Is this a good price - personal trainer?

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  • QOTC
    QOTC Posts: 20
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    That's a great deal price wise... but I would suggest you stay away from contracts... especially a year long one?!?!
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
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    That doesn't sound too bad IF you work hard to get the most out of it. You could probably get almost as much out of a good book or research online, but nothing beats having someone monitor and verify proper form in person.

    First, you need to decide what your goals are. Do you want to build strength and get your body fat percentage down? Do you want to simply lose weight? Do you want to increase your stamina? Or a combination of all three? This will allow a good trainer to quickly help you with a plan to get going in the right direction.

    What you should do after that is focus on having the trainer show you proper form for a few specific exercises to meet a specific goal during the session, then you repeat those exercises off-session. Then your sessions should be verification that you are following proper form for the exercises you already were given, and introduction to a new exercise.

    Show up before your session and do a little basic cardio (elliptical is really easy) to warm up - you do not want to pay your trainer to watch you do cardio (though they may do that a little in the first session to go over heart rates and stuff with you - but if you're already warmed up they can probably get through that quickly).

    And make sure there is some form of "if this trainer isn't working out I can switch without penalty" clause. Certain people just don't work well together, even if the trainer is really good (and not all of them are "really good", sadly).
  • lik_11
    lik_11 Posts: 433 Member
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    I pay $100 for 4 half-hour sessions per month- and I think it's a great deal. (Used to pay $50 for 1 half hour session). Personally- I find the half hour to be plenty for me. Don't think I could handle 1 hour. I find working with a trainer is super beneficial because

    1- they'll teach me to use the equipment I'm afraid of (and use it correctly)
    2- expand my knowledge about fitness/my body
    3- push me harder than I would EVER push myself.
    4- incentive to GO to the gym (keeps me accountable)

    I use a very hyper trainer who brings a lot of energy to our sessions- which is super helpful to me.

    Good luck to you! It's well worth it in my opinion!
  • cpresto915
    cpresto915 Posts: 1 Member
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    Word from the wise: Don't ever sign up for their personal training! You will be stuck like I am now. They hired terrible trainers at my location, and now I have all of these credits just sitting in my account. Such a waste of money...
  • paj315
    paj315 Posts: 335 Member
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    Wow! I must get a great deal according to some of you! I pay $35/session and my sessions last anywhere from 45 min to 1 hour and 45 minutes depending on what we're working on. My trainer is knowledgable and a former body builder and has competed in power lifting and strongman. He trains me for power lifting and strongman. The gym I go to is a local strongman gym that very well eqipped!

    I'd be very leery of committing to a whole bunch of sessions before you meet the trainer and try out a few sessions. You might need to try out a few trainers before you find the one that's right for you!
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,662 Member
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    Hi - I go to LA Fitness and have decided to try out personal training sessions, as I have been working out for about 6 months with no real big results...

    who cares how much it costs when you are saying it doesn't do anything for you. even if it was 5 bucks you would be wasting your money if its not helping.

    big results wont come without big effort. if the trainner doesn't push you to the point that your somewhat affraid to go to a session, find another trainer, or invest in some DVDs because the will undoubtly work you harder.

    there is no magical comibination of exercises they can show you that will get you to where you want to be with low effort. if your in it for instruction, thats cool, but once you learn a decent repitoire then your done with the instruction.
  • HMVOL7409
    HMVOL7409 Posts: 1,588 Member
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    the price itself seems ok but price is not the main consideration with a trainer, most of the trainers at the big box gyms like 24 hour fitness and la fitness are just random kids off the street that went through some "course" that the gym manages rather than true personal fitness training. I just lookd and LA fitness doesn't list ANY certification being required for their trainers, and I know 24 hour fitness just has them go through some sort of session which 24 hour fitness calls a certification but it just means they're certified by 24 hour fitness.

    I have seen the trainers at my 24 hour fitness and its really a crap shoot - there's one "master" trainer that ACTUALLY has a real certification like an ACE or something, and the rest are random people - I've seen a couple who obviously had some knowledge on their own (its not like you can't learn yourself) and others who walk their client over to the elliptical and then have them workout with some little handweights and then do some crunches. You don't need a trainer to do that - total waste of money.

    So I'd say -find out the experience and qualifications of the person you'd be working with. Talk to them and ask what they'd do with you in that session and if they'd give you a program to follow outside of their sessions. If it sounds good, then go for it, the price is in line with what gyms seem to charge.

    A good personal trainer is absolutely an asset to your fitness goals. A worthless one is ....well. Not worth 50/hour.

    I have to agree with this. My suggestion would be to watch how a trainer interacts with their clients before hiring. My gym has a horrible female trainer that does group sessions and pretty much doesn't watch a single move her clients do bc they do everything with crap form and doesn't challenge them. If I'm paying someone whether in a group setting or individual you better be concerned with me performing to my fullest.

    In the end though, you can pay someone all you want, the effort still needs to come from you for the change.
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,022 Member
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    I would not blink at that price on a month-to-month basis, but I would never sign up for more than 3 months at that rate on a noncancelable contract. I can tell pretty much immediately if the trainer is legit, but who knows if you're going to want to or even be able to keep training there for the next year? Who knows if that trainer will be available for a full year and that you won't get pushed off onto some other trainer you may not like? Is there any flexibility regarding programming if your training wants/needs change during the year (i.e. if you decide you want to try a different style of training, what happens? If you advance beyond that trainer's abilities pretty quickly, what happens?)

    That's why I'm suspicious of these long-term training "deals."
  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
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    There is no way I would sign a year long contract.
  • IronPlayground
    IronPlayground Posts: 1,594 Member
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    The price isn't bad. The length of contract is, though. Too many things can change within 12 months and you may not even like the trainer once you get started. 3-4 months is a good time period to sign on for. It gives you plenty of time to learn, make adjustments, and see if you mesh well with the trainer.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    the price itself seems ok but price is not the main consideration with a trainer, most of the trainers at the big box gyms like 24 hour fitness and la fitness are just random kids off the street that went through some "course" that the gym manages rather than true personal fitness training. I just lookd and LA fitness doesn't list ANY certification being required for their trainers, and I know 24 hour fitness just has them go through some sort of session which 24 hour fitness calls a certification but it just means they're certified by 24 hour fitness.

    I have seen the trainers at my 24 hour fitness and its really a crap shoot - there's one "master" trainer that ACTUALLY has a real certification like an ACE or something, and the rest are random people - I've seen a couple who obviously had some knowledge on their own (its not like you can't learn yourself) and others who walk their client over to the elliptical and then have them workout with some little handweights and then do some crunches. You don't need a trainer to do that - total waste of money.

    So I'd say -find out the experience and qualifications of the person you'd be working with. Talk to them and ask what they'd do with you in that session and if they'd give you a program to follow outside of their sessions. If it sounds good, then go for it, the price is in line with what gyms seem to charge.

    A good personal trainer is absolutely an asset to your fitness goals. A worthless one is ....well. Not worth 50/hour.
    I agree. I had training at LA Fitness, and you aren't guaranteed the same trainer each time, you're just buying sessions. So, if you want to work out Tuesdays and Thursdays, but there aren't trainers with slots open at both of those times, you will have two different trainers (for example). Even when I could get a consistent trainer, the one I had didn't remember anything about me; he had far too many clients that he didn't take a personal interest in. Yes, that will be different for each trainer, but I feel like the LA Fitness environment cultivates that kind of trainer.

    LA Fitnesses don't allow outside trainers, but if you're just looking for someone to design a program for you, you could try looking at some predesigned lifting programs (strong lifts, new rules of lifting for women, strong curves, etc) or look into online trainers. If you want someone to physically help you with form, then the LA Fitness might work depending on how good the trainers are (I still go to an LAF, and the trainers that I've seen at my location do not correct bad form at all), but you might be better off finding a good trainer and then switching to the gym they train at or find someone who trains in your home or theirs.
  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
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    Hi - I go to LA Fitness and have decided to try out personal training sessions, as I have been working out for about 6 months with no real big results...

    Is $105 a month a good price- it includes 4 half hour work outs and once a month evaluation - I was thinking it was a good price when I thought the sessions were an hour long each - I have to sign for 12 months and a little unsure if I should do it.

    Thanks for your input - Michelle
    Seems expensive but it depends on the market area. The trainers at my gym are $20 per hour session and the evaluation?
    Heck you get the for free whenever you wish.

    Friend was going to work at LA fitness but said it was a total ripoff and moved back to this area to train at a locallly owned gym as he said those big places like that really screw over the trainers.
  • lorigem
    lorigem Posts: 446 Member
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    Y'all do know the OP started this thread 2 years ago, right?
  • tameko2
    tameko2 Posts: 31,634 Member
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    Word from the wise: Don't ever sign up for their personal training! You will be stuck like I am now. They hired terrible trainers at my location, and now I have all of these credits just sitting in my account. Such a waste of money...

    I like how this person is obviously searching all over the internet for this particular topic, then signing up for sites just so they can drop a "they suck" into the thread.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,662 Member
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    A Highschool kid with 0 experience and a clip board is what passes for a 'trainer' at some places
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    Yes, that's a good price.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    Word from the wise: Don't ever sign up for their personal training! You will be stuck like I am now. They hired terrible trainers at my location, and now I have all of these credits just sitting in my account. Such a waste of money...

    I like how this person is obviously searching all over the internet for this particular topic, then signing up for sites just so they can drop a "they suck" into the thread.
    Nice.

    I have worked with lousy PTs and wonderful PTs. My gm gives you a few free sessions when you sign up and I decided after the first couple to hire mine for a few more sessions to get more comfortable in the gym and get some good workout tips. I've loved every second and if I were made of money, I'd keep her forever.

    Try before you buy, but there are excellent PTs out there.
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
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    I think it sounds like a rip-off. My trainer only charges me $20 for a full hour, and I don't have to enter into any contract. I just pay whenever I want one.
  • Atishi87
    Atishi87 Posts: 51 Member
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    30 minutes session are no good (also, at LA fFitness it's actually 25 min). I would suggest that do not make a 1 year commitment. You will regret it.
  • jason_adams
    jason_adams Posts: 187 Member
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    Your personal trainer will be a huge benefit for you, or a complete waist of money. Don't gamble on it.
    I'd suggest you take a look at the staff profiles and the success stories from their clients. Find a few that have had success with clients with goals that are similar to yours. Then, interview the trainers. Ask them about whatever you think you need to know about them before you hire them. What type of programs, how often you'll work out together, what type of nutritional plan they envision for you. Also ask for and verify any professional certifications they have.

    You'd interview different contractors before hiring one to renovate your house, wouldn't you? You're about to hire someone to renovate the most important house you have! Do the due diligence!

    I'd also suggest you don't hire the best of the worst. If none of the trainers are up to your standards at your gym - it might be worth switching gyms for.

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