Have you had a personal trainer? If so, was it worth it?

Ivian_

It depends on the trainer. See if someone you trust, and value their opinion, can recommend one. You could also look into the free one time sessions most gyms offer. Also, a lot of training packages have a satisfaction guarantee. If you're not happy with your experience, you can always get your money back. Just make sure you read the fine print.

Here's my experience:

Few months ago I bought an intro deal with a "master trainer" at 24 hour fitness which consisted of 3 sessions, 50 minutes each. It was only a $100 and figured it was a good way to get into it a routine again. This trainer was AMAZING! I told him what I was looking to achieve, what areas I had problems in and what I actually liked doing in terms of exercising and he did an awesome job getting me going. He gave me the first session for free and we went through a bunch of core exercises, leg exercises, cardio and calisthenics to see where I stood, physically. Then from there, he worked me to the bone. And I'm not an exercise dummy. I've done P90X, JM videos, weight lifting programs, and plenty of running programs. But having him made a world of difference! The prices at gyms like 24 hour fitness can be ridiculous. But a lot of times, they can work with you and your budget. After my three sessions, I couldn't afford to buy more sessions even after he offered to give me a MUCH better deal than what was on paper. He saw how serious I was about and was trying to help by giving me almost a 30% off discount. Of course, it was "under the table" prices. He was considerate, dedicated and knew how to motivate me. You can tell the guy was a sought out, popular trainer when everyone in the gym that passed by us would say hello and tell me to "listen to this man!"

Hopefully once I've got more wiggle room in my budget, I'll buy some more sessions with him. To me, he was definitely worth it. And he was worth buying more sessions too. I just couldn't at the moment.

dsjohndrow

Yes and yes.

- It was a good way to get started when I wasn't really sure what to do.
- I got lots of assignments that taught me how to work on my own.
- I asked lots of questions for which she did not always have the answer, but would find/research for me.
- She knew me, and always brought new material to our sessions.
- She taught me proper form for exercises.
- She worked with the PT after surgery.
- She came with her husband to race with me in the beginning.
- She allowed the nutritionist to do her thing.

So, if you need information, motivation, and accountability, it's a great way to go. If not, it may not have the value to make it worth it. But based on the fact that most people give up, and the rest don't make it 5 years, I would consider it.

slimmergalpal

I am using one , and can say that it has made a big change for me. I have lost 73 inches off my body in 6 months. Not only does she help me see the goal I want to reach, she also helps me see the progress I am making weekly. She also meets once a month with my Nutritionist just to check on my progress in whole. Don't get me wrong, some sessions I think she is a Bear- but that is what I pay her for. If I could do this on my own, I would not be in the condition I am in right now with being overweight. Personal opinion ~I think if someone did not like a trainer they had, then they should try another trainer. You are going to get mixed reviews on this topic, so the only honest advice I can give is to give it a try with a few different ones. Here is how I found mine, maybe your new gym has an internship program for new Trainers. Worth a shot. This is what worked for ME: There is a local college here in Cincinnati that offer several different Trainer degrees. They have to have so many people to train in order to get their degree's. My Nutritionist came from there, and she is the one who told me about the program. These students are placed in different gyms and fitness sites throughout the tri-state area and have to do an internship. The training they did on me was free. I got to try a few different sessions with different Trainers in different locations to see what worked with me. I found a trainer I love, and she is excellent. She does weight training with cardio, and kicks my butt weekly. Good luck on your journey

melmckay99

I've had a personal trainer for about 3 months now and I LOVE IT! He always makes me push that extra mile to get the job done. I see him 3 times a week and every time we are doing different exercises and I learn something new. We do weigh-in's every 2-3 weeks to monitor progress and he really does keep me on track. He is the first one I've ever had, so don't know what its like to hav a 'bad' trainer. But mine is great and I am not looking forward to the day when I have to stop seeing him (it's expensive and I know I can't afford him forever).

healthylifeforme

They are worth their weight in gold! However, with that being said, I would not go to someone who was being pushy. Just like anything, there are good and bad trainers out there. If you don't find one you like, keep looking. You will know when you have found the right one. They will push you harder than you even thought possible, plus it helps with the accountability of getting your workouts in. Good luck!

IronDame

They are only worth it, if they know what they are talking about and you are willing to put in the work the other days you aren't working with them. I've seen so many training at the gym and nothing changing. They don't work hard the other days with out the trainer.

Capt_Apollo

getting my trainer was probably the best money i spent at the gym.

you don't have to buy a person. you don't have to get the three training sessions a week for six months package. i bought the two sessions a month package. a good trainer can help you out, teach you, and provide you with some work outs to do in between sessions. i also went to my trainer with clear clear goals. "i want to be fit," is not a clear goal. "i want to dead lift and squat," is.

when i talked with gym management, i talked to the guy about what i have been doing, and what i was looking for in a trainer. i got a kid about my age, not some jacked up pretty boy, or an overweight guy, or some waify lady. the guy could squat and dead lift ridiculous weight, and was crazy fast too. we did a work out outside, where i did 40 yard dashes. he was done with his before i hit the 20 yard line.

it's all about compatibility.

VitVit18

Personally I absolutely love my trainer. I go to the university's gym, and all the trainers that they hire are A) fully certified, have degrees in or are working towards degrees in kinesology/exercise science, and C) are students (who doesn't like helping out students?).

I found that mine has completely motivated me to get my butt in the gym. When I started I was scared to even step foot in a gym, let alone do something other than the cardio equipment or a yoga class! My trainer was definitely worth the time and money!

If you're thinking about getting one, you have to make sure it's one that works well with you, that your goals align with what they do (ie- I wanted to gain strength and stability, so they put me with a free-weight intensive trainer, but at my gym I've seen other trainers working with a lot of cardio or bodyweight exercises). And with everything, it can't just be taken as a "this is all I'm going to do", it's more of a supplement to what you're already doing.

Best of luck!

Cr01502

It is entirely entirely dependent on the quality of the personal trainer. Unfortunately these days (at least in the UK) they hand the certifications out like candy so the result is a bunch of people who become personal trainers simply because they "like to work out" and have literally NO idea how to design an intelligent and effective program or how to even teach proper form or technique.

However, if you find one that knows what they are doing they can be invaluable. Try to find one with a degree in sports science or one who has been in the business for at least 5 years. Grill them hard in the interview, ask them questions, and make sure they are worth your hard earned money.

AnninStPaul

I do have a trainer, and it is definitely worth it. The key is to find the trainer that is right for you.

How realistic are they? Do they ask about what you are willing to do? Do they work toward your goals, or some generic goals? Will they work with you to create a workout/program that you will actually do, or hand you their standard workout?

I started seeing mine weekly, and now see her on alternating weeks for help with form and to get new workouts.

sarahrbraun

I'm hoping to hire a trainer soon. the trainer who works the floor at my local YMCA seems like he would be able to help me reach my goals. I've been eyeballing him for MONTHS, and shamelessly watching him with his personal clients. I all but drooled when I saw him work with one girl and he had her doing almost exclusively free weights. That is what I want to do!

I must say, even though he has never actually trained me, he has been super sweet any time I have interacted with him. He's helped me adjust machines, loaded the leg press for me when I had a sprained wrist, and taken the time to coach me on my squat. Just today I told him that I had finally squatted 70lbs, and I thought I could hit 100lbs by Christmas...and he smiled and told me he had no doubt I would do it. he also knows my schedule by heart.

laural007

I loved my trainer, he motivated me and pushed me beyond my limit. He stayed right next to me the entire 50 minutes and would jog next to me for my last ten minutes of cool down.

tameko2

I have had one and I found it helpful at the time, but I didn't need her for motivation, I just needed her for programming and form. Now that I have the form down, and I can do my own programming or find a program to follow elsewhere, I don't need her anymore.

It really depends on you. Its worth getting one to work on form with you for a lot of lifts, but FRANKLY most of the trainers at the big box commercial gyms are kinda bad. Check and see what kind of certifications they have. If they have a real one, go for it. If they are just certified by their GYM to be a trainer, steer clear.

Graelwyn75

Depends if you find a decent one who actually knows their job. The only one I have had taught me nothing much of use to me and I am still struggling to work it out alone. But then she did not charge me so guess I
Can't complain I might try another one day but probably not at my gym as all are either insanely young or with dodgy looking credentials

Alissakae

When I decided to join a gym and get serious about losing a butt-load of weight at the end of July, I never imagined I'd end up with a personal trainer. But they had an intro package of six sessions, and signing on for those training sessions allowed me to have lower monthly payments forever....so I took the plunge. I worked out with my trainer every couple of weeks and then did the workout he designed for me every other day, plus cardio of my choice on the "off" days. By the end of our sessions I was losing weight steadily and saw progress in my fitness level. So I signed up for 50 sessions - I'm committed for a year! We now meet weekly, then I do the workouts on my own during the week. He pushes me beyond what I would EVER do on my own, and that alone is valuable! It will probably take me well over another year to lose the weight I need to get off, but knowing I have a date with Greg every week and will be accountable to him for continuing my workouts through the week, is motivating for me and helps me continue to push myself. I did choose a trainer with a BS degree in exercise science who is also certified, and he is tough but kind -- it's a good mix of confidence in his knowledge and the love/hate relationship with our sessions that made me decide to make this investment in myself.