Personal Trainer - Lifting Advice

I'm a fan of the strong lifts program. There is a lot of info about it here on MFP, or you can just Google it. A nice thing about it (aside from it works) is that it's a quick workout which may be helpful if you have time constraints.

The first thing I notice about your routine is that there is no lower body coverage. Especially considering that the The glutes and legs make up the largest muscle groups in your body you get huge bang for your buck by working them. That being said I would want to go more compound lifts and less isolation, again more bang for your workout buck.

Stronglifts or Starting Strength are great starter programs that make it easy to get a full body workout in just three lifting days a week.

My experience with personal trainers has not been the best. so I tend to shy way from them.

OP:

Regarding your program, you would likely get faster results by using more compound movements and thus making your program more efficient. Something like Starting Strength or Stronglifts or All Pros would all be candidates, and that doesn't mean you have to go on those programs but at the very least you should look at them to notice the elements they share in common.

I would be clear on your goals if you decide to hire a trainer. In my opinion, you would get the best mileage out of it by hiring someone who understands how to train you in the main barbell lifts so that you can go on something like SS/SL and be confident in your ability to execute the lifts correctly.

If you can afford it, I think the right personal trainer is an excellent investment. Someone who knows lifting, but more importantly, can get to know and work with you.

I would look for niche folks, and not the ones you find at a 24 hour fitness, Y, Oz, Golds, etc. Make sure they have solid credentials as well.

There's a mod here, ninerbuff that should be able to help with suggesting the types of places to find a quality trainer, and the credentials to look for.

With all due respect I don't think someone's location of employment is necessarily an indication of what they may bring to the table as far as their ability to train a client.

Sincerely,
Someone who trains clients at a YMCA.

I can only speak to personal experience, but I've never seen a Y, Oz, or 24 hour trainer show anyone how to do any compound lifts, or steer them towards anything other than a machine. Maybe my experience is unique, maybe it isn't. It also may be due to dictates from a corporate office.

Ok.

My personal experience is that at our YMCA, I teach people how to squat correctly, and deadlift, and bench press, provided these things match their goals and interests and provided they don't have limitations preventing these movements, and I if needed the movements may be regressed to match limitations they may have. My personal experience is also that I'm not the only trainer in our facility who understands and regularly teaches proper barbell techniques to a wide range of clientele.

The only point I'd concede on with respect to location would be if a client wants to learn how to barbell squat properly and they choose a location that does not allow barbell squatting. But in that case it's not a function of trainer quality as it is one of corporate policy as you mention. The YMCA that I'm at does not have any such policy and they do have squat racks and barbells. Some private corporate gyms do not have freeweight barbells for liability purposes.

Despite my posting to you about this, I'm not offended in the least, but I find your statement to be rather sweeping, incorrect, and honestly it seems ridiculous unless you are strictly claiming it out of policy (no deadlifting allowed ie planet fitness) rather than trainer quality.