Is paying for a personal trainer worth it?

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Kimberleerunsandcounts
Kimberleerunsandcounts Posts: 8
in Fitness and Exercise
I am looking at purchasing personal training sessions. I work out regularly, eat good more often than not, but just need that extra boost to get something going. I am looking at spending 260 on 6 one hour sessions with a personal trainer in addition to body assessment, measurements, and fitness plan. Is it worth it? Thoughts?
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Replies

  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,522 Member
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    A good one would be. Unfortunately, good ones are difficult to find.
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
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    I am looking at purchasing personal training sessions. I work out regularly, eat good more often than not, but just need that extra boost to get something going. I am looking at spending 260 on 6 one hour sessions with a personal trainer in addition to body assessment, measurements, and fitness plan. Is it worth it? Thoughts?

    Only if the trainer has some good credentials AND a good amount of experience. Something like an A.C.E certification or a CSCS certification from the NSCA are a good start or probably some of the better credentials. Evaluate how he looks physically and watch his training sessions with other clients if you can and see what they look like. Unfortunately I'm very cynical about most trainers because of what I've seen in the gyms I belong to. Personally, I'd grab some books from prominent trainers and websites for those trainers and start there before I dished-out $260.
  • HikeRunLift
    HikeRunLift Posts: 70
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    rule of thumb.. find a trainer who is at the level of fitness you would like to be.

    There are a lot of bad trainers out there. LOTS
  • jamiesadler
    jamiesadler Posts: 634 Member
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    I would say no. I would go with a session or two if you are unfamiliar with what to do but thats it. Its really hard to find a good one who is worth it.
  • anihop
    anihop Posts: 18
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    I had a great trainer and the results were amazing. Unfortunately, she moved to Dallas and I have tried various other trainers that just were not that great. I agree with the previous comment that a good trainer is hard to find. If you do find one that you can connect with and feel comfortable you will see amazing results. Good luck!
  • HURLEYX3RO
    HURLEYX3RO Posts: 269
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    If they are good and mesh well with you and understand your goals yes!

    Also depends on how much you are paying.

    Most big gyms (ballys, 24 hr, etc) just hand u a random trainer.

    Id suggest going to a smaller gym that has trainers available. Smaller places like that know their on staff trainers well.

    Let them know what you are looking to get out of having a trainer and your personal goals. Get a few trainers names and

    set up a consultation. Find one you think would work best with you. :)
  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
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    If it's a good trainer, yes - and that is a pretty great price. I have a training session every other week and it's invaluable.
  • aj_31
    aj_31 Posts: 999 Member
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    I don't know. I see the trainers at my gym and they have no energy. They have no pep in their step. They seem like they don't want to be there or they don't want to be training whoever they are training.

    Then....one of the trainers will be training his girlfriend on a day he's free and he's got all sorts of pep in his step and is super into everything she's doing and all excited. Its like night/day difference.

    I couldn't imagine spending money on any of the trainers at my gym. I find more helpful advice for the regulars who have been working out for years and years.
  • lindalee0315
    lindalee0315 Posts: 527 Member
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    It's definitely worth it if the trainer is good. Have you met the trainer before or is it someone you would meet only after paying for the sessions? If you don't click with the trainer, you won't get as much out of it. And, as another poster implied, there is a wide range of ability in this profession (as in any other). I've gotten a personal trainer at times when I felt like I was getting stale and needed something new. The best one I ever had was one whom I met with for six sessions initially, and then once every six weeks to change up my routine. He was great. The routines he gave me were things I could do on my own after he showed me the exercises. He could tell if I was regularly doing the workout based on the progress at the next session. I miss him!
  • OnMyWeigh464
    OnMyWeigh464 Posts: 447 Member
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    I've had a personal trainer since the end of February and it's the best investment I've ever made. I look forward to our sessions. He pushes me when I feel like quitting...similar to Jillian on Biggest Loser only he doesn't make me puke lol I have cut out other expenses in my life just so I can keep seeing him.
  • Temple_Fit
    Temple_Fit Posts: 299 Member
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    rule of thumb.. find a trainer who is at the level of fitness you would like to be.

    There are a lot of bad trainers out there. LOTS

    I totally agree. I met with a potential trainer and she told me I have achieved good results and she couldn't help me. I was pretty pissed at her for wasting my time and gas.
  • jdhosier
    jdhosier Posts: 315 Member
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    I've had trainers and I really haven't seen anything that is worth paying for, unless you really don't know anything about exercising. There is a ton you can learn about training with videos on Youtube and the books. If you need someone to yell at you and push you, then maybe... or you can get a Jillian Michaels video for a whole lot less.
  • Tetlee
    Tetlee Posts: 2
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    In my experience I've found I can do cardio by myself no problem, PTs seem to be more there for making it interesting or motivation. I do need to do some more reading on HIIT but thats something I dont really need help with I think - or I could go to the spinning classes they do for free.

    What I am looking for is some help with my form in lifting for the big 3 complex moves (deads, squats and bench). For that I found a 10 week class at a proper gym (read not health club) for less than 1 PT session at my normal gym.
  • myjourney2
    myjourney2 Posts: 424 Member
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    If they are good and mesh well with you and understand your goals yes!


    I picked my own personal trainer and she is amazing! I paid for my gym membership up front (just because I wanted to) and I pay monthly for my trainer. At my gym you dont have to join the gym to hire the trainer. It is definitely worth the expense to me. I had a 3 month contract with her but just recently extended the contract another 6 months. That should take me into December and hopefully I will be at my goal by then.

    I would have had no idea where to start without her since I hadnt been in a gym for many, many years. Now I find I do well because I am accountable to her.
  • Kimberleerunsandcounts
    Kimberleerunsandcounts Posts: 8
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    The trainer is the fitness director at our local gym. He manages about 10 other fitness leaders. Our gym is ran through our park district and is definitely one of the more impressive ones around. I do not know his specific credentials nor would I know what they meant if I asked!! (I will have to do some research first) I feel very good about his knowledge and expertise. I also believe the $260 is not going to break me financially but is definitely costly enough to keep me accountable.

    This was my first post for a topic and I am amazed at all of the immediate feedback I received!! You guys are great!
  • myjourney2
    myjourney2 Posts: 424 Member
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    [/quote]

    "I totally agree. I met with a potential trainer and she told me I have achieved good results and she couldn't help me. I was pretty pissed at her for wasting my time and gas."
    [/quote]

    syncerepassio - Not sure how she wasted your time and gas. She could have taken your money when you really didnt need her. Instead it sounds like she was honest with you.
  • gr8pillock
    gr8pillock Posts: 374 Member
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    I'm going to say yes. I have had a trainer for over a year and I wouldn't be half as capable as I am now if I hadn't gone. On top of that, having an appointment with her made me accountable, because if I didn't show up, I wasn't just failing myself. She keeps track of your progress, pep talks you when you don't see any, adjusts things to help get you what you need and most importantly, you show the hell up and you push harder with her/him. I just recently started taking silks classes, which requires an UNBELIEVABLE amount of strength to do any of the moves they teach you. Had I not been going to a trainer for a year before I started the classes, I'd have been screwed. It took forever to start really losing any weight for me, but once I did, the fat was melting away to show that there was muscle underneath. I can climb those silks to the top, hefting my 185 lbs frame up those bad boys isn't a breeze, given that it took my fifth class to finally be able to do it... couldn't have EVER done it if I hadn't been seeing my trainer the year previous.

    That's just my two sense.
  • gr8pillock
    gr8pillock Posts: 374 Member
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    And by sense I mean...freudian slip? ;)
  • HURLEYX3RO
    HURLEYX3RO Posts: 269
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    I'm going to say yes. I have had a trainer for over a year and I wouldn't be half as capable as I am now if I hadn't gone. On top of that, having an appointment with her made me accountable, because if I didn't show up, I wasn't just failing myself. She keeps track of your progress, pep talks you when you don't see any, adjusts things to help get you what you need and most importantly, you show the hell up and you push harder with her/him. I just recently started taking silks classes, which requires an UNBELIEVABLE amount of strength to do any of the moves they teach you. Had I not been going to a trainer for a year before I started the classes, I'd have been screwed. It took forever to start really losing any weight for me, but once I did, the fat was melting away to show that there was muscle underneath. I can climb those silks to the top, hefting my 185 lbs frame up those bad boys isn't a breeze, given that it took my fifth class to finally be able to do it... couldn't have EVER done it if I hadn't been seeing my trainer the year previous.

    That's just my two sense.

    I agree!

    When I had my intial consultation we had a "mini session" After 3 mins of warm-up I was already about to pass out! I was only able to do 5 push ups on my knees!!

    I look at the things I do now, like, Getting a bosu balance half ball putting my hands on the platform and doing a full body push up balancing on that ball with one leg in the air. Its incredible the things I can do now. I wouldnt have been able to do it, if it werent for my trainer.

    I can say another thing to, he knows my capabilities better than I do, bc during some of our sessions now he will tell me to do something and I tell him "youre bananas if you think I can do that!" and then I do it and its like woah I can do that? lol
  • numindan
    numindan Posts: 163 Member
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    My trainer came highly recommended by my physiotherapist and I work with him to ensure I'm learning proper form and not re-injuring myself. I've only been going to him for 8 weeks now but my strength gains are amazing (for me) with the added bonus of no injuries and a significant amount of increased mobility. I joke that I love to hate him but I can't imagine having made it this far without his support.

    Like everyone else said, a good trainer is worth his/her weight in gold ;)

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