Can I trust my Personal Trainer?

I think personal trainers SUCK!

take his advice with a grain of salt. Meaning, trust but verify. there are a lot of people here that have lived through it and can tell you what worked for them. Even that MAY work for you.

Personal trainers are $$ motivated. At Lifetime FItness it usually goes like this:

1) Ask a trainer out on floor ANY question
2) trainer responds with "I'm busy right now would you like to make an appoinment?"

appointment is code for - "you are going to pay me $99 an hour in order to talk to me"

I figure if they have time to stop and schedule an appointment they ought to have time to answer a simple question.

Bottom line - MAKE FRIENDS! Lots and lots of friends. Pick their brains, chat, ask questions. and READ READ READ. For example - google minimum daily caloric intake while breastfeeding. (just a thought)

good luck!

Of course they are motivated by money, it's their job/career/source of income. Why would you expect them to be any different? I'm a software programmer, if someone walks by and asked me for some code, they get charged for it. It isn't any different.

I'm a personal trainer myself and I would NEVER give caloric advice. That's not my forte. I set up the workouts...recommend they see a nutritionist for their specific caloric needs. As for the pt telling you when to eat...does he have your schedule in mind or his? Are these arbitrary numbers that he just throws up?

As for me....before I was a pt, when I was trying to lose my baby weight I saw a pt and he had me drinking protein shakes...( i think it was a ploy to make me buy them from him so that he could meet his supplement quota). Needless to say ,I ended up gaining weight.

take his advice with a grain of salt. Meaning, trust but verify. there are a lot of people here that have lived through it and can tell you what worked for them. Even that MAY work for you.

Personal trainers are $$ motivated. At Lifetime FItness it usually goes like this:

1) Ask a trainer out on floor ANY question
2) trainer responds with "I'm busy right now would you like to make an appoinment?"

appointment is code for - "you are going to pay me $99 an hour in order to talk to me"

I figure if they have time to stop and schedule an appointment they ought to have time to answer a simple question.

Bottom line - MAKE FRIENDS! Lots and lots of friends. Pick their brains, chat, ask questions. and READ READ READ. For example - google minimum daily caloric intake while breastfeeding. (just a thought)

good luck!

Of course they are motivated by money, it's their job/career/source of income. Why would you expect them to be any different? I'm a software programmer, if someone walks by and asked me for some code, they get charged for it. It isn't any different.

Ditto. I can't tell you how many lunches I've not taken due to someone wanting me to give them workout advice.

Being a mom with two kids and then working on my feet..sometimes I barely have time to eat. So on my lunch I have taken to EATING in a utility closet becuase if I don't, people will want me to take them on the floor and show them exercises or talk to them about what is in my tupperware as if that's the nutritional secret that is missing from them not having the body they want.. Again that's not my forte. And if they are making it difficult for me to even eat lunch..I'll tell them to make an appt so that I can eat lunch and be able to have energy not just for my own workouts,,but to be with my children after I leave the gym. Trainers get paid CRAP. SO please LET US have our lunch. Especially because it is unpaid.

SO I agree..it isn't any different. If they want advice and I am on my lunch they will have to pay for my time. I have to put my kids through college too.

Anyways, this is about trusting a personal trainer..and I would hope people wouldn't look at my tupperware container while I eat lunch and think that' what they have to do. When someone does ask me for advice I tell them- learn to cook well. It's easy to cook bad food that tastes good. IT's another to cook yummy food that's healthy. That's pretty much my advice but like I said before - I always tell them to see a nutritionist.

I'm a personal trainer myself and I would NEVER give caloric advice. That's not my forte. I set up the workouts...recommend they see a nutritionist for their specific caloric needs. As for the pt telling you when to eat...does he have your schedule in mind or his? Are these arbitrary numbers that he just throws up?

As for me....before I was a pt, when I was trying to lose my baby weight I saw a pt and he had me drinking protein shakes...( i think it was a ploy to make me buy them from him so that he could meet his supplement quota). Needless to say ,I ended up gaining weight.

What is caloric advice?

Just telling people how many cals to eat. I would never do that. Everyone is different and that's not what I am trained to do. I know some people here think all personal trainers are up there in league with car salesman, money grubbing lawyers..etc..but this NURSE turned personal trainer(and I could make a heck of a lot more doing nursing) will not just give advice on nutrition because that's not my specialty at all. It would be unethical for me to give such advice on calorie requirements. But if you want my advice during my half hour window where I take my lunch...make an appt. But i'll still recommend seeing a nutritonist!

if you have to ask...

...then no.



Find a trainer that you feel comfortable with or, better yet, do the research on your own and save your money.

take his advice with a grain of salt. Meaning, trust but verify. there are a lot of people here that have lived through it and can tell you what worked for them. Even that MAY work for you.

Personal trainers are $$ motivated. At Lifetime FItness it usually goes like this:

1) Ask a trainer out on floor ANY question
2) trainer responds with "I'm busy right now would you like to make an appoinment?"

appointment is code for - "you are going to pay me $99 an hour in order to talk to me"

I figure if they have time to stop and schedule an appointment they ought to have time to answer a simple question.

Bottom line - MAKE FRIENDS! Lots and lots of friends. Pick their brains, chat, ask questions. and READ READ READ. For example - google minimum daily caloric intake while breastfeeding. (just a thought)

good luck!

Of course they are motivated by money, it's their job/career/source of income. Why would you expect them to be any different? I'm a software programmer, if someone walks by and asked me for some code, they get charged for it. It isn't any different.

I am a programmer also. Although I would not give out code, i would offer advice free of charge on how to do it, as long as it didn't take to long. My PT answered questions from me for a month, before i decided to let him create a workout for me. I trusted him and felt that he knew what he doing. I would NEVER work with someone that was just in it for the money. They should enjoy helping people. BY that joy should be willing to answer a few questions and giving a few tips. Otherwise how do you know they are any good. Same goes with programming. It why i'm considered the best in this area I think.

NM