Best training option for newbie

Hi Rilla,

It's awesome that you're looking to get into weight training. It's also a good investment to get a trainer to teach you the ropes on form and whatnot.

I find very often that you get what you pay for with personal trainers, however. Most trainers I know that only charge $27 are either very, very new (not always a bad thing) or aren't very good. Personal training is expensive, though, you're right about that!

I would recommend interviewing trainers at the Crossfit gym you're looking at, as well as any trainers your considering hiring VERY thoroughly before you make your decision. I will include a guide at the bottom of my response for how to hire the best trainer possible.

If you're looking to be ripped, you absolutely need to get into lifting weights, and sooner rather than later. Overweight beginners are a special class of people that can possibly build muscle while losing fat at the same time. The thing is, with your knee injury, weight and lack of experience, having a good trainer is CRITICAL! If you are going to go this route, use my guide below.

Alternatively, educate yourself a bit about weight training. A good beginner lifting program is Starting Strength, as many members here point out.
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[When should you hire a trainer?]

Many of my own clients come to me for accountability and consistency reasons. However that's certainly not the only service we provide. You might consider a trainer if:

You have no idea how to get started with improving your fitness (especially if you're looking to get stronger)
You have a general idea of what you'd like to do, but not sure if your form is correct.
You need the accountability until working out becomes a habit
You want someone else to handle structuring your workouts so you don't have to think about it. (online training programs are great for this)
You have a specific injury or condition and you want to be sure you're training safely.

There are other reasons, but those are the most common I've seen.

[Step 1 - Fancy Acronyms and First Impressions]

Often people will ask about what kinds of certifications they should look for in a trainer, or what kind of degree would be best. In the end, it doens't matter that much. Whether a trainer took a crappy weekend course to get their certification or they took a semester-long college-level course to prepare for their test (like me), none of it guarantees the trainer knows what they're doing.

So as far as what letters to look for on their business card? Associations like NASM, ACE, ACSM and NSCA are generally considered 'higher up there,' but again it doesn't guarantee a good trainer. The courses don't teach even 10% of what one needs to know.

If the trainer has a website, take some time to explore it to see if you jive with their general message and mission. If they promise rapid fat loss, be extra careful. Sometimes this is just them bowing to effective marketing tactics, but it could also mean they only care about dat cash and not your long-term health.

[Step 2 - The Consult]

This is going to be the best time to figure out if this trainer is worth your time. Bring A LOT of quesitons. I've only ever had one client ask me what my qualifications were - your trainer should be pleasantly surprised that you care.

Some potential questions to ask:

If I can't do a squat/push-up/pull-up properly, how would you regress it?
I have . What sorts of exercises would you avoid giving me?
How would you work around ?
What's your training philosophy?
How did you get into personal training?
How do you train yourself?
Do you have any current / past clients I can talk to?
What is your biggest strength and weakness as a trainer?
If I can't come into the gym for sessions consistently, how will you help me continue seeing results?

If you have specific conditions or any other miscellaneous training contraindictions, let them know and ask them how they would handle it!

[Step 3 - After you've hired them]

Hopefully you scared away all the crappy trainers with your awesomely incessent questions, but just in case you didn't, here's how to know your money is being well-spent:

Is the trainer extremely attentive to your form?
Do they really listen to your questions and concerns?
Do you ever feel 'brushed off' or not taken seriously?
Is their cell phone very, very far away unless they use it as a clock / timer?
If you are unable to perform a certain exercise properly, do they quickly provide an appropriate alternative?
Do you feel that you're getting stronger / making progress towards your goals? (this can be hard to say if it's only been a few weeks)
Are you enjoying the process?
Do your personalities jive well together?
Do you feel that you're being helped by a professional, and not just having a friendly hour-long chat session with some squats in between?

If all checks out after that, congratulations! Sounds like you've got a solid trainer.

Rilla,

I am in nearly the same position as you. I was 290+ when I started and am at 248 now. I am dropping @ 5 lb a week with a low fat diet and exercise. I believe that the exercise is the what is making this possible. My wife and I joined Koko Fit and in 5 weeks of membership, I dropped 29 pounds and she has dropped about 15. The beauty of Koko Fit is hat you don't need an expensive personal trainer. You get the benefit of a personal trainer since your workout is designed to meet your needs, in my case fat burning, and it tracks your progress. I do strength training 3 days a week with either 15 or 30 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of just cardio the other 4 days. I am on a low fat (<15g/day) diet and am getting exceptional results. My goal is 200 lbs and a BMI that is within the healthy range.

Good luck! You just have to figure out a plan and stick with it.