Personal Trainer - Worth It?

Wookinpanub
Wookinpanub Posts: 635 Member
edited February 25 in Fitness and Exercise
I am halfway home and from what I read the last 10-20 lbs are the toughest to lose. I belong to the YMCA and they offer personal trainer for a variety of sessions. I have lost 30+ on my own thru cardio and self taught on weights. Do you think they are worth it to get those last 20 lbs off and to possible show you better lifting methods for better results - ie more definition?

Replies

  • Adc7225
    Adc7225 Posts: 1,318 Member
    I have hired PT several times during this process . . . what I get from them is a clear exercise program that works for MY BODY! People will offer advise on what you need to do, what you should do and how you should do it - it always worth exactly what I paid for it :smile:

    I would offer that you talk with the available trainers and see what type of plan they may have in mind for you, each trainer may use a different process and then pick one that you are comfortable with. For me the last trainer I used was for me to start strength training but I wanted things I could do at home, and using only weights.

    Good luck!
  • Walter__
    Walter__ Posts: 518 Member
    You have to choose wisely. I think too many personal trainers either don't give good enough advice, or they are just plain bad. From what I've seen at my gym, I do not need to be trained by them. Some have left me unimpressed, and others have made me want to slap the hell out of them because of how bad their methods were. For example, one personal trainer at my gym had a beginner doing weighted barbell squats non-stop for 4 minutes. He literally told the guy to keep going for 4 minutes without stopping or racking the bar. Keep in mind this was a beginner who he had absolutely no foundation on how to squat properly, and it showed - back rounding, not going to parallel, feet rocking back and forth, etc etc.

    So for me personally.. If I was to find a personal trainer to improve my lifting methods then they would have to have a background in competitive powerlifting or bodybuilding. That is because at the level that I'm at, I feel that only someone involved in the sport has the experience to critique and improve my technique. I have trained for over a year; constantly studying, reading, watching videos, and putting everything I've learned into practice to improve my technique. It can't just be some random bro who started lifting weights for a few months and decided he's going to become a PT.
  • swertyqwerty
    swertyqwerty Posts: 81 Member
    It can be really expensive but if you have the money it's a good way to lose weight. The people I know in real life who changed their bodies often used personal trainers.
  • MikeInAZ
    MikeInAZ Posts: 483 Member
    Try a specialty gym that focuses on High Intensity Interval Training. Do you have Orange Theory Fitness near you? Look around on Group On/Living Social for some deals in CrossFit gyms or Boot Camps.

    You may have plateaued. Changing it up may reset you and start you on a new weight loss.

    Also, don't eat back all your exercise calories. If you burn 500, eat back 250, that will make all the difference.

    But otherwise, yeah, get a trainer for a few sessions, you'll learn some new routines and techniques. It will well worth the money!
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    Do you think they are worth it to get those last 20 lbs off and to possible show you better lifting methods for better results - ie more definition?

    While i do recommend hiring a good trainer to learn how to lift properly, i don't think it's realistic to expect to lose 20 lbs from it. Weight loss is mostly from eating the right number of calories and increasing your overall activity level, so if you're having trouble losing, that's what you probably need to change.

    Google "choosing a personal trainer" for tips on what to look for & avoid.
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