Personal training : yes or no?

kariplz

Is the cost of a personal trainer worth it? I live on a tight budget and was weighing the cons and pros of a personal trainer. If you had/have one, was it worth it?
Is having an "online trainer" the same ?

Gerbsxyng412

Yes for me and no on the online trainer I did that for 6 months last year

Swolfwood

Nope, I usually check the men's health for se tips or I'll YouTube some tips. Hasn't let me down yet

StealthHealth

It depends on why you feel you need a PT.

My opinion.

To work on form for a specific exercise or exercises - maybe. You can get a lot of good information online but having someone knowledgeable to watch you and tell you where you are going wrong, to give you the queue points and helping you to remember, and routinely use those, is invaluable and can prevent problems down the line.

To build a routine - maybe. But this, IMHO, is more suited to advanced trainees with well defined goals. For weight loss or general fitness there is so much free stuff out there in internetland that you would probably be better working out what you want to achieve, how much time you have, and what you enjoy and then asking on here.

For motivation - No. You can't buy that stuff.

Is having an online trainer the same? - No. Very different.

CricketClover

I currently have one. She looks at my food log and tells me where to tweak it, she works me hard but is very nice and friendly about it. I honestly was only going to hire her for a month but now that month is over I am going to retain her for at least a couple more months. She said I could lose 10 lbs a month but I have been losing about 1.5 lbs a week, when she was on vacation and I didn't meet with her (only meet once a week), I didn't lose anything. I am happy with 1.5 lbs a week since I am at a normal BMI now, I was actually overweight when I met her!

So, long story short, I am glad I have hired her. She has been a great motivator, I know I could (and have) do this on my own but her knowledge and help with form etc is so worth it for me.

DreesPerformanceTraining

It depends what you need help with. Some are good, some aren't, but that is true with any profession.

If you need help with technique, hiring a trainer can be beneficial.

If your technique is good and you need accountability and/or programming, hiring an online trainer can be helpful.

LivingtheLeanDream

I didn't feel the need for a trainer but then I do all my workouts at home/outdoors.
Everyone is different, some like to have a trainer, others are happy to do it alone. Its not necessary in my opinion.

racheljonel

I love my trainer. I just won't do it, or do it as well, on my own. Call it lazy, weak, whatever.....I work so much harder if I have someone standing there "babysitting" me through a workout.

Raptor2763

Trainers are good on technique and maybe developing a routine. Much of that you can find online, like on Nutrition Authority or just searching You Tube. If the budget's that tight, I'd ditch the personal training idea for the time being and get a pack of playing cards.

Here's what you do:
Each suit represents a different exercise, with ace and face cards counting for ten (10) reps; the numbered cards are self-explanatory and the jokers are whatever exercise you want (crunches, mason twists, etc).
Make sure you hit each of the major muscle groups with a suit and go from one card to the next. It's the constant movement that makes this exercise so difficult.

Example:
hearts = lunges
clubs = bicep curls or pushups (if you want to use plain bodyweight)
spades = mason twists
diamonds = sumo squats or goblet squats (if you want to add weight)
joker = burpees

The varieties are endless, results many and cost next to nothing.

randomtai

Its not for me. Everything I need I can get online for free minus the brovice.

Alidecker

Having a trainer helped me a lot when I got started. He helped me with my diet, held me accountable, helped me set realistic goals, and kept me from getting bored and giving up. I would agree with others, it depends on what you need.

mealohaoe

It's working for me. I'm stronger than I was 2 months ago and I have more motivation to get to the gym the rest of the week. Plus, I'm learning how to use equipment and do exercises safely that I wasn't aware of. I tried online trainers, many different ones, but they don't push me. I can make excuses online that I can't pull off in person. And, since it's a bit more expensive, I really feel guilty if I try to skip a session.

x311Tifa

So far, I've found it very beneficial. Having another person, who sees me 4 times a week to workout (2 training sessions, 2 classes through the gym) holds me accountable to show up. My lazy tendencies get me in trouble. Having someone in real life (sorry MFP) helps me far greater. Eventually, I know I won't need it, but it got me started and consistent since the beginning/mid of March (sans two weeks vacation). So... I think it is worth it.

ninerbuff

kariplz wrote: »

Is the cost of a personal trainer worth it? I live on a tight budget and was weighing the cons and pros of a personal trainer. If you had/have one, was it worth it?
Is having an "online trainer" the same ?

A GOOD personal trainer will give you a session for free. That's what I do for all clients. This usually gives us both information and at the same time, see if we mesh. Hope that helps.

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

chunky_pinup

I did a free personal training session offered to all members of my gym after months of trying random things on my own and not seeing results. I ended up getting 12 sessions with her after that, and it was worth every penny. I went from having no guidance or understanding of what I needed to do, to having a plan and a mentor. I have been working with her once a week since October and have lost 40 pounds and have really been able to watch my body transform, as well as a huge gain in confidence when I am at the gym on my own. It was the best thing I ever did for my health!

rybo

A good trainer is priceless, a bad one is worthless. Most people who say they can't afford one, just don't prioritize it.

daniii756

I have a personal trainer and Im a single mom not getting any help from the father at all and i managed to put it in my budget. My trainer helps me with routines, form, pushes me through my workout and makes me break out in a good sweat. It is pricey but worth it. I workout with him 4 x a week. He also looks at my food journal and tweaks it around for me and also gives me ideas for recipes and how much or how little of a certain food group i need to eat . I lost 42lbs since November 2015 with his help pretty much all of my baby weight plus 15lbs and losing more and more

kariplz

I had an 'orientation' with a trainer and I guess I was just really turned off. She spent most of her time going over nutrition even after I explained to her that I eat and eat healthy and it's not my issue, but moving more and going out of my comfort zone at the gym is my priority. We never did a session together, she spent the whole hour going over nutrition and pushing the Gym's supplements PLUS she told me that she was training for a body building competition but she couldn't complete it because she injured her shoulder. I don't know, something told me if she injured her own shoulder working out that I'm probably not in the best hands as far as preventing injuries.

cgvet37

I have been working with a trainer for about five months now. I needed help with my nutrition more than anything. I have learned a lot, and I have a few years of experience lifting. The knowledge I have gained has been well worth the cost. Not only did I get help with my diet, but he writes programs for all of his clients. So, I'm never doing the same routine over and over. Is the internet a good source, yes. However, if you can afford it, you can not replace good face to face training and advice.

jdhcm2006

The most important piece of advice I can give is to have an idea of what you want to do, have a general idea of how you may want to get there, and then shop around. There's no need to pick the first trainer you meet.

I'm with 2 different trainers right now (one for pole and one for weights). My pole trainer is absolutely worth every penny and I will be with her until the end of time. I also invest in a online pole trainer, but it's apples and tofu, completely different. I use the online tool to supplement what I'm learning in my privates. For example, if I forget exactly how to get into a move, I'll go to the pole website and watch her video and it will jump start my memory.

I'm probably going to search for a different trainer to help me with weights because I'm not getting what I want out of it. Right now, I can't justify the cost for the trainer helping me with weights which lets me know that although he's a good trainer, he's not good for me.

The only piece of food advice I took from a trainer was to up my protein, which truthfully, I already knew I needed to do that. I flat out told one trainer that he didn't even need to mention nutrition to me because I wasn't going to take his advice anyway so there was no need to waste both of our time.

SonyaCele

i love my trainer.