Is a personal trainer worth it?

TinyJimbo

I suffer from depression and I wish to work out more. Doing it alone is very hard and I don't have any friend to work out with.
I could work with a personal trainer once a week, with a Gym membership.
It's expensive, but would motivate me and make it easier.

Anyone have experience with personal trainers? Is it completely unnecessary?

akboy58

I'm a big fan of my personal trainer. He's pushed me to do things in the gym that I would NEVER EVER in a million years have tackled on my own, and I see the the progressive benefits every day, in my weight, in my (increasing) level of fitness, and, frankly, in my mood and general outlook. It's not cheap, but for me it's well worth the money. On the other hand, he's the only trainer I've ever worked with, and I know from hearsay that not every PT experience is a positive one; so it's important to choose the right one. Search the subject on the forums here, it's been discussed a lot. Good luck!

kathrynjean_

I think that whether a PT is "worth it" or not is completely dependent on individual circumstances. You've articulated some things that make it seem like it could be worth it for you - but really you're the only one who make that call.

I will say that the idea of hiring a PT is not, at least for me, motivating in and of itself. How would having a PT motivate you? Is it feeling like you need to get your money's worth for something you paid for or is it needing to feel accountable to someone else? This is something to consider, and I think that it would also be important to go for a consultation with more than one trainer to see how your personalities mesh.

Personally, I think that I would try to motivate myself first before paying for a PT if I didn't have a specific goal of something I was looking to accomplish. When I've been at my lowest points mental health wise, I try to get out of the house once a day to go for a walk. Start small and see what happens from there.

But, that's just my two cents, and if you have the money and desire to hire a PT, it may very well be worth it for YOU.

cwolfman13

It depends on you and also depends on the trainer. Like any other profession, there are good trainers and bad trainers...it took me almost two years and a few different trainers to really find one that clicked and then it was off to the races.

The right trainer is only one piece of the puzzle though...it ultimately comes down to you...I look for my trainer to introduce me to new training stimulus...to push me when I think I'm done...to provide me with a solid program...to correct errors in form or help me improve my form, etc. Ultimately, I still have to put in the work and have to be self motivated...I only workout once every couple weeks with him...that's still a whole mess of work I have to get done on my own and have to be motivated to do so.

Egger29

I was a trainer myself for 15 years and would say the biggest thing is to find someone who is properly qualified and stays current with what's up to date in the fitness world. Anyone and their Dog can become "certified" these days, and there are alot of people out there who are just gym rats training people to "Just do what I do" kind of thing.

A good trainer will go over your individual needs and goals and work with you towards achieving those goals, pushing and encouraging you to do more than you'd have ever thought possible on your own, guiding you through your development and tracking your progress so that you can see Constant, Measured Improvement in numerous areas of your fitness.

As well, you want someone who will re-evaluate your goals as you progress and not just be looking for another pay-day.

DOn't be afraid to "shop around" and find someone who you feel good with. A lot of gyms simply have trainers to "make workouts fun" for people who don't really care to be there in the first place, but in my view, that's just a money-making scheme rather than a focus on the individual's needs/goals.

Find someone who will teach you how to be the best version of yourself through longterm, complete lifestyle changes and not just someone who will "babysit you" through your gym workouts.

That being said, even the most experienced exercises can learn something new from someone else when keeping an open mind. That's why, the best trainers are always learning new things themselves to pass on to the members/clients in their gyms.

Good Luck!

maninny

I enjoy my PT. She is always adding new things to my work outs and that really helps keep it fun. I work out by myself most days but I really look forward to the days I work with her!

Ready2Rock206

Deepens on you and the trainer. The one I have now is worth his weight in gold. I've had a couple in the past that were less helpful.

VeryKatie

When a trainer told me the thought that 3 months of once a week sessions was worth $6000 out of my pocket, I walked away.

cwolfman13

VeryKatie wrote: »

When a trainer told me the thought that 3 months of once a week sessions was worth $6000 out of my pocket, I walked away.

I've never heard of a trainer being this expensive...except maybe the trainers to the stars or something...

lorrpb

If would motivate you and get you out, it's worth it!

vingogly

I worked with a personal trainer over a period of about a year and a half -- she taught me a lot of exercise options I wouldn't have known about otherwise. Paying for sessions and having to make appointments helped me stay motivated and accountable. If I were rich, I'd still be working with one. For me, it was definitely worth it.

Momanjb

After going through post partum depression with my 3rd son the last thing I wanted was to leave my house. It took me a long time to get back to feeling myself. I signed up with Beachbody and got a home workout program and signed up with an awesome coach. She put me into challenge groups and pushes me and motivates me daily to get my workouts in. I've lost 37 lbs so far. And I only started the beginning of the summer! plus with 3 little ones it's hard to find time to go to the gym. still have more weight to lose but I'm getting there

canadianlbs

i took about a year to become an informed consumer about the kind of trainer i was looking for. up until then i'd observed several at work in my gym with other clients, and attended a few workshops/classes run by others. i didn't seriously consider hiring one until i knew why i wanted one and what kind of person i wanted them to be. to me, personal 'fit' is the vital factor. i could get the technical knowledge from any of the people i'd already watched, but i wouldn't ever have had more than a professional relationship with any of them.

that could just be me. but i don't spend 40 hours a week among professional relationships just to add yet another one to the 'me' time that i spend in the gym. so i found someone whose setup and personality fits me really well and i'm happy that i did hold out that long.

deluxmary2000

VeryKatie wrote: »

When a trainer told me the thought that 3 months of once a week sessions was worth $6000 out of my pocket, I walked away.

What trainer is $400 per session?!!?

Cahgetsfit

I have had great experience with personal trainer - she taught me the correct form and all that so that i can now basically go off and do stuff - if new stuff I just watch it on youtube first but still have the base down so that I can try new stuff with decent form.

I only saw her once every 6 weeks or so due to expensiveness, HOWEVER - the cheaper ones from my gym are not worth it in my opinion.

I suggest you do your research before getting any old PT

jolive7

I am a big advocate of using a PT to start out, but I guess I am a little biased as my partner is my trainer! My advice, a lot of trainers offer shorter complimentary introduction classes, ask about that. It will allow you the chance to get a feel for the trainer, ask a bunch of questions with no obligations.