Personal Trainer - Is it worth it?

Today I met with a personal trainer for a free consultation. We did a workout as part of the consult. I really enjoyed it and think I would like working with her....I'm just not sure about the cost. Is there anything anyone is willing to share about whether having a personal trainer is worth it or worked for them. How much did they charge? Anything I should know from your experiences before I sign up? Thanks!!

Replies

  • Mathguy1
    Mathguy1 Posts: 207 Member
    When I had originally began my weight training back in 2008, I hadn't lifted weights in over 20 years (since high school). My apartment complex's gym had a lot of machines that I wasn't familiar with nor was I familiar with which exercises to do. I knew that if I hired a personal trainer, I would show up for the appointment. He helped me get over my lack of knowledge of doing the exercises and using the gym equipment. Also, he was there to correct my form.

    Currently, I dont use a trainer. After working with a trainer for about a year, I had sufficient knowledge to work out on my own. I'm not saying that you are looking at a 1 yr commitment when hiring a trainer, but very likely you'll be with the trainer for at least 3-6 months. However, that personal trainer and I have become friends and I can always ask his opinion on exercising, nutrition, etc.

    For me, it was well worth it to hire a personal trainer. It guaranteed that I would be in the gym to lift 3x/week. My trainer helped me overcome my lack of knowlege regarding which exercises to do, correct form, etc. Although one can find numerous demonstrations of exercises online that will show the correct form. For me, I am too lazy to do all that work myself.

    As for price, I paid $50/hr. In Houston, $40-$70/hr seems to be the going rate for a trainer to train you out of your gym. I am not familiar as to what the trainers who work out of their gym (Bally's, etc) charge.
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
    it depends on what's more important to you.

    i learned incredible amounts about health and fitness purely by working out at home w/ dvds, reading books, etc. doing this has saved me a FORTUNE, and as you can see from my pics, my results are just as good as anyone using a trainer

    if money isn't an issue though, a personal trainer... could be worth it. just as long as they're actually good. :P
  • bunsen_honeydew
    bunsen_honeydew Posts: 230 Member
    Honest I think without my PT I would've given up on going to the gym within a couple of weeks. Back in the day I was super unfit and awfully insecure about my body. I was the girl at school who had twenty excuses to get out of doing sport! My PT was worth every cent. I paid about $30 Australian dollars for a half hour session, once a week, for almost 3 years. In the UK my PT was about £30 for an hour. My first PT taught me so much about how my body works and basically helped me get confident being in a gym and working out. Plus she recommended many great TV shows to me! I made much more progress in strength training and much faster than I ever would have done going it alone. I happily sacrificed other things to make room for it in my budget (granted, i did have enough disposable income to do that in the first place, I wasn't using rent/grocery money or anything like that!)
  • kimothy38
    kimothy38 Posts: 840 Member
    I think personal trainers are great. My gym only charges $35 which is really good. I find it useful to have someone critique my diet, write a plan based on my goals, and ensure I was using proper form for the exercises. Knowing what I was doing gave me the confidence to do free weights and get in there amongst the guys.
  • bahacca
    bahacca Posts: 878 Member
    Just be sure the trainer is working for YOU and not trying to put their own biases and preferences in your workouts. I spoke to one just today at my gym for some advice. What I THOUGHT was a simple question-should I increase # of days in the gym or increase time in the gym the days I'm there. He started talking to me about how I should do body weight exercises to get stronger, to stop doing my squats and stuff with added weight. He said the old "If you lift a lot of weight, you'll get big and bulky." I said "I'm a girl. I don't have enough testosterone to get big and bulky." "Well, your muscles will get bigger." "I know. I WANT them bigger!"
    So, obviously, I wouldn't hire him as my trainer. I'd hire someone who knew MY goals and MY likes (He kept saying weightlifting was "boring" and things like chair dips and push ups were more "fun". Ummm-maybe for HIM!). Find someone who works out like you want to, has reached goals you'd like to reach.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    for me it would only be worth it if i could find a PT who specializes in what i want to do. i eventually will get one for powerlifting, but now that my workouts are more general and i'm getting regular results on my own, i dont see the value in having a PT.

    i think in general though they are good for people who are new to exercise and who need help pushing themselves
  • emzack
    emzack Posts: 26 Member
    I used to work out with a trainer once every other week and I would write down the work out and do it 3-4 times per week until I met with him again. After a while, he would write it out for me beforehand to save time during the workout. I felt it helped me get the most bang for my buck. I think it is great, especially if you need a little bit of guidance on coming up with a plan that is customized to your body and lifestyle.

    Nowadays, I usually just go to classes offered at my gym. It's similar to a personal trainer in that you get a guided workout, doing something you might not necessarily think of yourself. But it's free! And it's a great way to get to know people at your gym, which can be motivating and fun!
  • CariBgood
    CariBgood Posts: 88 Member
    If you can swing it for a little whole I think it is completely worth it. Not only do I work harder, but I have made a commitment to him to be there. My trainer is $50.00 per hour and I do two 1/2 hour sessions a week. Then I take one of the classes that he teaches at the gym so I see him 3 times per week. It's kept me going when other times I have given up. I have also had great progress as far as endurance and strength.
  • bunsen_honeydew
    bunsen_honeydew Posts: 230 Member
    He said the old "If you lift a lot of weight, you'll get big and bulky." I said "I'm a girl. I don't have enough testosterone to get big and bulky." "Well, your muscles will get bigger." "I know. I WANT them bigger!"

    Unbelievable that a so-called professional would say such things! He obviously never read any "weights for girls 101".
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    He said the old "If you lift a lot of weight, you'll get big and bulky." I said "I'm a girl. I don't have enough testosterone to get big and bulky." "Well, your muscles will get bigger." "I know. I WANT them bigger!"

    Unbelievable that a so-called professional would say such things! He obviously never read any "weights for girls 101".

    there are quite a few trainers in my gym who are like this as well. now they shut up about it to me since it's pretty obvious i'm slimming down and not bulking up
  • Rhia55
    Rhia55 Posts: 247
    I'd love a personal trainer but it is just not in my budget right now.

    I think they're great if you're new to working out and they can give you some great advice. But as a previous poster said, you can research or talk to your doctor about what is safe for you to do and do it on your own without spending the money.

    It seems that a lot of people have a personal trainer to make them do what they would give up doing on their own.
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    I've used trainers before. It's totally worth it. That point where on your own, you stop. They make you do 5 more. It's awesome.
  • Bakerchk
    Bakerchk Posts: 424 Member
    He said the old "If you lift a lot of weight, you'll get big and bulky." I said "I'm a girl. I don't have enough testosterone to get big and bulky." "Well, your muscles will get bigger." "I know. I WANT them bigger!"

    Unbelievable that a so-called professional would say such things! He obviously never read any "weights for girls 101".

    there are quite a few trainers in my gym who are like this as well. now they shut up about it to me since it's pretty obvious i'm slimming down and not bulking up

    SO UPSETTING.
  • I have had two personal trainers. The first one was because I just didn't know what to do in the gym besides be a cardio queen. I worked with a female trainer and she wrote all kinds of routines. Good basic lifting, power lifting, a core workout, even a cross fit workout. Then I decided I wanted to train for a competition. My trainer was awesome but she didnt train for competitions. I am now working with one that has trained lots of people and has competed and won himself. He pushes me hard and keeps me working. Hiring the trainer has to be by far the best decision I have made I have regards to my fitness and strength.