A PERSONAL TRAINER, ARE THEY NECESARRY??

Are they necessary? No. I used one at my gym. She was a real ball buster as it were. It was a nice change up from the treadmill/elliptical/bike/ weight machines. She liked to do intervals and movies that would both raise my heart rate and use weights like kettlebell squat lifts and other assorted torture. I employed her after a few months of going to the gym. Although I was half-assing the diet component at the time - not really logging calories. I gained a lot of strength and my endurance went way up. If at the time I were really watching my calories like I am now I know I would have lost more weight. Also it was nice that she had lost weight herself -over 50 lbs. It was nice to see someone who was a before as an after and still maintaining that weight loss.

I started with a trainer right from the beginning and I got great results. In only 3 months I had lost about 7% body fat and 11+ inches and I think around 15 pound. I tried to do it on my own for the next 3 months and I lost another inch or two and another 3 pounds, but mostly had stalled out so I went back to personal training again. In the first month I lost another 2 inches and I can tell I am getting much stronger and faster. My weight loss has slowed mainly because I am very close to my goal and so now I am packing on more muscle. I picked a new trainer the 2nd time because I didn't feel the first trainer was a good fit for me. I love working with my new trainer and he keeps me motivated to really stick with it. Every session is a challenge, but I actually really look forward to them now because I get such a great workout in. I am also learning a lot along the way.

I would recommend checking around for different rates and even interview a few trainers to see which one you feel most comfortable with and get along with. Also, be sure to find out what certifications they have and what their background is etc. Each trainer is different. Hiring a personal trainer can be expensive, but for me it really helped me reach my goal faster than on my own and I feel it has helped me to make fitness and nutrition part of my lifestyle instead of just a passing phase. Good luck!

I used a personal trainer a couple years back, a male who was a former wrestler in college. It was a useful experience because I learned new exercises and became familiar with new equipment as far a resistance/weight training is concerned.

I have worked with PTs before...there are good ones and there are bad ones. I schedule some time with one when I hit fitness plateaus or when I'm trying to achieve some new fitness goals but I'm not quite sure how to get there on my own. I don't train with one regularly and don't think it's really necessary unless you are an individual who lacks the ability to really push yourself and/or don't really know your way around the gym.

I had a PT for the first 2 months. He definately helped me to move forward by not only providing information but pushing me to go past my comfort zone. If it wasn't for him I would be lifting only 10lbs. It was helpful to have a go to person to discuss the information I was finding on my own...either to debunk it or encourage it. I plan on meeting up with him once in awhile to touch base and tune up my workouts.

If you do plan on getting a PT, please find a qualified person. There are so many 'quacks' out there it is kind of scary. Also don't sign up for a long period of time initially. I think it takes a couple of weeks to see if you and the PT are a good fit.

This guy told me that I need to give him 2 1/2 months t train me

I'm sure he did.

You can pay for as long as you like, should you choose to use them. You shouldn't be required to do a specific number of sessions, and if he's trying to make you do more, I'd tell him to stuff it

For me, at this point in my personal "journey" (that sounds so f'in lame), it's necessary. I got my trainer 7 weeks ago. I really don't think I could have kept it up without her. She keeps my workouts interesting and challenging, she checks my food diary and keeps me accountable for what I eat and she is incredibly motivating. If I have a day where I don't want to work out, or I want to eat everything in sight, I think to myself, "What would Kathy think?" I want her to be proud of me, so it keeps me from slacking off!

No thanks... I like working out on my own.

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Do you have or have ever worked with a personal trainer? If you have, did you wait until you started to drop some weight, or did you get one at the very beginning of your journey? Were your results what you expected? Im considering one

I worked with a trainer for MONTHS, and I LOVED it. If I could afford it, I would still be doing it.

There was one particular trainer who always worked during the time I was at the gym. I watched Justin work with clients, especially female clients, for months. I wanted to see what kind of workout he had them do, and the way he interacted with them. I was his client 2x a week from mid february to mid April ( he moved out of state in April). He was my biggest champion, and believed in me even when *I* didn't believe in me. I would trust him with my life.

When Justin left, he suggested I work with his replacement, Brian. Brian has a different style, but he is still everything I would like in a trainer. He kicks my butt, manages to talk me into doing things I HATE ( but end up loving). I have had other gym members come up to me and tell me he trains me like a man ( he does), and others tell me I look skinnier every time they see me.

One thing that I was afraid of when I thought about hiring a trainer, was having one who would yell at me and insult me/degrade me to try and push me to work harder. Justin and Brian are NOT like that. They have never raised their voice to me, never insulted me.

the results I got from "my boys" speak for themselves. There is only about a 3lb difference between the first picture and the last. The first picture is in February, a week after I started working with Justin. The middle picture is mid April, 2 weeks after I stopped working with Justin, and 2 weeks before I started working with Brian. The picture on the right is last month. 2 months after I stopped working with Brian ( but I still follow workouts he wrote while we did work together)


2/13, 4/13, 9/13 by crochetmom2010, on Flickr