Is personal trainer worth it? Tell me your experience ?

I have a coach. She is a young lady that has been in competitive sports most of her life. She doesn't have any formal training but she is helping me get results in my weight training. I really believe that trainers should not be giving you advice on your diet. They are there to help you achieve greater performance. If you need someone to help get you motivated then that's what they are there for. A dietitian is always a great idea, they are health care professionals that have an insane amount of schooling (at least where I live in Canada). They are also going to help you lose weight safely with a healthy caloric deficit. I have heard some trainers suggest eating 800 or less calories while still working out for 6 days a week. That is insane and not based in science.

I have been working with a personal trainer for over 1 year. I've lost 95 lbs & 50 inches and am many times stronger than before. I felt that the personal attention of a trainer was the only way I could get past my barriers and get on the right track. I do private sessions 2 x/ week and one class/ week. He has also helped with my nutrition & wright loss but is not a dietician. Actually he is more detailed & more perfonsliEd than any dietician I've met with.

Get a recommendation or referral if you can. ACE/IDEA is the training: certifying organization for trainers. They should meet with you for a no cost consult before starting. Then do a couple of workouts to see if you are compatible. A hood trsiner will start where you are and gradually but steadily progress you. Of course you still have to do all the hard work & be committed. Try doing a google search for "how to find a personal trainer" and you should get done good articles. Prob even dome from MFP. You can message me if you have other questions.

I joined a gym years ago when I first noticed I had gained a little weight, I got a trainer there and I really liked him because he did circuit training and strength training type exercises with very little cardio (he'd have me HIIT for like 10 minutes maybe). But then he quit that gym to work at a different gym and I couldn't have him as my trainer and more and my personality didn't jive with the new trainer they put me with so I just gave up.

For me, if I'm going to have someone hang out with me for an hour several times a week, we BETTER get along. And, the food advice from the first trainer was basically very sensical and he knew a lot about good protein sources... the second trainer was like "You're a small woman, you can eat like 1000 cals a day and be fine, you'll lose weight so fast!"

Uh.... no.

I think a trainer is important at least in the beginning to make sure you're lifting correctly for safety and to get the results you want. Lift with bad form and you probably aren't doing the exercise correctly and won't get any development at best. At worst, you could really hurt yourself as this stuff is HEAVY!!!!

I have been through 4 trainers in 3 1/2 years. Some are good some are not. You need to be very specific with them about what you expect. The trainer I currently have has a 4 year degree in kinesiology. He had to study nutrition as part of his degree. He has helped me lose 80 pounds and I am more fit than I have ever been in my life. This summer I started doing triathlons. I signed for another 5 months hoping to get to goal weight by the end of the contract.
I train 2 x per week. I pay $48.00 per session.
I workout 1 1/2 to 2 hours 6 days a week.
My gym membership is $20.00/month and includes unlimited classes.

I haven't been fortunate in my experiences to have found a good trainer. They all (the 2 of them before I stopped bothering) didn't listen to what my goals were or what I wanted to do, didn't take what I was willing to do into consideration, and built me a plan I couldn't do because of my injury. It was a waste of time and money for me and I ended up more frustrated than anything else.

But that was just my experience. Others have different experiences.

spend the money on a CPT certification course, you will learn so much more, and be able to apply that knowledge to your specific situation with which you are already intimately familiar with.

ETA: ACSM CPT here, love it!

nicoleexo2015 wrote: »

i am thinking about getting a personal trainer/nutritionist. Because I am having a difficult time. Please tell me your experiences and things to look for. How do I know if someone is qualified ? The average cost or how much you paid? Your personal experiences good and bad?

Thanks!

I have not had a personal trainer in years, but only one of about three was well worth the money I spent. Why?

• He taught me about logging food and counting calories to stay within a certain calorie goal.
• He taught me how to properly weight lift.
• He taught me about properly fueling my body for workouts.

That's it.

At my gym I got a personal trainer who I really liked. After a few sessions, I signed up for a half-year, paid in advance. He was a real young kid, but understood how to work with older clients, like myself. Then, the trainer quit to go to another gym. I never found another trainer who I worked well with. The next trainer was twenty years older, but had no idea how to work with older clients. I was scheduled for knee replacement surgery in six months, and I had specific orders from my doctor to avoid squats, lunges, and knee bends. This was in my paperwork and I told him personally. Next week, he tried to start me on squats and lunges -- I reminded him of my medical restrictions. Following week, he tried to start me on squats and lunges. Plus, he had recently lost 90 pounds himself, and never tired of bragging about it. I got so tired of hearing him talk about himself and never seem interested in me and my needs (you know, the paying client). And his nutritional advice was laughable.

I tried a couple other trainers, but there was never a good fit. They all knew one type of routine and tried to make you fit into it. I asked each about getting started on a heavy lifting program, and they said that wasn't a good idea. Sheesh! I finished out the sessions, just because I paid for them, and never signed up again.