Do you see your personal trainer often?

mizzcasual

(Anyone that has a personal trainer)

1.How often do you meet with yours?
2. How often does the PT change your plan?
3. What type of plans do you get set?Have they changed much over time?
4. What were your reasons for getting one?
5. How did you pick yours?


I'm just curious what everyone is like with their personal trainer.


1. Generally I see mine every 2/3 weeks just for the one session , I've had him since late October.

2. Usually he'll see how I've been getting on sometimes he'll change the plan and we'll work through the new routine he's setting me. Other times he'll tell me to stay on the one he's set while we do other workouts. I think it's generally every 3/4 weeks depending on the plan that he changes it.

3. All of my plans are usually with bodyweights & cardio , weights & cardio or weight machine & cardio all in HIIT. All of the plans he's set always vary so it's interesting. I have noticed now I do more higher intensity workout in the cardio with a smaller amount of time and doing more weights. At the start it was more basic like reps on the bike /crosstrainer /treadmill without incline and just bodyweights.

4. My main reason was just because I wanted a plan as I already have the motivation. Then someone to update my plan and make sure I have the right form and because I was wasting too much time on cardio before.

5. I picked my trainer because I'd been to a few of his classes and he kept all of them interesting changing what he did. He seemed to have good personality . Now when I train with him it's like their your friend too having general chit chat.

ladytinkerbell99

Great questions. I would love to know what others suggest. I am thinking about getting a personal trainer and not sure.

shannonshay1

I work with my trainer twice a week and I never do the same work out twice. She is always changing it up and increasing the level of difficulty. To keep the cost manageable I recently started training with a partner which has been great. We push each other to work that little bit harder each session.

AnninStPaul

1) I see mine every other week, but every week would be better as I'm not very self-motivating.

2-3) She changes my plan every 2-3 months; she mixes up the strength/resistance training to keep it interesting and make sure it requires effort. I mix up the cardio by doing intervals on the treadmill.

4) Bad form = injuries. Stagnant program = no progress.

5) Saw her ad, took advantage of a free initial session that was all discussion - what I know, what I've done, concerns, diet, goals, etc . She has the degrees and training and admits what she doesn't know, which I really like.

Ed98043

Out of curiosity - what do you pay for a personal trainer? There's a personal training center close to my house and I've been wondering what it might cost, but they don't list their fees on their website so I'd have to stop in and ask...at which point I assume they'd put the hard sell on me (why else not show fees on the web site unless you want to force people to call or visit). I assume it's $45 to $85 an hour for one-on-one sessions?

mizzcasual

The gym I go to hires personal trainers there's about 4/5 in mine and they're all €25 an hour. They're usually more expensive other places.

mizzcasual

bump

bokodasu

1.How often do you meet with yours?

Twice a week. If I had the time and $, I'd go more often.

2. How often does the PT change your plan?
3. What type of plans do you get set?Have they changed much over time?

These two are together because I changed what I wanted - originally I wanted to just get a good base and a solid plan, and then check in every month or so. But then I rearranged my budget so I could keep working with him, because I do better with a trainer. We have a basic plan we work from, but throw in something to mix it up every few weeks. Or sometimes we'll realize I've got something stupid limiting me, and we'll take a couple of weeks to work that into the plan. (Grip strength. Ugh.) So I guess "whenever it needs changing" for question 2.

4. What were your reasons for getting one?

I'd been working out on my own for awhile and wanted someone to check my form and help me come up with a progressive plan.

5. How did you pick yours?

My daughter's school has an auction fundraiser, and I always bid on the online things just to drive the prices up but I pretty much never win anything - until I won three sessions with a PT at a new gym. I picked the trainer who listened and said "ok, we can do that" when I told him my weirdo goals instead of handing me a 1000-calorie pink dumbbell plan. I stayed with him because I get really good results when I listen to what he says. (Which I don't always. But then I do and I kick myself for not listening the first fifty times he said it.)

jody664

1. How often do you meet with yours? The plan I signed up for at the gym has me working out with him twice a week for 9 months, then once a week for 3 months.

2. How often does the PT change your plan? This is a new a trainer for me. I just started with him last week. Prior trainers I've worked with change the plan every session.

3. What type of plans do you get set? Have they changed much over time? I don't really get "plans" with him. He tells me what to do on my next non-PT workout day.....20 min of intervals and arms or whatever. That may change as I get closer to the once-a-week part of the program. Other PTs I've worked with have done the same.

4. What were your reasons for getting one? Two reasons: 1) Accountability - I WILL show up for a session because I've already paid for it and he's waiting for me. 2) Intensity - the PTs I've worked with push me MUCH harder than I would ever push myself.

5. How did you pick yours? So I've had two really great PTs in the past, but for various reasons I decided to change gyms in January. The new gym just randomly assigned me a trainer, and I started working out with him. I told him specifically at the beginning that I wanted to do free weights and lift heavy. He said we'd start on that the following week. Well, it never happened. Plus our personalities just didn't click. English was his second language, so it was difficult for him to hold a conversation other than counting out reps. A lot of times he would nod when I would ask a question and never really answer me. So about mid-March I'd had enough. I had seen another trainer working with the clients at the gym and was pretty sure we'd click (turns out he knows and respects the other two trainers I've had). So I made the switch. Had a couple awkward moments when the ESL guy realized I wasn't working out with him anymore, but I'm glad I made the change. I've never been more sore......but still glad I made the change.

Lisah8969

1.How often do you meet with yours?

Every Monday morning.

2. How often does the PT change your plan?

I use the "free" trainer at Planet Fitness. I go on Monday mornings during the "arms" session so while always upper body based, he does add in new stuff all the time and includes core and other areas as well.

3. What type of plans do you get set?Have they changed much over time?

Same basic plans...just different exercises added in.

4. What were your reasons for getting one?

I did a Warrior Dash in February and knew I needed upper body strength so I started with the PT back in July. He was very helpful and since he is free with my membership, I still go. However, I do also do my own routine 4 times a week in addition to his training.

5. How did you pick yours?
The free guy at the gym. :-)

mizzcasual

I don't normally see other PTs around in the gym the one I have is really chatty and energetic compared to the others I've seen.

Are yours talkative like they'd talk about your or their life? or do they just focus on the workout?

mizzcasual

bump

bokodasu

At the gym where I train, most of the trainers chat in a friendly way. At the other gym I go to, the trainers are more all business.

And mostly I'm replying because, well, feel free to scoff if I'm reading more into your post than there is, but you seem to be looking for something else. Remember that trainers are professionals. They're friendly (or not) because they're friendly (or not) but the bottom line is that there is a close and trusting relationship that has to develop for the training to work but that's not the same as a friendship outside of a professional/client one. So, you know. Enjoy your time at the gym, but watch out for reading more into it than there is.

mizzcasual

At the gym where I train, most of the trainers chat in a friendly way. At the other gym I go to, the trainers are more all business.

And mostly I'm replying because, well, feel free to scoff if I'm reading more into your post than there is, but you seem to be looking for something else. Remember that trainers are professionals. They're friendly (or not) because they're friendly (or not) but the bottom line is that there is a close and trusting relationship that has to develop for the training to work but that's not the same as a friendship outside of a professional/client one. So, you know. Enjoy your time at the gym, but watch out for reading more into it than there is.

Oh I'm not reading to much into it that much and I know my one isn't single so I wouldn't be thinking anything . I've just seen some around and some seem more chatty others seem to just focus more on the workout and not really talk.

I just mean what type do people prefer the ones that would be chatty or the ones more business focused?

WarriorCupcakeBlydnsr

1.How often do you meet with yours? Once a week ( I see her three times a week because she teaches two of the classes I go to)
2. How often does the PT change your plan? The general plan stays the same (because I haven't reached my goal) but she will change the weekly appointment activities to keep it interesting and to accommodate an injury that I have as needed (working with a doctor to get the injury resolved once and for all)
3. What type of plans do you get set?Have they changed much over time? The main plan is for strength, toning, and weightloss, she does a combination of cardio and weights and over sees my non training time workouts (she knows I do her Les Mills Combat twice a week, dance class once a week, and before my injury walking/jogging three times a week-I'll do an extra day of this if I miss one of my classes)
4. What were your reasons for getting one? I was just taking classes at the gym and not seeing any progress, so I thought if I got to work with a trainer it would help.
5. How did you pick yours? When I decided to get a PT, I was at a large gym, set up an appointment with one of their trainers, she missed the appointment (had a family emergency, which I understand, but neither the gym nor she tried to set up a new appointment) I then was talking to one of the class instructors and she said that I would do better to either work with one of the trainers outside of the gym or go with someone else because the gym charged $60-$80/hr but the trainer only got $12. So I looked around online then FB messaged my now PT (also, my instructor for Combat, and my friend) and asked her if she did PT or knew someone who did that she could recommend. She told me she did and we were in planning to get me started when the large gym got bought out and told the instructors no more Les Mills, do it our way or hit the highway, so she left there and went to a smaller gym, I followed her there and started up with her there.

And yes, we talk while we're training (which is generally why I get more than an hour of training for the price of an hour... mostly we lose track of time, even though it's hard work, it goes fast) She is not a nutritionist, but she has done what she can to help me with the food side of it and we've gone over the plan I received from an RD (she even asked for a copy of it for her to try!) By knowing what I'm doing, she is helping me with that by asking me how it's working that week and if I have any problems (like this past week when I told her that I was bored with having the exact same salad every day, she was able to give me some suggestions for things to try that would work with the plan)

SweetestLibby

1.How often do you meet with yours?

Once a week - sometimes I'll skip a week if I'm on travel - I bought 52 sessions (a year).

2. How often does the PT change your plan?

Plan? My plan as in what I need to do to meet my goals does not change. Goal is 14% body fat (weight is more flexible. I'll take a higher weight with that body fat percentage but I won't go lower that 115 pounds (100 lbs lost for me)

How often do my workouts change or I learn new exercises? Every week! I'm into fitness so I'm learning exercise, physiology, nutrition, and all that jazz from him.

3. What type of plans do you get set?Have they changed much over time?

115 lbs, 14% body fat, 100 lbs lost. Yep, they've changed a lot. This is what I want to do now before it was lose 25 lbs, then 50, then 75, every time a plan is met I create a new one!

4. What were your reasons for getting one?

Because I had no idea how to improve my fitness on my own and I didn't have the time to devote to independent study and research (hey I'm in grad school and I work full time). I could lose weight all by myself; I'd done it before. I wanted to create an entirely new lifestyle that is sustainable for the rest of my life.

5. How did you pick yours?

He was referred to me by my first trainer. I love my first trainer but we'd reached a point where his program no longer worked for me and my new goals. I worked out with my new trainer for 3 sessions before I decided that I wanted a full package with him. Both are independent trainers that have been in this career for a long time. I've tried chain gym trainers and I was not happy with them. My current trainer Ali has been doing this for 33 years and he is absolutely amazing. Even after 33 years he's still learning, attending conferences, trying to improve upon himself, his methods, and all of it!