Personal trainers- where to start?

BeanQueen3000 · March 2014

I just started working out at my gym a few months ago, doing C25K on the track and using the arc trainers, occasionally 'trying out' a few of the weight machines, but not getting much done really. I've been on a pretty good track and making reasonable progress, getting a touch stronger. I've read Starting Strength and tried reading Stronglifts 5x5 (that guy needs a copy editor like WOAH), and was interested to start implementing what I'd learned, but I'm timid. I wanted a decent introduction to the area and help , so I plunked down my $40 and hired someone at the Y for an hour, not knowing quite what to expect. I suppose my first mistake was booking a 5AM session. I totally understand that this is an UNHOLY hour for some, but I work nights and figured, well, they wouldn't make this 'available' if it really wasn't ok with the guys doing the actual training, rite?

Wrong.

I won't slander the poor guy here- he was clearly just not up to early morning sessions. I'm going to try and book someone else for next week, but I'd like to know, from any PT standpoint (or those of you who've worked with trainers or have other valuable input):
I want to work at being stronger/ less prone to injury at work, and more than anything, just losing weight and having a less doughy body. Those are my goals.
Should I be articulating them a little more clearly, i.e. have a body fat % or something in mind?
What should my expectations be for them, in terms of giving me information i can use on my own/ a plan to work on independently? I ask because I realise that often this is more of a freelance gig and they have an interest in clients who they can count on for regular sessions. Financially, this just isn't feasible for me. My gym membership is a valuable investment, but it's hard to justify spending more than that as it is.

Trainers, what does your ideal client bring to a session in terms of their own preparedness and expectations?

NJL13500 · March 2014

I am not a personal trainer yet, but I am in the process of studying to become one. According to my reading, the first step before someone even begins the actual training process should be some sort of intake form (discuss health issues and sign a release) and doing fitness assessments. Then you and the trainer articulate your goals. He/she should know how best to get you where you want to be.

What exactly went wrong at the session?

All of your goals seem very clear to me. You are open and interested in incorporating strength training into your workouts, so I would think that you are off to a great start and just need a plan on how to do this.

Again, I have no "real world" experience with clients, but I am hoping to be certified at the end of this month and get some. I realize that some will be more short-term than others, but my hope would be that I do a great job and try to convince them to continue to work with me.

I would follow up with the gym as well to discuss your dissatisfaction with the session. You are going to try and book someone else, but then someone else is going to get stuck with the guy that was awful.

Good luck!

47Jacqueline · March 2014

When I joined my gym I signed up for a three month program with a trainer once a month and my working out on my own on the routine the rest of the month. I was really happy with my trainer. I chose a woman trainer because I figured she would be more familiar with my capacity and possibilities. I scheduled Tuesday evenings with her. She took pictures of my doing the exercises with her phone and sent me the set when we were finished. I printed them out and used them when I did my workout routine.

It was a bit pricey, but better than an independent trainer plus we had use of the gym equipment.

Maybe you can talk to someone about changing to a different trainer who is better in the early morning.

ItsCasey · March 2014

Not a trainer, but I have one. Be really insistent about your goals. Don't let them try to convince you that your goals are somehow wrong and that you should be striving for whatever they are trying to sell you. If you know your current body fat percentage and have a goal body fat percentage, then it's fine to use that a measuring stick. But, in general, decent trainer should understand what "I want to be stronger and leaner" means, in terms of the right exercise program for you.

And while I would hesitate to take diet advice from someone who doesn't have a nutrition background, if you've done research on your own, you can probably get a good sense of whether or not the trainer knows his/her stuff when it comes to diet. And your diet needs to be integrated into your training strategy. They should inform each other. If the trainer asks no questions about what you eat, I would see that as a red flag.

BeanQueen3000 · March 2014

Believe me when I tell you this guy was not selling me anything. He asked me to tell him a bit about myself and I told him what I'd been up to here and what I'd been doing in the gym up until this point. Took my weight/height/body fat measurements, asked me what I was looking for. I explained that I'd read through Starting Strength and wanted to add that into my 'gym time' but I wasn't really confident applying that theory into practice on my own, or about how to balance strength training and cardio without burning myself out (still new at this, and every new level on the arc trainer is a serious struggle) or wasting my own time.

We kind of wandered through the weight area in what seemed to be a totally haphazard way; he focused on back first, then upper and then lower body exercises, but without really seeming to have much of an idea which machine or piece we were going to try next. Just sort of... out of it. And again, it was clear this was mostly just a timing issue. I've worked 10pm-6am for the last nine years and i totally get that 5 in the morning is just not doable for some folks. I'm totally perplexed as to why he would make himself available at this hour (that 'freelance gig' idea certainly comes to mind), but i gather it's a pretty rare request. This was just a bad fit, and i'm eager to try again with someone else. I'll make it clearer with the guy running the schedules what i'm looking for, but in the meantime... I'd like to be able to hire someone on a limited-session basis to assess my ability and help me form a workable plan towards non-doughiness. I'm just not sure if that's the point of a personal trainer.

glreim21 · March 2014

When I booked my PT appointment to help me learn some of the exercises in New Rules of Lifting, I called the gym, told them I was following this program and needed to book some sessions to learn these lifts. I even told them specifically what lifts I wanted to learn. Then one of the PT called me back to book the time. It gave them the opportunity to find a trainer at the gym familiar with these moves and willing to work with my specific goals.

Cherimoose · March 2014

What should my expectations be for them, in terms of giving me information i can use on my own/ a plan to work on independently?

Trainers like long-term clients, so you might apologize in advance that you'd like a plan to do on your own. I like the idea above about taking pictures. Also write down machine settings, weights, etc. Write down your recurring form mistakes and read them before lifting on your own.

By the way, a good routine from a trainer can be superior to a cookie-cutter routine from a book, so don't go in with a list of exercises that you want to learn. That's like going to a doctor asking for a certain medication.
With that said, if they do a lot of machine or isolation exercises, that could be a red flag. Here are some other tips on choosing a good trainer -

http://body-improvements.com/articles/industry-articles/how-to-select-a-personal-trainer/

Personal trainers- where to start?

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