Personal trainer - waste of money?

rachaee

Hey guys, so tomorrow I'm meeting with a PT for an initial consultation. Him and his other half work together and are both competitors etc so I would consider them the real deal opposed to those personal trainers you see at the gym who seem useless! Anyway, he's expensive, but I'm having ten one to one sessions which also includes a full exercise and nutrition plan with monitoring and support etc.

Basically, I'd like to know if I'm being stupid. I'm doing this because I want to learn how to lift properly and although I try my hardest to eat clean, I don't eat enough or I end up eating crap so feel I need educating. I'm currently 5'5 140 and I run, spin and box. Do you think it's a waste for me to pay out on this? My friends think I'm crazy but I feel like I need that guidance to get serious. Thoughts?

jwdieter

If having a PT gives you the confidence to get started lifting, and you'd just stick to cardio otherwise, it's a great investment.

If the PT gives you a bunch of silly glorified cardio/balance exercises and random BS diet advice, like most PTs do, you wasted money.

Best of luck!

rachaee

If having a PT gives you the confidence to get started lifting, and you'd just stick to cardio otherwise, it's a great investment.

If the PT gives you a bunch of silly glorified cardio/balance exercises and random BS diet advice, like most PTs do, you wasted money.

Best of luck!

Well this is my worry! I guess il have to trust him!

iPlatano

Wel.. I learned how to properly lift through youtube but would say try it for a month or two if you are lost when it comes to weigh training.,

NightWriteMermaid

I loved my personal trainer when I had her. She was incredibly talkative, which helped me during the more intense work-outs. She was also able to customise work-outs around my health conditions. All-in-all, if you feel like it would help, go for it. No harm in trying, right? And if he seems untrustworthy, you don't have to continue to work with him.

HaraldurB

I just bought a beginners package. 3 sessions with a personal trainer because I wanted to start strength training and was wanting a program so I'd know what I was doing when at the gym. The first session was checking my BF% and do exercises to see what muscles were weak and needed to be strengthened. Today was my second session where he made me try out the exercises and figured out how much weight I should try and how often I should do each set and so on. He also explained how to do it and what muscles each exercise was using. And the third session he's going to show me even more exercises. The point I'm trying to make is that if I hadn't bought that beginners package then I'd probably would have started just doing something without really knowing if I was doing it right or what muscles I'd be training. But now I have a program so when I go to the gym I know what I'm going to do and how often. And in the future if I think I need improvement I can just buy a single session from him. I'm not willing to have a personal trainer full time because I don't want to be dependent on him but if that's what you think will keep you going and push you onward then go for it. Just make sure he knows what he's doing. If you are able to get reviews from others about him even better. Anyway, good luck and I'm sure it will all work out well

pinkshiningstar

I had a trainer for a while. I dumped him.

My advice? Don't be afraid to say "no thank you". If the pricing seems steep, it probably is. Don't get roped in with a trainer that trains you during cardio - waste of time and money. My trainer would have me come in early to do a warm up on my own, and then our session would start. I liked that.

When I joined my new gym, I did the consultation. The fees were outrageous. Absolutely outrageous. I kindly said no, and I don't regret it. I constantly see the trainers standing with clients while they walk on the treadmill. Why??

Good luck!

rm33064

I wouldn't recommend a pt for a beginner unless you know you will have a hard time hitting the gym consistently, in which case it helps some people to have that appointment with the trainer. Otherwise there is just so much great information available online for beginners that it really is a waste of money paying someone to count your reps for you. Hit up bodybuilding.com for a wealth of information on proper form, nutrition, suggested workouts, and so on. Educate yourself a little and do what appeals to you, not what some meat head that took some bs online course tells you is best. If you stick with and become truly advanced then you will benefit by working with a proper strength and conditioning coach, like professional athletes do.

Mary407

I'm all for working with a trainer, which I've now been doing for about 2 months and LOVING, but make sure the person you work with is the right fit for you. The first trainer I met with at my gym, did a fitness assessment and then two workouts with, was not a good fit. She was nice enough, but just a bad fit. I now work with someone who is fantastic. The education factor is great, but as others note, much of that can come from books and videos. But it's a steeper learning curve with a trainer, and one that involves accountability and measured progress.

Something I found very interesting when I started getting more involved with MFP and reading more posts is the number of really successful people (those who achieved / maintained weight and health goals) who said that things really changed when they started working with a trainer. It's something you hear a lot, and it's starting to happen for me, which I love.

Best of luck to you!

Mary407

I had a trainer for a while. I dumped him.

My advice? Don't be afraid to say "no thank you". If the pricing seems steep, it probably is. Don't get roped in with a trainer that trains you during cardio - waste of time and money. My trainer would have me come in early to do a warm up on my own, and then our session would start. I liked that.

When I joined my new gym, I did the consultation. The fees were outrageous. Absolutely outrageous. I kindly said no, and I don't regret it. I constantly see the trainers standing with clients while they walk on the treadmill. Why??

Good luck!

This is a great point re value added time and wasted time. I warm up before I meet my trainer, then lift with him for 60 minutes, then after he takes off I do all my core stuff (20-30 mins abs, etc.) on my own. Never pay to have someone there when you stretch, do cardio, etc. On the flip side, I have a few post-surgical issues, and having a trained person be able to adapt weight training to allow me to get maximum benefit without pain - that's worth the money! And losing more than a dress size with only a pound drop in weight helps remind me that lifting really is the key!

r3ban1x

My experience with a PT was great. I have always worked out but wasn't getting results and figured out I wasn't pushing myself at all. She pushed me harder than I thought possible for my body and I saw results. Now I used a youtube channel but am glad I worked with a trainer for the short time I did. I know I can push harder and do better and may not have figured it out without her motivation.

chaNyn613

I love my trainer! I told him up front I didn't need him for motivation but for variety. I see him 2x a month to get new routines, ask questions, and check my progress. He explains the excercise and which muscle it challenges. And my routines are never out of someones else's playbook. (My challenge is my diet and learning to eat healthy on the road.) He never pushes me to sign up for a package. Its a pay as we go partnership. I can bring in new excercises I‘ve found in magazines, pinterest, or in the gym and we will incorporate them into the new routine if applicable to my goals. He knows my level of fitness and pushes me. At some point, I usually glare at him and tell him I will be texting a few choice thoughts when the inevitable DOMS set in. Plus his attitude about women is great. He believes a woman should have muscles and curves. At one time, I was close to my gw and I started to talk about dropping 10-15 more lbs and he told me he wouldn't train me because it would not be in my best interest healthwise. That was an eye opener.

I do have a few guidelines¦ never use a friend as a trainer. Its much harder to "break up" when you are friends, try to get a trainer who has their own gym and not the gym you work out in. You need to see if you can maintain the motivation on your own (once you feel comfortable with the excercises) and the break up factor again. See if the trainer is willing to do the beginner package and then drop down to a couple or 3x a month. If they want to see you EVERY time then what are they really teaching you?

I agree with previous posters, I complete my warm up before I meet with the trainer and I do cardio on my own. Although, I did have him examine my running gait and correct my form. But many stores that cater to runners will do that for free. As for stretching out, I do let him stretch me. He does a much better job and frankly I'm tired and it feels good.

Personal training works for some people, not so much for others, and sometimes you find you enjoy the expertise but not the expert and need to try someone else.

ka97

Easily one of the best decisions I've ever made.

Very important though - clearly identify your goals, find a trainer that is focused on helping you achieve those goals, and also find a trainer that is the right fit for you. I met with several before I started, and wasn't really sure. And then I met the right one, and I knew immediately it was a good fit.

rybo

If they are a good trainer and their style fits your interests they are worth every penny. People throw tons of money at gadgets gimmicks and supplements but shy away from trainers. A good trainer isn't cheap, they need to put food on their tables too.

ninerbuff

Money is wasted if you follow instruction you receive and get no results. Key word here is "follow".

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

ShibaEars

I have worked with my trainer for just over 2 years, and I love her. I wouldn't be where I am today (fitness wise) without her. I used to meet with her twice a week, but now just once a week.

I find I push myself harder when I'm working out with her, and then it motivates me for the rest of the week's workouts. We started doing heavy lifting at the beginning of the year, and I know there's no way I would've ever been able to do it on my own. I was pretty clueless about weight lifting, and I was too intimidated to just do it on my own at the gym.

I do my warm up on my own, lift weights with my trainer, then do cardio in my own workouts on different days of the week. My trainer always has new exercises to incorporate into my workout.

I definitely think personal training is worth the money, but you have to find someone you're comfortable with that understands your specific goals and can motivate you the way you need to be motivated (some people are into being yelled at, some people need someone quieter :laugh: )