Are personal trainers cost prohibitive ??

Personal trainers typically pay the gym to work there. They are contractors who "rent" space in the gym for some exclusivity.
This is either done by monthly rent paid to the gym or by the gym taking a cut of their fees earned.

They do not make a lot of money unless they run their own gym or consult on the side.

I have a hard time with the trainers @ my gym (LA fitness) they think I should be lifting lighter with a lot more reps because I am a female, they think I am going to hurt myself. So even if they lowered their rates I wouldn't do it.

Finding a good one would be a very good investment. Unfortunately, good ones are hard to find.

it's a lose-lose situation for the clients and the trainers, the only one making money is the gym.

They don't make a lot but they still have to charge a lot more than the average person makes in the same 1/2 hour.

I would love to be rich enough to hire a personal trainer. We have a small (unconventional) gym here and the trainer seems to be really good. $100/hr is understandable considering downtown rent etc. but unfortunately not something I can afford.

Disclaimer,

This isn't for everyone.

On my first attempt at getting down to my goal weight, I lost 80 lbs and regained a lot of strength, I used an on line trainer. Now if you need that person physically there talking to you, in your face, and pushing you, this won't work. I just needed the assistance of getting workouts put together and someone to be responsible to. The cost was not all that much.

Why am I not doing that again you might ask. First, my trainer has left the market and is working with her husband in their dojo. Second, I am following all the things she taught me to do in the first place and I am using MFP as a way to be responsible to someone....well many someones.

It is worth a look if $$$ is an issue.

I got lucky. A friend introduced me to a trainer who has been wrestling, fighting, training for over 30 years and he opened his own training place. He trains mixed martial arts fighters and decided to do a "class" for women and people who weren't in that great of shape and were uncomfortable going to a gym. I was really intimidated at first and now I LOVE IT. He charges $10 a session which range from 1 to 1 1/2 hours each and I work my *kitten* off let me tell you. It is hard to find a good trainer. I tried the gym one and he was so busy checking out the "cute chicks" that after my free sessions I didn't bother to go back. Good Luck. Maybe ask around and you might find someone or try the online one that someone else suggested or do a DVD if you are self-motivated.

Most trainers in my experience are just stepping stones to learning how to use gym equipment and the friend you cannot find to work out with.

All trainers are not equal, ask them what they specialize in. My gyms has both a bodybuilder that I see and a bodyweight trainer, as well as many others. Ask what fitness achievements they have, if they have none, move on to someone else. Finally ask yourself what do you want to do with your fitness? If you want to be fit but have no path you are running in a circle. If you want to run, find a marathoner, if you want to cycle, find a centurion, if you want to get on stage, find a bodybuilder. Etc.

When you do find a high end trainer, they can help you through plateaus, and fine tune what you are doing to reach your fitness goals. These are rare sometimes only 1 or 2 to a gym. Most trainers there have to deal with the ever prevalent I want to lose weight, so they are trained to basically get people moving.

I've looked for an independent one, but apparently they don't have any around here. They also tend to be reluctant to work with morbidly obese (especially super-obese) people. I would gratefully pay $100 per hour just to give me the incentive for working out and to show me what to do because honestly.... I am clueless what to do for exercise. I think that is one of the major advantages is learning a program for yourself.

I hate to read this! My wife is a PT and charges much less than that and has no problem working with morbidly obese people. It's part of her job!

I've looked for an independent one, but apparently they don't have any around here. They also tend to be reluctant to work with morbidly obese (especially super-obese) people. I would gratefully pay $100 per hour just to give me the incentive for working out and to show me what to do because honestly.... I am clueless what to do for exercise. I think that is one of the major advantages is learning a program for yourself.

I have had a trainer for over a year now and have lost almost 100 pounds. I am 5'2" and was 344.6 when I started. My trainer does work at a private gym so the price isn't as expensive. I do pay monthly and the average cost for year's worth of sessions (3x a week) is about $22.00. My sessions are an average of 45-55 mins.

We just renewed our contract for another year. If you can find a good trainer and have the funds to hire one, go for it!

It's expensive; I think a lot depends on your gym. At mine, I buy a bundle of sessions and use them when I want. I have a session every other week and repeat that week's program (or pull out past programs) until our next session, increasing weight progressively. I've found it very helpful and motivating. I'm far from rich, but having only 2-3 sessions a month makes it affordable for me. My trainer also does a lot more than show me how to use the machines...the only machine I've ever been on with him is the cable cross if that even counts.

My opinion: you get what you pay for. I think that at a lot of the trainers at major workout chains know a thing or two, are certified only to the minimum requirement, and honestly, do it as a "cool job and a hangout". I would rather pay a little more, and have someone who is honestly invested in me and my progress. I friend of mine stopped working at a major chain, is going above and beyond in her training, and getting her exercise science/nutrition degree so that she can help more. I love working out with her and feel she knows a lot more than most people that I have trained with.

Very interesting. My return to health inspired me to work on my certification. Realizing I did not have the schedule to attend classroom courses, I am working on my cert online and working with a trainer 2x per week for the next 8 mo. I figure the one on one time will teach me a ton and I should be in pretty kick *kitten* shape by the time I'm finished. I got an amazing deal for the long term and worth the investment in this situation. I can tell you the gym I was using went through a major turnover when it went from Bally's to LA Fitness. They got rid just about all of the trainers and really only have a couple of good ones now (thank goodness I got one of them). It definitely has made me rethink my choice to "get into the biz."

I had one, but then she went back to school for her masters in Kinesiology, However she was training me and a bunch of others including her "close friends" at the same time in a group setting, I didn't mind that much bieng an outsider as she priced me WAAYYYYY under the normal rate but I think it got to be too much, her structure dropped off, she started cancelling last minute, getting a lil flaky and now I can't even get a return text telling me if the gym she works at offers a Body pump class. however, i still get texts telling me of events the gym is having. Least i'm still in her contact list i guess. sn:// she was and IS an AWESOME trainer! Her dedication when you had it was the best. Perhaps I will be blessed to come across another trainer of her caliber that works for me on this journey.

O yeah.. There's no way in H-E double hockey sticks I can afford 60 bucks an hour 3-4 times a week. Thing I liked about her also was, no matter how long it took you, 1,2,3 hours, you weren't done until you had worked every muscle and done every exercise she had for you. No oops, your hour is up, we'll do triceps and the other butt cheek next session!!

I just finished my 12 pt sessions that were included with my bac membership and I a trying to workout a way to purchase more hopefully with some ot $ it'll be possible the gym charges $24 per 30min or $38 per 60min session and I love my trainer I always get discourage when I don't lose weight but getting my measurements and doing strength training has really toned my body and I am so grateful I had my trainer to kick my butt