Scared of personal trainers..:-O

Do you have a friend that does strength training? I was intimidated to get a personal trainer, so I've started having my husband "train" me. Now that I have some idea of what I am doing, I might actually get a trainer at the gym, b/c I am more confident that I will be able to do what they tell me to do.

Well, if you only want to work out when you want to work out and do what you want to do and eat the amount you want to eat...why would you want a personal trainer? You're already accomplishing your goals!

Don't let the gym pressure you. Hiring a trainer is not "moving forward." It's simply hiring a trainer and not everyone wants or needs one.

Tell the gym what kind of trainer you want.

They will have a range of trainers available. Some will be the macho, push weights, push you until you die etc., but every gym will have the "nice" trainers. Best bet is to call the gym, explain what sort of trainer you'd like, and they can recommend someone.

I have been working out with a personal trainer for three years and he is great. We talk through what I want to achieve and set goals. His workouts are specifically geared to my needs, and take into account my weak spots. We talk about nutrition but he doesn't insist on making huge changes to my diet. I always say that my trainer is part trainer and part therapist as I always feel so much better after our sessions.

Choosing a trainer is like buying a car, you need to test drive a few to ensure you get what you need.

Sounds like you've made up your mind about a subject you have no real experience with.

Will random comments from anonymous people on the internet significantly change your mind?

Perhaps you can take a free introductory offer/session and see what you think? Then you've lost nothing (apart from your irrational fear of the unknown, of course)

ETA if you are taller than 3ft then eating more than 900 cals will not make you gain weight. I'm sorry, but you're an idiot.

Definitely don't get a trainer. It sounds like you don't want to work out, eat, listen to proper advice, or push yourself. You'd be wasting the trainer's time.

It wouldn't hurt to give it a try. You may need just that little extra push, you know someone to keep you accountable. If it doesn't work out, at least you gave it a shot.
Good luck and wishing you well.

First of all, as a personal trainer I resent a lot of the above comments. I worked very hard to earn the degree in exercise science that I have, I work hard to have the body that I have (I've lost 50lbs and kept if off, so no I'm not genetically gifted in the muscle/skinny department), I take the time to listen to my clients and put in a lot of time to create a customized program to help them reach their goals and stay within their current limits and mindset. Yes I'm going to push you, but I'm also not going to push you into something you're clearly not mentally ready to do, even if I know that physically you can handle it. The trainer/client relationship is as much a mental and emotional balance as it is fitness and nutrition. I always try to let you know the reasoning behind why I'm having you do something, and I work hard to incorporate things that you like to do rather than cookie cutter workouts. And when I give you something that you don't really care for, if I'm persistent about it there is a reason (usually to combat mucle imbalances or prior injuries). Also, yes, I do this for a job so training is what pays my bills so of course I'm going to want you to buy sessions. HOWEVER, not all of us are in it to make a quick buck. I happen to really enjoy helping people reach their goals, and I've found that having successful clients leads to new clients and word of mouth can make or break you.

That being said, there are a lot of trainers out there that try to push their clients (some of them I've known to make it into sort of a game "how can I make them throw up") I know there are trainers that do give cookie cutter workouts and have the 45 year old woman with a knee replacement do the same workout that he has the 18 year old athlete do. These trainers are what gives the rest of us a bad name. I can't tell you how many people that I've talked to that told me their trainer hurt them, and it makes me really angry and really sad. The fitness indursty is not very well regulated and you get a lot of people that think that since they love to workout and are in good shape that they can train too, and it's not that simple. A lot of commercial gyms are all about how much money the trainer can bring in. They don't look at whether the trainer knows what they're doing, and has successful clients, but how many packages they can sell.

For anyone who is looking for a trainer I have some advice:

1) meet them in person- tell them what your goals are, see if you're personalities mesh well, see if they have the same mindset as you (i.e. if you really like to run, it's a bad idea to train with a trainer that doesn't believe in running)

2) find out what their certification is- is it a reputable company or an online training course from Joe Schmoe trainer incorporated? Good, reputable companies are ACSM and ACE. NASM is ok but if you can I would be picky. Is personal trainer the only certification they have? do they have a degree in exercise science or health science?

3) Do they listen to you- here's where the cookie cutter workout comes in. Ask them what a typical workout will consist of, see if it lines up with your goals. Ask them what accomodations they can make for injuries etc. If they don't have an answer or won't take the time to answer your questions before you pay then don't bother spending your money.

4) Be picky- you're spending your hard earned money on a service that is going to bring you to your goals. Be picky, if you don't mesh well with a trainer, don't feel like you have to buy sessions with them. Think it over if you need to. Meet with different trainers and see who works the best with you and your goals. A good trainer, like a good massage therapist will know when to refer out, and will pass you along to someone who can help you if they truely don't think they can get you to your goals.


We're not all scary and mean. Some of us truely love helping people and work hard to stay up to speed in the current information.

Lame...