Is it worth it to spend money for a personal trainer

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Replies

  • Alidecker
    Alidecker Posts: 1,262 Member
    Spending money on trainer for me was worth it, but I didn't pay that much. I went once a week, he wrote everything down and gave me a plan for a week. That was $55. I guess if I would have gone more than once a week, the fees would add up pretty quickly. The good points to the personal trainer were that he kept me accountable, I never got bored in the gym because he mixed my workouts up, he helped me with my diet, made sure my form was good and he was a great cheerleader. I lost 100+ pounds working with him and fell in love with being fit. The cost was the only downside, but was worth it to me. Then he up and moved to another city...he still writes up daily workouts for me and plays therapist when I get down on myself :)
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    $10k a year, that's a lot of money to agree to up front.

    With my trainer, I committed to him for a month and a half, if that didn't do me right, we'd part ways. No big deal. A year? Not happening with someone new.

    Would I commit to my current guy for a year? Yeah, in fact a week ago I tried to talk him into it. :D

    As far as cost? What is too much? 1/10th your pay? More? Less? I'd say, at my current fitness level, $10k would be too expensive.

    Broken down, 3x per week, 52 weeks a year for $10k is only $64 an hour. My consulting rate is 2x that, and my mechanic is 11 dollars an hour more. Is it a lot? Yeah, is it unreasonable? I'd say no. Would you be able to find someone just as good for less? Probably.
  • martinel2099
    martinel2099 Posts: 899 Member
    You're new to the lifting scene so a PT might not be a bad idea for 4-5 sessions. The reason to get a PT is to make it easier to learn how to do the exercises you want to get the results you want. To keep a PT longer than that is for hand holding only, there's not much they can do for you other than that.

    I honestly recommend that you look up a good 5x5 lifting program like ice cream fitness and watch youtube videos to learn how to do it. There's tons of good videos that will teach you how to dead lift, squat and much much more, all for free.

    Also be careful with PTs, not all of them know what they are talking about when it comes to nutrition.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    To keep a PT longer than that is for hand holding only, there's not much they can do for you other than that.
    That depends on those goals. If just working out is the goal, then yeah a couple tune up sessions a month are excellent. If the goal is to train for something in particular, you may get married to your trainer for a little bit. Then again, that person would be less a pt and more a coach.
  • jbrownnolan
    jbrownnolan Posts: 72 Member
    10k a year??? Hells no, not unless I am personally training with Bob Harper or Dolvett Quince. For 10g that better be one hell of a trainer. Here's an idea, go to they gym of your choice, pick out the most fit person in there (the one you would like to look like), make a deal with them "If you let me train with you 3 days a week for the next year and let me pick your brain about what it is you do to make yourself look so fantastic and fit, I will pay your membership fee for the year", that person probably knows just as much as any 10k trainer, will be waaaaay less $, and you'd make a new friend :D
  • Jambalady
    Jambalady Posts: 155 Member
    I'll answer your post in 2 parts.

    1) Is it worth it to spend money for a personal trainer? It can be. It depends on your personality. Some people have the drive, commitment and ability to research and learn how to do things themselves and they do fabulous. For me, personally, I walk into a gym and I get bored/distracted/whatever and can't make myself do what I am supposed to do even if I know how. I take classes and I have a trainer. Classes force me to work out for an hour as hard as I can because I can't just walk out of a class and because I want to keep up and not look like a fool in front of everyone. I use a personal trainer for the same reason. It forces me to exercise and helps me to focus on the areas of my body I want to change. And I am committed because I plunked down a pretty penny.

    2) Your specific trainer's package - NO WAY would I commit to a year with 10% down. That's $1,000 or 10-15 sessions that you have committed yourself to without knowing if he is effective and whether you work well together. I would find someone who will do a 3-5 session package with you and then take it from there if you like the results. I would never commit to a year. That's insanity.
  • caramelgyrlk
    caramelgyrlk Posts: 1,112 Member
    I'll answer your post in 2 parts.

    1) Is it worth it to spend money for a personal trainer? It can be. It depends on your personality. Some people have the drive, commitment and ability to research and learn how to do things themselves and they do fabulous. For me, personally, I walk into a gym and I get bored/distracted/whatever and can't make myself do what I am supposed to do even if I know how. I take classes and I have a trainer. Classes force me to work out for an hour as hard as I can because I can't just walk out of a class and because I want to keep up and not look like a fool in front of everyone. I use a personal trainer for the same reason. It forces me to exercise and helps me to focus on the areas of my body I want to change. And I am committed because I plunked down a pretty penny.

    2) Your specific trainer's package - NO WAY would I commit to a year with 10% down. That's $1,000 or 10-15 sessions that you have committed yourself to without knowing if he is effective and whether you work well together. I would find someone who will do a 3-5 session package with you and then take it from there if you like the results. I would never commit to a year. That's insanity.

    THIS!!!!!!
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    I think it should be said, that a good trainer is far more than.

    Ok, pick things up and put them down.

    A good trainer knows how to assess you and to keep you constantly on the edge of your performance capability, and know precisely when and how to safely push you past that.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    10k a year??? Hells no, not unless I am personally training with Bob Harper or Dolvett Quince. For 10g that better be one hell of a trainer. Here's an idea, go to they gym of your choice, pick out the most fit person in there (the one you would like to look like), make a deal with them "If you let me train with you 3 days a week for the next year and let me pick your brain about what it is you do to make yourself look so fantastic and fit, I will pay your membership fee for the year", that person probably knows just as much as any 10k trainer, will be waaaaay less $, and you'd make a new friend :D

    You realize those people would charge you around $25k per year, right?
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    I made an appointment with personal trainer at the gym since I also want to reduce body fat and be more fit. However after our first session when they test a physical level and show you how to do everything properly and also challenge you to work out harder, he told me that to sign up for a training session with them for a year is $10,000 (ten thousand) which I think is a lot but you pay it biweekly and you have to pay 10% for a downpayment. I told him I will think about it but I think it's too expensive. Is it worthwhile to invest money into this
    I wouldn't do it. That's too much money, too long of a commitment, and it doesn't sound like he was very clear about how you'd benefit, what he'd do for you that required so much one on one time.
    Would that be every day for a year, one hour a day ($27.40 per hour)?
    Two hours twice a week ($48.08 per hour)?
    How often would be re-evaluate your progress & change your exercise prescription?

    What education does he have? A degree in sports fitness, kineseology, what?
    Is he certified by a reputable agency?
    Here's where you can search for people in your area who are certified by the American College of Sports Medicine:
    http://members.acsm.org/source/custom/Online_locator/OnlineLocator.cfm

    It might be a good investment to hire a personal trainer for several sessions, to help you set up a program, realistic goals, and learn how to use machines at the gym. Then maybe a tuneup every month or so to tweak your program, if he hadn't already explained how to do it yourself.

    I did a blog post about setting goals (both weight & calories):
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/2014-06-08-setting-goals-667045

    And about exercise:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/2014-06-08-exercise-667080
  • willrun4bagels
    willrun4bagels Posts: 838 Member
    Never paid for a personal trainer, never would. Way too much money... and $10,000??? I'd have laughed my way right out the door.
  • leithsullivan
    leithsullivan Posts: 1
    I'm a freelance personal trainer in the space coast area. I charge anywhere from tips only for certain clients to 200$ a week all depends on what you want from me. Asking for 10g up front? I wouldn't even imagine it.
  • sweetcurlz67
    sweetcurlz67 Posts: 1,168 Member
    spend money as in the blanket title - yes,

    spend $10,000 for a year's contract - HE11Z NOOOOOOOO!!!!!

    you better shop elsewhere. hey, if you really wanna get rid of $10,000 - I'm really broke, I can email you my address!!! :flowerforyou:
  • FitnSassy
    FitnSassy Posts: 263 Member
    Did you have a "screw me today" note taped to your back? No, seriously... I've spent a lot of money on personal training over the years, and I'm still fat. :ohwell: But I feel good! :happy: Don't get me wrong, I think hiring a personal trainer can be a great thing, especially for accountability, push and sometimes just to get a good jump start, especially if you get the right one for you. One size does not fit all. However, after that ridiculous quote, I wouldn't even trust that person for a short period. A good trainer will work in a way that will make you want to continue with him/her, and you won't be railroaded into a commitment for a year. A good trainer will likely have several clients and won't need to squeeze the hell out of one to get the bills paid. I've never heard of such. That sounds like desperation to me. I suggest you keep it moving and shop around. I wouldn't commit to any period with any trainer longer than 30 days to begin with to see if it's a good fit. You can always reevaluate and add more sessions as you like. Let them accommodate you, not the other way around. Don't do it!

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