Personal trainer time?

heathereeee

I'm a member of a pretty fancy gym now thanks to my membership being free through our new apartment building. However it's been FOREVER since I got my butt to a gym regularly. I'd like someone to help me kickstart my weight loss and feel safe and comfortable in the gym environment. Is a personal trainer the answer? I did a free trial and enjoyed it actually but it's $98 per session. Yikes!

richardgavel

In my mind there are three reasons to use a personal trainer: to develop a plan, to provide advice on exercise form (especially weight lifting), to provide motivation. You have to decide what you need out of them and from that determine how many sessions it would require. But they will push hard to get you to buy lots of sessions to the point of sounding like car salesmen.

SideSteel

heathereeee wrote: »

I'm a member of a pretty fancy gym now thanks to my membership being free through our new apartment building. However it's been FOREVER since I got my butt to a gym regularly. I'd like someone to help me kickstart my weight loss and feel safe and comfortable in the gym environment. Is a personal trainer the answer? I did a free trial and enjoyed it actually but it's $98 per session. Yikes!

When you did the free trial did it increase your comfort level with being in the gym?

canadianlbs

heathereeee wrote: »

Is a personal trainer the answer?

it depends on the trainer, i think. i started out picking a programme (stronglifts 5x5) and then picking sources for teaching myself (youtube plus mark rippetoe's book starting strength). i did eventually decide to look for a trainer, but for me that didn't come until i'd gotten oriented enough to know what i wanted the trainer for.

if your apartment has a message board, you could also just put up a card or something asking for buddies or someone to mentor/orient/gymbuddy you. no imposition since those who aren't into volunteering just won't volunteer. although i guess if you got a volunteer you couldn't stand personally that might make things a little awkward as well.

jemhh

I used a PT for three sessions. He created a personalized lifting program for me and ran me through it over two of the sessions. Then he had me workout on my own for a couple of weeks before we met the third time. During that third session he answered some questions I had and made a few adjustments to the routine based on those questions and improvements I'd made (e.g., I wasn't hip hinging right in the beginning so he had me start with a superlight stick and then later I was able to so he switched me over to RDLs.)

I would say that having those sessions made me feel comfortable in the gym because I then had a program to follow and somebody had helped me enough with form that I didn't second guess myself the whole time I was there.

heathereeee

SideSteel wrote: »

When you did the free trial did it increase your comfort level with being in the gym?

Yes. I'm an anxious person and it helped me focus, feel more "normal" and not feel like a complete dunce around some of the really fit guys and gals in my gym. But now that I'm writing this, that could potentially be true of anyone who was there with me as my buddy, not necessarily a personal trainer... Hmm!

ninerbuff

heathereeee wrote: »

I'm a member of a pretty fancy gym now thanks to my membership being free through our new apartment building. However it's been FOREVER since I got my butt to a gym regularly. I'd like someone to help me kickstart my weight loss and feel safe and comfortable in the gym environment. Is a personal trainer the answer? I did a free trial and enjoyed it actually but it's $98 per session. Yikes!

Damn, that's a lot. Lol, I only charge $50 a session. What's the gym franchise?

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

SideSteel

heathereeee wrote: »

SideSteel wrote: »

When you did the free trial did it increase your comfort level with being in the gym?

Yes. I'm an anxious person and it helped me focus, feel more "normal" and not feel like a complete dunce around some of the really fit guys and gals in my gym. But now that I'm writing this, that could potentially be true of anyone who was there with me as my buddy, not necessarily a personal trainer... Hmm!

Agreed, and I was going to mention that getting a gym partner may be helpful for that very reason, but I wanted to hear your answer first since if you were to say no, the advice wouldn't be of any use.

Since having the trainer there did seem to help I would suggest you either:

a) See about getting a gym partner. Perhaps you have a friend or you know other members?
b) You could try going alone and see if you can "tough it out" for a few sessions with the assumption that you WILL gain comfort as you get used to it. Please know that MANY people are intimidated when they first start training. Hopefully your gym culture is welcoming. Many of them are, but some sadly are not.
c) You could book another session. This way you would also get additional instruction on how to train.

thunder1982

What about doing a few group classes. It may make you feel more comfortable with the gym.

serapel

I was paying $65 an hour (CDN) at Goodlife Toronto.

A PT will teach your proper form. Yes, it's worth it.

lorrpb

$98 seems like a lot for an hour (you didn't say how long your session was) but I'm sure prices vary in different areas. Many trainers have a bundled package of 5-10 sessions, prepaid, that makes the cost per session cheaper. I wouldn't recommend a year contract or anything longer than what you're comfortable with.