Is a personal trainer worth the money?

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Hanlonx
Hanlonx Posts: 53 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi!

Just wondering if a personal trainer is worth the money? I have a few at my gym that have said to me about their rates ect. just not sure if they are worth it!

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  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    There is no definitive answer to your question....it really depends on you. When I was getting back into Olympic lifting I found it very worth it to have a PT to coach me on proper form....but for myself, I'm pretty damned familiar with how to work out and push myself on my own so I don't need one to workout with every single day...I just needed a form coach for a limited time.

    It depends on you and what you're trying to accomplish. It also depends on the PT...there are a lot of great ones, a lot of good ones, and a lot of really ****ty ones.
  • Hanlonx
    Hanlonx Posts: 53 Member
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    There is no definitive answer to your question....it really depends on you. When I was getting back into Olympic lifting I found it very worth it to have a PT to coach me on proper form....but for myself, I'm pretty damned familiar with how to work out and push myself on my own so I don't need one to workout with every single day...I just needed a form coach for a limited time.

    It depends on you and what you're trying to accomplish. It also depends on the PT...there are a lot of great ones, a lot of good ones, and a lot of really ****ty ones.

    I'm basically looking to lose 8lbs and tone up! Would classes and a few odd gym sessions alone help me achieve this? The classes are Spin, Pump, Aerobics, Intensity, Kettlebells, Bootcamp and Fast abs. I can work in classes fine just when I am alone I need that extra push!
  • derik999
    derik999 Posts: 73
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    If you are going to do kettle-bells I would get in touch with a certified RKC instructor. Most personal trainers have no idea what they are doing in that department and using kettle-bells is a skill that needs to be learned with a good trainer. KB can kick your *kitten* if you have the motivation. Don't shy away from resistance training with weights either.
  • Hanlonx
    Hanlonx Posts: 53 Member
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    If you are going to do kettle-bells I would get in touch with a certified RKC instructor. Most personal trainers have no idea what they are doing in that department and using kettle-bells is a skill that needs to be learned with a good trainer. KB can kick your *kitten* if you have the motivation. Don't shy away from resistance training with weights either.

    It is a kettlebells class, when I wont be in a class I will be using weights for legs, arms, belly ect.

    I would be looking to get a personal trainer from the gym I am currently using (Pure Gym)

    Could I get the results I want doing what what I am already doing? (Just started back again)
  • derik999
    derik999 Posts: 73
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    If you get a trainer get one that can teach you proper squat form. At least to parallel, preferably rock bottom. Squats will take care of your legs and work more than just the legs since you have to learn to stabilize your midsection as well. You can start out with body weight squats and move on to a barbell when you are ready. I wouldn't bother with anything like leg extensions or leg curls. In fact I would avoid machines altogether.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    I'm basically looking to lose 8lbs and tone up! Would classes and a few odd gym sessions alone help me achieve this? The classes are Spin, Pump, Aerobics, Intensity, Kettlebells, Bootcamp and Fast abs. I can work in classes fine just when I am alone I need that extra push!
    Losing 8 lbs. will be more about your eating than your gym habits, but the classes and workouts should help you accomplish your goals, too. Do you like group fitness? If so, I don't think you need a personal trainer. Or if you need to or want to work out alone, you can certainly find good workouts in books or online, and learn what you need to.

    If you don't have the discipline to do your workouts without a PT appointment, I think you might find ways to cancel those appointments, too.

    My very limited experience with a PT (one free session) was she wasn't going to be worth the money, for me. I can design my own workout and count my own reps and chart my own progress. But I bet some trainers are terrific and worth their cost. My gym employed college kids, I think. I think it's mostly a high profit, upsell item for gyms.
  • anewstart1011
    anewstart1011 Posts: 72 Member
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    It depends on you. For me right now in my journey no but I spent money on a trainer when I was not quite ready. . .
  • cosmichvoyager
    cosmichvoyager Posts: 237 Member
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    If you are going to pay for a trainer, definitely research them first and make sure they have certification from a reputable place like the American College of Sports Medicine. A lot of gym ones are kinda meh, imo.
    I do not respond well to "bully" trainers who think if you want to lose weight you also want to undergo some boot camp torture process. A lot of what alienated me from fitness as a child was the feeling I was being punished for being fat by having to run laps in gym class. Being able to enjoy exercise and let go of that baggage has been amazing.

    I have a supportive, instructional trainer who teaches me new exercises, corrects my form, tracks my progress and empowers me to feel accountable for my own success. I can walk into a gym and not feel scared, overwhelmed, intimidated or embarrassed because now I know a bunch of exercises and can use the equipment, etc.
  • srmchan
    srmchan Posts: 206 Member
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    I have a supportive, instructional trainer who teaches me new exercises, corrects my form, tracks my progress and empowers me to feel accountable for my own success. I can walk into a gym and not feel scared, overwhelmed, intimidated or embarrassed because now I know a bunch of exercises and can use the equipment, etc.

    This - and I'll add it depends on personal knowledge and budget as well. On the financial side, I would never, ever go into debt for training; I consider it a luxury. As for my own experience, I'd never lifted and didn't know what cardio meant. My idea of exercise was getting on a bicycle or treadmill and going as hard as I could for as long as I could. Being somewhat overweight, I'm also intimidated by the gym so having a trainer has really helped me get comfortable there. I believe my trainer knows when I'm wimping out vs when I really can't continue, he knows I want to "keep it simple" with respect to the types of exercises (I was overwhelmed by my first trainer who threw too many new things at me week-to-week), he holds me accountable with simple questions like "will you be here tomorrow? what are you going to do?", and he doesn't mind helping off-the-clock if he happens to be in the gym and available. For example, I was doing a flexibility exercise incorrectly the other day and he walked over and very respectfully gave me a few pointers. He's also been very focused on helping me get my form correct - especially on the squat.

    If I could afford it, I'd hire him to work with me on all my strength training sessions. For now, I'm happy with 1 hour per week and doing the rest on my own.

    Sam
  • jennyofmiller
    jennyofmiller Posts: 6
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    I would rather try to figure out more about personal trainer in a way to do one training with him and to estimate if he or she is going to help me achieving my goals. But, I am sure personal trainer will discipline you and it is always better when you exercise with someone. As you might want to spend less time , you can try with online personal trainer. You can contact them and see who most fits your needs. I found one online personal trainer I can exercise with. At first, I was skeptical but I tried first free online personal training because I did not have anything to lose. I am still working with him and it turns out to be a very positive new experience for me. You can try as well, just type InShape Online.
  • kristenpi88
    kristenpi88 Posts: 2 Member
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    Could always be helpful to get a personal trainer to learn the exercises you need to do to achieve what you are looking for. And then after that you can workout on your own cause you will have learned what you need! Thats what I did, and it worked out!
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    Hi!

    Just wondering if a personal trainer is worth the money? I have a few at my gym that have said to me about their rates ect. just not sure if they are worth it!

    Depends laregly on what you want, but equally what the PTs focus is. Taking a view from many of the discussions here, some trainers seem to have a bit of a One True Way(tm) approach, whether it suits you and your obbjectives or not.

    If you think you'd benefit, have some conversations, find out about their philosophy and that should at the same time help you to clarify what you want. Much of this is about how the relationship feels to you as the client.
  • ColePens
    ColePens Posts: 194 Member
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    From my perspective...

    Money was available in my budget to workout and I believe your body is the best investment you can make. I pay $200 a month for 1x a week personal trainer and gym membership. I also made sure to request a personal trainer that fit my needs. We don't just go machine to machine. We work out 45 minutes once a week and we talk about my eating habits & schedule for workouts. It's like having a partner there to help you stay focused and motivated towards goals.

    My workouts are sports related or for explosive movements. So I need a trainer because a lot of it is tiring out the muscles and doing activity while they are tired. So i'll go straight from a flat bench to 10 burpees to a push up plank just to see how my muscles react. Not only has my body transformed, my strength/form/nutrition got better too.

    So it's all about what you personally need. Here are some questions I'd ask myself:
    1) Is the money available?
    2) Is the time available?
    3) What is your focus? What do you want your trainer to focus on?
    4) Does the gym you go to have that type of trainer?
    5) What is your commitment to this process?
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    A good personal trainer is worth every cent.
    A bad one is worthless.

    Do your homework in choosing one
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
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    Hi!

    Just wondering if a personal trainer is worth the money? I have a few at my gym that have said to me about their rates ect. just not sure if they are worth it!

    Depends on the trainer.

    If at a big box, Globo gym, probably not.
    If they are working out of a private gym? Probably.

    Talk to them. Review your available budget for it, and that will let you set expectation of what you can afford. I'm working with a strength coach, and the cost is well worth it.
  • nessa3983
    nessa3983 Posts: 34
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    I think it's totally worth it. I was surprised at how wrong my form was on certain things. They can also give you routines that work you more in less time. I did pt classes for a month and I'm so glad I did.
  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
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    A good personal trainer is worth every cent.
    A bad one is worthless.

    Do your homework in choosing one
    This x100!
  • epido
    epido Posts: 353 Member
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    My trainer is worth every penny I pay him, and then some! I meet with him twice a week, for about an hour each time. Along with whatever workout he has planned for me that day, we talk about diet, and what I am doing on the days I don't meet with him. He's more than happy to answer any questions I have, whether it is during a session, or via text/email in between sessions.

    I opted for a PT because I didn't have a clue where to start, what to do, or how to do it. I also like the accountability I get from it. I have tried to loose weight on my own in the past, and for various reasons, just wasn't successful. I am sure there are several different factors that are playing into my success this time around, but I definitely believe hiring a trainer is one of the bigger ones!

    It's not for everyone, so only you can decide if it would really be beneficial for you. If you do decide to go for it, do your homework. Find out what you can about the trainer or trainers you are interested in working with. Realize that no matter how good they look on paper, if your personalities clash, that can be a big problem. If it is a trainer that is at the gym you go to, talk to some of the people who workout with them to get an idea of how they interact with their clients. Make sure you find the trainer that is the best fit for you! A good trainer is worth their weight in gold, a bad trainer...not so much.
  • in4nomz
    in4nomz Posts: 230
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    It definitely depends on the gym/trainer. I had a trainer once and she was a middle aged lady (nothing against older women here!!) and she was the size of my leg. I felt she was absolutely no help to me at all, and a tooooootal waste of money.

    But it all depends on your goals and if you really need to extra push and guidance of a trainer. And if you can afford it of course :smile:

    Do your homework, figure out what you really want to accomplish and go from there.

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