Is a Personal Trainer worth it?

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Replies

  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Cherimoose wrote: »
    SideSteel wrote: »
    Cherimoose wrote: »
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    Cherimoose wrote: »
    PRO TIP: To prevent debilitating soreness, 1 week before you meet, do 1 set of 12 repetitions on the leg press, chest press, and seated row (all machines), using a weight that's heavy. 3 days before, do 2 sets.

    Seriously? You think that's going to help? LOL

    Compared to doing no lifting the week before.. absolutely. A good trainer won't do more than 2-3 heavy sets per muscle group the first workout with someone who hasn't lifted in a while.

    A good trainer won't do any heavy sets with someone inexperienced.

    It can still cause major soreness. That's why lifting the week prior can help. When i said use a heavy weight, i just meant not easy, like what some cardio bunnies do. It should be challenging. :+1:

    Wouldn't lifting the week prior just make you really sore the week prior?

    At any rate, my first session with clients tends to be spent going over their goals, assessing any movement related issues or limitations they might have, and then depending on what their goals are we likely spend time learning how to execute compound movements and going over very basic concepts of programming.

    I don't have my first-time clients train anywhere near failure and they're using very light loads to establish proper movement first. So for example I want to make sure they can squat an empty bar (sometimes not even the bar) before loading the bar.
  • doingItIn2012
    doingItIn2012 Posts: 80 Member
    considering it.
    I need to get to my goal weight this summer.
  • kathydraperfitness
    kathydraperfitness Posts: 25 Member
    A good trainer is worth it - A bad trainer will get you injured. People find personal trainers helpful for accountability if you do more than 3 sessions but it gets pricey.
  • Alidecker
    Alidecker Posts: 1,262 Member
    My trainer was worth all the money I spent. He helped me set attainable goals for weight loss when I first started. I had over 100 lbs to lose. He also helped me with my diet, which was awesome. As I got closer to my weight loss goal, we worked on ways to stay motivate and set different goals so that I wouldn't revert back to my old ways. Over 5 years later, he still helps me with my workouts, he just isn't standing there watching me all the time.

    I do think you need to be careful about the trainer you work with, make sure they work with you and your specific goals. Apparently good trainers are hard to find, I just got lucky :)
  • haysavam
    haysavam Posts: 74 Member
    Depends on time and how much you want to invest.

    A lot of stuff you can read in free ebooks and online, but if you learn better by having someone show you, set up a time with a trainer
  • Roxiegirl2008
    Roxiegirl2008 Posts: 756 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    Cherimoose wrote: »
    A good trainer, yes. Here are some perspectives on how to choose a good one:

    http://body-improvements.com/articles/industry-articles/how-to-select-a-personal-trainer/
    http://www.stumptuous.com/how-to-choose-a-personal-trainer
    http://dailyburn.com/life/fitness/personal-trainer-break-up-signs/

    PRO TIP: To prevent debilitating soreness, 1 week before you meet, do 1 set of 12 repetitions on the leg press, chest press, and seated row (all machines), using a weight that's heavy. 3 days before, do 2 sets.

    Seriously? You think that's going to help? LOL

    My PT is worth his weight in gold ... actually more than that .. he's worth my starting weight in gold ;)[/quote]

    I say that about mine all of the time. I have worked with a personal trainer now for about 1 1/2 years. I love working with her. I find I need someone to call me out if I am just calling a workout. She pushes me to do things that I would never try on my own. I will say that she was my second trainer I worked with. The first one was not the right fit for me.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    SideSteel wrote: »
    Cherimoose wrote: »
    It can still cause major soreness. That's why lifting the week prior can help. When i said use a heavy weight, i just meant not easy, like what some cardio bunnies do. It should be challenging. :+1:

    Wouldn't lifting the week prior just make you really sore the week prior?

    One set? Some soreness, but not much.
    The way i see it.. for the price mentioned, the trainers have a good chance of being in the "average" category, and they often leave clients unable to walk after the first workout in my experience (I've dealt with dozens). So my thinking is it's better to break in the muscles a week prior.
    Could someone get injured from 1-2 sets of machines? I suppose so, but it's not common among sensible people.
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