Do you need a Personal Trainer?

I think it's personal (no pun intended). For myself, I would view it as a waste of money. I can do research and devise a plan. If I need some one time help on form or how to use some equipment, I can get one of the staff at the gym to demonstrate for me.

Other people (like my wife) enjoy the accountability of having someone watching and measuring and observing. It makes no sense to me why she feel accountable to a total stranger who only cares because s/he is being paid to do so, but if that is what it takes to stay motivated, then it's money well spent.

I have had a trainer for years because it keeps me motivated. At this point I know what to do but if I didn't have someone relying on me to keep my appointment I'd make excuses not to go. My trainer also pushes me further than I'd push myself. If you're self motivated, then I agree with the other comments. It might be beneficial to get the sessions to get you on the right track. Good luck!

I say go for it! Those five sessions could be very beneficial to assisting you meet your goal! Good luck! :flowerforyou:

I do agree on getting a personal trainer...I've been going to one for the past 3 years and I love it...he really pushes me to go further and even though I'm still over weight, I can see myself very firm. I'm so happy to be going with him..good luck in whatever you decide to do...

Yvette

A good trainer would be worth it. Unfortunately, good trainers are hard to come by.

My trainer is the best money I've ever spent. He has me do things that I'd never consider, pushes me harder than I'd ever push myself and has proven to me that I can blow away former boundaries as far as what I'm able to do physically. I am much more successful with him than without him.

That said, I believe I got really lucky in my trainer. I watch trainers in the gym who spend a lot of time talking to anyone other than who they're training at the moment, don't have a clue how to put together an effective program, who don't inspire and motivate their clients.

So, if you're getting a trainer, do interview them. Ask what their philosophy, background, and program ideas are. As them how they train themself. Get references! They should be interested in your goals, what motivates you, etc. In the end, the trainer is your employee and you want a better than average employee, especially considering the cost.

Good luck in your search!

Ya you can learn alot just in 5 sessions
You should do it and then see how it feels from there!

My trainer is the best money I've ever spent. He has me do things that I'd never consider, pushes me harder than I'd ever push myself and has proven to me that I can blow away former boundaries as far as what I'm able to do physically. I am much more successful with him than without him.

That said, I believe I got really lucky in my trainer. I watch trainers in the gym who spend a lot of time talking to anyone other than who they're training at the moment, don't have a clue how to put together an effective program, who don't inspire and motivate their clients.

So, if you're getting a trainer, do interview them. Ask what their philosophy, background, and program ideas are. As them how they train themself. Get references! They should be interested in your goals, what motivates you, etc. In the end, the trainer is your employee and you want a better than average employee, especially considering the cost.

Good luck in your search!

Totally agree with this. My experience exactly. My trainer has spent a lot of time discussing my goals and results, and reviews them often (every 4 sessions or so). I am doing things I never thought I'd be able to do. He's a great motivator. My gym offers 3 free sessions with a trainer, and I lucked out and got him. So I knew we'd work well together. That said, it IS expensive. And I realize it's cost prohibitive for a lot of people.

Investing in a personal trainer to get your momentum going and to make sure you are doing proper form is a good idea. After that, you may feel you don't need one.

That's the case for me. I really wanted some pointers about keeping good form, and my trainer was very helpful for that.

Personally, I'm one of those people who tends to push myself too much too soon and then injure myself, so I definitely don't need anyone on the outside pushing me more. And I've never found a trainer who's willing to tell me to step it *down* a notch :laugh:

For most the answer is No, you don't need one.. BUT are they nice to have? Hell yes!

I've gone through three trainers in the past year and I've finally found one that is compatible and doing what I need him to do.

My first trainer did jack for me... I did all the research and learned how to lose weight on my own.. All he did was stand around, look good and collect my money.

My second trainer was good... but I only had 3 sessions with him before he was promoted to manager. The work that he did with my mom though was phenomenal.. so I know that if we had kept going, I would have gotten good results.

My third trainer has been in the business for 5 years, is going for his second certification and is all around a good trainer. He knows what works and what doesn't... and monitors everything that you do very closely so that he can tailor his approach as much as possible, which I like a lot.. It puts the "personal" back in personal trainer.

Bottom line, it's what you decide to do. DVD's are great and all but it's nothing like having a live person to interact with and bounce ideas off of.