Possible Issue with a Personal Trainer...

atsteele

If this were me, and this guy seems distracted during my session, I would not continue to utilize his services. I would not want to waste my money. But I would talk to him first and let him know what I'm thinking and give him a chance. One chance. After that, I would imagine it's time to find another trainer, or maybe better yet, just go it alone. After all, what does he provide that you can't do yourself? If you need a spotter, maybe a lifting buddy is all that you really need.

TXGirl821

Talk to him. But remember too that a lot of PTs don't stick around at the same gym that long anyway and the fact that you've had him for this long is pretty good. I had the same one for 3 months and he recently left and now I have a new one. While it's taking some getting used to, I appreciate that he's working completely different muscles now than I did in the past. So it might really be time for you to move on to a new one anyway. Either way, I hope it works out for you!

secretlobster

He had ONE session with you where he seemed distracted, I don't know if that's enough to drop him over if overall he's getting you the results you want.

Why don't you say, "hey I know you're going through a lot and I'm really sorry. I just don't think I got a lot out of our last session, do you think there's anything we could change?"

shirleygirl910

Hi Trim :-) Nice to see you out here.

Personally, I would not mention the distraction, if it was a one-off thing. We all have bad days. If it has become a regular thing, I would make it a point of discussion before entering into another contract with him. Approach the new block of sessions as you would any business deal. Ask your questions up front. Define your goals up front. Your goals may have shifted slightly since embarking on this PT journey. Asking what will happen in the event that either of you leave the gym, is a valid question of any and every trainer. You have a professional relationship. Keep your questions professional and clarify your goals. If anything, a discussion of your goals may serve as a reminder to him that he is not there just to count reps and change weights. He is there for a bigger picture.

I agree with LovePBandJ. If it was a one-off thing, it could be really awkward for both of you to bring it up. The other bit advice I have is that in my experience, a good trainer can be hard to find. If you really click with this guy, give him some time. If you jump ship you may end up playing musical trainers for weeks trying to find a replacement. Whatever happens, good luck!

This is business, not a friendship. If he's a good trainer, maybe take a few weeks off and train on your own then book a session and see if he's still distracted. If he is deal with it then. Don't waste your money taking time talking. You signed a contract and he should know what it expected from the contract. Keep it business.

KittieLea

Tell him to man up.

bestbassist

I know you are paying him to work for you, but why not talk to him like one guy to the other? Is he someone you could see yourself hanging out with if he wasn't your trainer? Just suggest some guy time either for himself or offer to be his wingman one night. Tell him he will owe you a free session if you help him forget about the x for a night. I guarantee it will at least get a conversation going and he will feel more relaxed in general. She could really be messing with his head, his job...anything could be going on when a broken-up couple works in the same place.

Give him a break. Especially if he has been good for you thus far.

californiagirl2012

<<< Yes this picture is really me and I'm not a fitness model or coach, and I achieve my 60lb fat loss and built muscle without a coach or personal trainer.

Hey! I need some advice. I've been working with a Personal Trainer (PT) for around 8 weeks now and I've made some good progress and I've certainly seen some muscle and definition gains (my goal). We get on pretty well too but it's more polite chit-chat than friends/buddies (but I imagine that's good - after all, he is getting paid to work me!) My pre-paid sessions are almost over and I need to consider renewing.

The problem is he has just split up with his girlfriend of 2+ years (whom is also a PT at the same gym as him, and they live together) and he seemed a little distracted during the last PT session we had. Obviously I have sympathy for his situation but sympathy won't get me the PT benefits I'm looking for.

Ideally I would like to sign up for another series of PT sessions with him but I'm worried about him being distracted (at least in the short term) but also as his ex-partner works at the gym, he could possibly move on and leave me in the lurch.

At the same time, it's also hard to consider changing to another PT, not only because I need find someone I like but also because I'm sure it takes a little time for a PT to understand my strengths/weakness/goals, etc. and then finally because my current PT will be there too so changing PTs in a gym could be awkward.

Thoughts, comments and advice would be appreciated.

You can achieve your goals without a coach or personal trainer. I've seen countless people pay thousands of dollars for this and it didn't help them. I did it on my own (well with a couple of $40 dollar books). I put all the tips I learned from the books here so you don't even have to buy them. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/740340-i-lost-60-lbs-at-age-51-anyone-can-any-workout

knk1553

Talk to him, or see how it goes in your next session. Despite being a professional and despite you paying him, he's human, we all have bad days. You can't tell me that everyday you're at work you're giving it 110%, no one does that, and if you say you do, you're lying. Who knows, it could have nothing to do with the breakup, he could have been sick, or have other things going on. One bad session isn't a reason to "fire" someone, its like saying if you come to PT feeling tired or sick on day and don't give it your all he should terminate with you, its silly.

Also, you should look at your need for a trainer at this point, you've been working out with him for that long, you should have learned something that he's been doing with you, and could probably do the workouts on your own.

Charlie003

Take a break from the pt. You should know enough to get by for a month. Then go see where his head is at.

secretlobster

Tell him to man up.

Punch him in the balls

MinnieInMaine

I think that's just common decency from someone who's both a client and somewhat of an acquaintance. It's kind of like letting someone know they have toilet paper stuck on their shoe...they're totally clueless that they look like an *kitten* until someone saves them from the situation with a heads up. Just be honest, tell him you don't want to switch PTs but aren't as satisfied with his training lately and you get that he's in a bad place but as a client, for that hour or two, he should be professional and focused on the task at hand.

If there's time, give him another week or two and see how he does before you bring it up. But if you need to prepay soon, I'd let him know before you sign up and maybe ask to do week-by-week at the lower rate (assuming prepay gets you a discount).

TheeGeeMarie

Secretlobster has a good point. Personally though, I save ball-punching as a Plan B. To each their own.

Xaspar

Talk to him.
You made valid points and have valid concerns. You are investing your money into this and you have the right to address your concerns. He may not even know that his personal issues may be having an effect and certainly, if you are worried that you will be left in the lurch, this needs to be addressed before a new contract is instituted.

If I were this person's supervisor in a different business venture, and I were paying him for a certain level of performance, I would first counsel that employee. Let him know that he is not meeting the expectations that I had set and find out if there are issues preventing his performance that I could address.
Does he understand the reason for my concerns?
Does he have the tools needed to perform?
Did he know this was my expectation?
Was he aware he was not meeting the expectation?
What has he been doing right that I want to see continue?
What is the game plan to follow up with these concerns later? (in this case it may be a shorter contract or the understanding that the contract will not be renewed if the expectations cannot be met.)

Then, if after all the performance is still not there, well, cut your losses and move on.

Why would it be different because he is a PT? You are payng him to perform a service. At that point your are his employer and you have hired him based on his area of expertise.

OK 'Nuff said

TheTrimTim

I thought I would update you. I had a session with him yesterday evening and actually he seemed to be more focused, which is obviously good. I'm sure it's still a difficult time for him though. That said, we did discuss about having further PT sessions and discussed paying on an as-used basis or buying "x" sessions up front. I think I'll wait until Monday's session before making any decisions but paying one by one may be best initially. It is more costly but the discount isn't perhaps that great to make me eliminate it as an option.