Trainer or no trainer?

I have had a personal trainer for the last 6 months, and I can say that is honestly helps me stay motivated because with them you HAVE to work out, there is no, well I don't feel like it today. Getting a trainer is one of the best things I have done since starting to try and lose weight!

I haven't had one and I've been here a year (last week) and lost 72lbs on my own. It is hard to do on your own but doable, heck I don't even have a gym membership BUT I do own both an elliptical machine and a treadmill. I had the treadmill gathering dust, I invested in the elliptical after starting hard here.

A personal trainer is now something I'm thinking about, mostly semi-private because it's cheaper. After 1 year I'm pretty close to my goal and really want to bust it out AND not just lose the weight but sculpt the body into what I really want it to look like.

So you CAN lose a lot of weight, and work out on your own totally fine, but some people need the trainer to push them, I didn't but think it might be a good gift to myself

Getting a trainer will be helpful if you feel that you have inadequate: (1) knowledge about exercise/nutrition, or (2) willpower to exercise and diet.

If you already have these things then a trainer has much less utility.

Yea three times a week, $65 on the first of every month. its called Iron Lung Fitness in Decatur Ala, him and his sister own it! at first i only went 30 minutes starting out but we are up to 50 a session

ive been with my trainer for 6 years. Not only has he saved my life physically, but he is also my life coach and now one of my closest friends. He know more about me than just about anybody else. He has also guided me with nutrition along the way and completely changed my diet.

When I injured my back last year he knew my body so well that I phoned him to describe what the symptoms were and how I did it, and he knew exactly what I did and could give me advice within minutes of doing it.

I NEVER thought I would pay for a gym membership, let alone a trainer. It hurt, my trainer cost me $100 per hour (and that was discounted - he trains other personal trainers for around $150 per hour he is so good.) So combining the trainer and gym membership it was costing me around $125 per week, and for most of that my husband was ALSO seeing him.

It was worth every cent, every sacrifice we did to make it happen. We are now completely changed people, extremely active and fit, regularly participate in events and races and I am now dedicated to obtaining my cert 4 as well. Fitness is our lifestyle now, before the trainer we were more inclined to live in shopping centres and watched TV.

I am testament to how important it is to have somebody who knows what they are doing show you the way.

I've lost 60 lbs on my own, but was ready to start toning up and getting stronger. For me, that = trainer. I really like working with her, she has definitely pushed me to do things I didn't think I could do. Yesterday I was doing jump squats, lunges, plank hold, mountain climbers... all stuff I could NOT do 2 months ago. If your goal is just to lose weight and you don't have the money, you can definitely do it without. If you want to be pushed, though, a trainer is a great way to do it. Plus, like someone else said, it keeps you going when you have one of those "I really don't feel like working out today" days for no reason other than you are being lazy. Your trainer will help keep you accountable.

I will add, when I first started a few years ago I tried to work out with a trainer and I got really overwhelmed and never finished the sessions I paid for with her. I was not mentally ready to be pushed *at all* and needed to do things in my time & for the right reasons. I just started walking several days a week and really watching what I ate. NOW working with a trainer I'm totally there mentally and LOVE it... it's just something you should think about if you are just starting.

I simply started counting calories, weighing and measuring everything I ate. Then I walked, 30 min a day 5 or 6 days a week. Or using the elliptical machine, so I did something 5/6 days a week. I didn't add in strength training til much later.

I think mostly its important for motivation, as these days you can get pretty much any advice you need online on places like this.

But seeing an exercise online and actually doing it are 2 different things. Especially when it comes to something like squats or rows. Plus most people TOTALLY underestimate how strong they really are.

I've been successful in the past without a trainer and without a gym membership. However, this time around I simply could not do it on my own. Getting a personal trainer has been the best decision for me. I started out only working with my trainer twice a month and would follow his written workout plans for the rest of the month. Now I see him once a week and it still doesn't break the bank!