllanMisner

There are pros and cons to a personal trainer:
Pros
1) They can help you learn good form
2) They can program for you, helping make your workouts more effective
3) They can watch you and give form correcting queues
4) They can give you additional information to help you meet your goals (diet, lifestyle, etc.)
5) They can keep you accountable
6) They can make the gym less intimidating
7) They can push you to work harder than you might on your own
8) They can spot you, making certain exercises safer
9) They can be emotional support (especially when family members aren’t)

Cons
1) Some of them are compensated by upselling/cross-selling
2) Quality varies dramatically from one trainer to another
3) Some of them won’t listen to your goals, but instead will push you to their perceived end
4) Some of them don’t really have good people skills
5) Some of the forget their end goal is to get you to a point you don’t need them
6) You can spend a lot of money and not get good results

BigLifter10

AllanMisner wrote: »

There are pros and cons to a personal trainer:
Pros
1) They can help you learn good form
2) They can program for you, helping make your workouts more effective
3) They can watch you and give form correcting queues
4) They can give you additional information to help you meet your goals (diet, lifestyle, etc.)
5) They can keep you accountable
6) They can make the gym less intimidating
7) They can push you to work harder than you might on your own
8) They can spot you, making certain exercises safer
9) They can be emotional support (especially when family members aren’t)

Cons
1) Some of them are compensated by upselling/cross-selling
2) Quality varies dramatically from one trainer to another
3) Some of them won’t listen to your goals, but instead will push you to their perceived end
4) Some of them don’t really have good people skills
5) Some of the forget their end goal is to get you to a point you don’t need them
6) You can spend a lot of money and not get good results

Good list. Wish I'd have had it when I first started looking years ago.

Mezzie1024

Rainbowbow:
You have listed exactly why I haven't gotten a personal trainer. I've had a few sessions in the past that came free with various gym sign-ups, and they were awful. My current gym only sells packages of at least five sessions, doesn't guarantee you the trainer of your choice, and doesn't offer refunds for unused training sessions if you are dissatisfied with the trainer. Plus, as you said, the trainer him/herself makes a pittance compared to what the gym charges.

I feel like a trainer would be helpful now because I'm learning to work around a disability, but I haven't been able to find one that I can trust. The last thing I want is a trainer like the first one I got in college who told me -- when I was 5'5", 112 pounds fully clothed, and strong -- that I needed to lose weight. He didn't even ask what my goals were: he saw a girl and assumed I thought I was fat.

Renise01

Allan- I love that list!
To Mezzie and brown eyed beauty-
I just started work in with a personal trainer (doing small group sessions - we aren't all at the same fitness level but we workout together :-). I totally encourage you to find a trainer not associated with a large chain. Try a training gym. I definitely think you get more bang for your buck. They train the everyday person as well as athletes. The one I go to is a wonderful supportive environment. Find what works for you and be willing to do some research. And interview people. Its like you're looking for a dr. You want to find the one that works for you and your best interest.