So I stopped at the "Y"

earlnabby · July 2014

I recently found out I have a free membership at my local YMCA through my insurance company so I stopped by there today to register and to set up an appointment with an instructor. I have been going to a different fitness center really close to my house for water aerobics for the last 4 months and really love it. They have a punch card arrangement where you buy a certain number of classes without actually becoming a member. It doesn't give you access to the entire facility but you can use the lockers and showers before and after your class. Anyway, I feel that I am ready to start some basic strength training in addition to the aerobics so I thought I would start at the Y. They have a program where I will meet with a fitness instructor 3 times a week for 12 weeks and together we will design a program that fits me, my goals, and my abilities (I have some limitations, mostly an arthritic knee and some back issues).

I really have no idea what kind of training will be best so I really like this idea of starting out with an instructor. Anything I should know? Any particular questions I should remember to bring up? I am very out of shape so I will be starting out slow. My water aerobics class has helped already, I have more stamina and I feel stronger and more flexible and really think I am ready for the next step.

Alatariel75 · July 2014

My biggest advice is to not let them push you into something that you aren't keen on (or let them talk you out of something you ARE keen on) just because they think they know best. If you really want to do something, tell them and stick to your guns! They are knowledgeable and useful but there is no point in taking on a program that doesn't make you happy or suit your goals.

Azdak · July 2014

You really need to make sure that whoever you are working with has the background and experience to design a specific program for YOUR needs, not a cookbook workout that is handed out to everyone.

The person you are working with should first take detailed medical and exercise histories. They should do some type of assessment of your current ability--doesn't necessarily have to be a formal testing protocol, but they should spend the better part of the first session getting to know you and your capabilities. If they don't offer that upfront, that would be a big red flag.

Ask the trainer what specific exercises they would recommend for your physical issues. Pay attention not only to the answer, but how they answer. They make have experience and be able to mention some specific things. They may make some general suggestions, but say that they need to work with you to learn more about your capabilities. Either of those is OK. Ask about specific clients they have worked with in the past and what exercises they have used.

Ask about their philosophy for starting with new clients. Pay attention to how they structure the first couple of sessions. A good trainer will not be in any hurry to start pushing you hard. They will take the time to make you feel comfortable, confident, and minimize the initial soreness. They will start by building a base--doing some simple, fundamental exercises as well as teaching basic lifting skills and body awareness. Then, when you are ready, they will start to gradually push the intensity to allow you to increase your progress.

I don't know what facilities they have at your Y, but a good trainer should use modalities that are best suited for you--not just push you into one type of exercise, e.g. selectorized machines.

A good trainer should be able to design an effective program, even if your fitness level is low. Sometimes arthritis can make it a little more complicated. The key is to find your "floor"--i.e. the level of exercise intensity that you can perform comfortably. Sometimes that can mean just going through a movement with almost no resistance. Once you find the floor, you have a foundation upon which you can build and progress.

As the other commenter said, keep it a partnership and not a master-servant relationship, and you should have a good experience. Best of luck.

Shaky44 · July 2014

I got involved in a similar program at my local YMCA five years ago. I didn't meet with an instructor 3//week, but I met with her every month or so and the program involved working out 3x/week (I wonder if that's what you're getting into here as having personalized attention 36 times over the course of three months sounds pretty involved . . . and expensive). The program was "cookie cutter" in a broad way, but you could also push yourself as much as you wanted to.

If you are indeed working with an instructor 3x/week, you should expect a customized workout based on YOUR needs . . . and you should expect to be paying for it. If it turns out you're not really meeting with someone as often as you think going in, you're probably getting the same kind of cookie cutter program I got - and I think it would probably be fine for you. It will likely be a program designed for someone with little to no experience (which sounds descriptive of your situation).

In addition to the assessment described very well by Azdak, you should expect that they will be there to answer any questions you have about anything in the program: from the administrative (how do I track my progress?) to the mundane (how do I adjust the seat on this machine for my height?). Make sure you feel SAFE doing everything in the program. Find out who can field your questions when the instructor is not there. If you feel like you're not doing something correctly, ask someone.

Good luck on your quest!

earlnabby · July 2014

Thanks for the great advice.

Here is what the program is described as in the literature:

"Personal Fitness Planning (ages16 & up)
New to the exercise habit but don’t know where to start? Our
excellent coaching staff will help motivate you and provide you with
encouragement, knowledge and accountability, all in a friendly and
non-intimidating way! Participants commit to a 12-week program
completing three workouts per week; meanwhile, participants are
introduced to the important components of fitness while receiving a
customized plan."

It sounds like what Shaky44 described, which would be fine as long as the coach does personalize it to me and my needs, abilities, and goals and there is someone I can touch base with as needed. I don't think I need a one-on-one personal trainer with me all of the time, but definitely need guidance and instruction.

canadianlbs · July 2014

Participants commit to a 12-week program
completing three workouts per week; meanwhile, participants are
introduced to the important components of fitness while receiving a
customized plan."

i did something similar through something similar (local rec centre system) when i started out weightlifting 3 months ago. the two back-to-back 5-week courses i took were more general than your description in the sense of promising less one-on-one, and more specific in the sense of being specifically focused on weights.

my biggest, loudest, strongest recommendation here is: find out what's the 'class' size. ESPECIALLY if you have limitations that will require your facilitator to design 'alternate' forms of the moves. in the courses i did, the max headcount was 8, and on most days only three or four people showed up. even that was too much, for the volume of questions that a smart, serious beginner can ask. i did realise that this wasn't a cheap way to get the undivided attention of a professional trainer, but my experience was that with anything more than 2 participants it was hard to get answers to even the simplest question.

i guess i can't take anything from the trainer herself (although as a personality she started pissing me off within weeks) - but she just didn't have the attention span to give much more than the basic kinds of answers to most of the stuff that i asked. for me, the bottom line was that it was a great beginning for me for the price that they charged . . . but very much a get-what-you-pay-for type thing.

for myself, this was actually just about right. i had never been near a weight room before, and it got me onto the board and gave me enough info for me to start knowing what questions to ask. a full-on full-bore one-on-one trainer at that point would have been an expensive case of overkill at that point.

joanthemom8 · July 2014

I don't have any advice for you but I just wanted to say that it sounds pretty great! I go a gym and whenever I've done something with a personal trainer, the try to get you to "buy" more...more sessions, supplements, etc. I think going to the Y is a great idea and 12 weeks is quite a long time.

Good luck to you!

So I stopped at the "Y"

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