Trainer or NOT!

I went to bodybuilding.com and found a strength/muscle building plan that works for me. They also provide videos for each exercise so that you can see what the correct form looks like.

My suggestion is, if you can't afford to get a personal trainer long term, see if you can at least have one session to learn proper form. I see so many people lifting weights the wrong way.

I can't recall the source but I read something not that long ago that compared results with and without a trainer (I'm not a trainer myself) and the bottom line was that people using a personal trainer tended to experience better gains than those without ( I'm not sure if it was accountability or motivation that was the key factor).

I can tell you from personal experience that in a coached environment I tend to work harder.

I have been working out with a trainer for the last 2 months, 4x weekly. He has "kicked my butt" so to speak. He has made me realize that I am capable of doing more than I thought I was able to. If I were working out on my own, I would have given up too easily!!! In the last 2 months, I have lost 15 lbs and 24 inches!!!
I know I can't work with a trainer indefinitely, but with the knowledge and skills that I am being taught, I feel confident that when I go it alone, I will know what to do, when to do it, and how long to do it for!!!

If you get a trainer, check their references and get one who can show you before and after photos of their clients. There are 5 crap trainers for every good one.

SO TRUE!! any idiot off the street can call themselves a 'trainer'...some places don't require any sort of education or credentialing so work as one. As a Certified Athletic Trainer (you know, the guy that runs out on a football field with khakis, polo, and fanny pack when someone gets hurt)... let me tell you, there are plenty of wack jobs out there!!!

I trained myself.

I do go to a personal trainer and get my best workouts there. I've also been doing the 30 Day Shred by Jillian Michaels, and that's been helping me as well. It's a great mix of cardio/strength/abs.

I think it's definitely possible to do this on your own as well, but I am pushed hardest by my trainer, and I also enjoy having someone to follow along with (hence the 30DS).

I can't recall the source but I read something not that long ago that compared results with and without a trainer (I'm not a trainer myself) and the bottom line was that people using a personal trainer tended to experience better gains than those without ( I'm not sure if it was accountability or motivation that was the key factor).

I can tell you from personal experience that in a coached environment I tend to work harder.

If other peoples' personal trainers are anything like my personal trainer, they are down on the floor with you or in your face screaming like a drill sargeant, "Come-on, you can do it. You have two more in you!"

Yes, I believe that people who have personal trainers get better and quicker results. My personal trainer doesn't give me a moment to rest, pushes for 'only two more', keeps upping my weights as soon as I hit the maximum reps, and keeps lowering the bar upon which I do push-ups (I can now do them military style, thank you Jason).

Additionally, if you have limitations, like a bad back or shoulder or whatever, it is good to consult a trainer to make sure you do not cause it more damage and to find alternative exercises to do.

I couldn't do it without my trainer. I plan on 'buying him' for another 20 sessions. Yes, he is expensive, but I only use him for my upper body work and once a month consult on lower body work. I am very lazy with the upper body and my form is not all that good.

What I have seen at the gym from those without trainers astounds me and is a waste of time for those people doing it. Taking a dumbbell, pumping it quickly three times, then putting it away is not going to do the person any good, especially when it is obvious that the 10 pound dumbbell was too light for you in the first place. Doing 100 sit-ups quickly and without slow control will not reduce your beer belly. You learn these things from your trainer. Books are good. Online information is good. But until a trainer has scrutinized your program and form, you may not see any benefits at all.

Additionally, if you have never worked out in a gym, getting a trainer for the first 6 sessions will give you someone to help learn how to set up the equipment. Nothing is more irritating than being in the middle of lifting and someone asks me to show them how to adjust the seat on the leg press. Find these things out from a trainer in the first two weeks and you don't have to bother the other people in the gym.

On top of this, having a trainer makes you accountable. There have been several times when I wanted to stay home and loaf, but I had to meet my trainer at the gym. And I know that he will give me a hard time if I call off a lift session.

I second everything that was said above. I probably would have quit ten times if it wasn't for my trainer, he holds me accountable. Now that I am in better shape, I am more accountable to myself, it took him getting me "over the hump", so to speak. He has taught me proper technique, I see the results he has with his other clients, he tweaks my diet to achieve optimal results but the best thing, is he gets to know ME, he recommends the best plan for ME.

An he is very territorial, if he sees other "cracker jack" trainers trying to show me something on our off days, he will come right on over and make sure they aren't showing me wrong, he wants me to succeed, not get hurt. And yes, he will call them cracker jack right to their face, they don't say much because it is true, and he is very well respected in our area at most gyms around here.

Good luck!!

As a former personal trainer of 17 years I can assure you i have seen a lot of very poor "trainers" out there. I have also seen some excellent trainers that actually care about their clients. Unfortunetly, it is those poor trainers that have given the personal training a negative reputation.

The most important thing to do is vet the person who is the personal trainer.

I tend to classify personal trainers into three (3) categories:

(1) Certified Personal Trainers: these are individuals who, whether it be on-line or in a class room, go through an education process to learn the intricacies of being a CPT. While I was not a CPT, I am sure their education included course work in basic human anatomy and physiology, exercise physiology, bio mechanics in relationship to human movement, kinesiology, and nutrition; as well as, design and implementation of exercise programs for the ultra beginner to the very highly advanced. There may even be some motivational and communication courses as well. These individuals, because they are certified, must maintain that certification through continuing education.

+ These individuals, in most instances, are independent contractors or employed by personal training companies, training fitness center clients for additional fees that go directly to the CPT or to a CPT company. These individuals should be bonded and have insurance plans that protect their clients in the even of injury.
++ If there are any CPTs out there that read this and some of my information is wrong, it is not intentional. Please state the corrections so all here can be well informed.

(2) Associate and Undergraduate students, employed by the fitness center, studying in the preparatory medical fields such as medicine, physical therapy, chiropracty, physical therapy assistant, etc., students studying sports sciences, exercise physiology, etc. One may even find a graduate student in physical therapy and medical schools working as personal trainers as well. These individuals have had course work in basic human anatomy, gross human anatomy, advanced human anatomy, physiology, exercise physiology, bio mechanics, kinesiology, and neuroanatomy just to name a few, but I think you get my point.

These individuals may go through a training program specifically for the fitness center chain they work for. This training includes how the exercise equipment works, etc.and the most basic and simple exercise program in their facilities. Most of the training, however, is geared toward the Member Agreement (Contract) sales presentation. I will just keep it at that because most individuals who have visited a fitness center KNOW exactly what I am talking about:

The friendly greeting when you enter. "Come sit here so we can discuss your goals, etc." (while attempting to discover any objections one may present to purchasing a membership and already planning rebuttal statements.) The quick tour of their facility showing points of interest, based on the "discussion," rather discovery, you two had. They will then take you to your specific area in an attempt to sell you on the idea they will "walk you through" the program "they" set up for you and be your "fitness instructor." Once they have demonstrated some (very limited) knowledge and have you try a couple machines, you head back to their office or desk. That is when transformation from the bubbly, very polite, and energetic fitness instructor to a Great White Shark. Enough said? Like i said before, many of you have experienced this.

While these individuals double as "member representatives," they are genuinely interested in helping those in fitness centers reach their goals, as well as, CPTs (sorry, I forgot to mention that earlier.) Their intimate knowledge of how the body works allows them to design programs, not only from client goals, but from the inner workings of how the body "should" work.

Groups (1) and (2) are should be well adept at altering and varying programs to keep their clients moving toward their goals. Their knowledge and experience will allow them to change a program "on the fly" in the event something isn't working.

Members of these two groups "should" be well adept at listening to their clients wants, needs, and goals regarding their exercise programs. They "should" also take into serious matter any medical limitations that may be present. These two groups "should" also strive to help educate their clients regarding fitness in order for them to be able to navigate and manage their own fitness programs, while still staying readily available to assist.

(3) The third group of "personal trainers," more commonly called something like "member representatives," "fitness instructor" or something to that effect, are nothing more, IN GENERAL, than sales reps for the fitness center working on base pay w/commissions. Their training involves what I discussed above in group (2). IN GENERAL these individuals are the ones who give fitness centers and REAL personal trainers a poor image. Their general lack of knowledge regarding fitness combined with high pressure sales tend to turn many off to personal trainers or CPTs.

BE ADVISED my statements for regarding fitness center sales reps in group (3) is not true for ALL sales reps; and likewise, not ALL individuals in groups (1) and (2) have the empathy, concern, care, ability, drive, desire, or complete knowledge to perform their jobs properly. There are always exceptions to the norms.

I, for one, was part of group (2). I worked my way through college in fitness centers as a Pre Physical Therapy student.

If you are considering the services of a CPT or a personal trainer, please vet them. ASK QUESTIONS and lots of them. You are like an open book to them when they start to discuss your exercise experience, goals, etc:

- Ask them what their credentials are. If they are certified, request to see the certification to see if it current.

- If they are not certified, ask them how they obtained their knowledge of fitness. Once I graduated, I had my diploma indicating my degree on it. I also had a copy of my college transcripts to show the course work I had completed (which included the grades.) Trust me, you will know if someone is trying to blow sunshine somewhere.

- One person earlier mentioned asking for references. I for one had a binder of testimonial letters from my clients addressed to either company execs or to the fitness center manager. Many times as I was discussing potential client goals and showing the facility, my clients would approach and encourage the individual to move forward with their exercise program. Some even talked about their progress, etc.

- Ask questions about the equipment they plan to have you use regarding safety, primary and secondary target areas, alternate uses of the equipment not commonly seen, the benefits of particular equipment (ie - how will it affect the way I appear), and so forth.

- Inquire about the differences between aerobics classes, cardio equipment, weight training machines, etc. and how they are beneficial to you.

- Inquire about Frequency, Intensity, and the amount of Time the workout will consist of.

- Ask how your goals will match up with a particular intensity level. CPTs and personal trainers should be able to educate you on how intensity affects your results and how you should progress through different intensity levels.

- Ask about nutrition. This is an area which one may not be able to determine is the trainer is "blowing smoke" somewhere. Those that have an acute sense of ethics and personal integrity will defer nutritional questions to dietitians or the CPTs, if any are in your facility, or to your family doctor.

- Ask about literature or web sites you can use to assist in your fitness journey. Generally, the recommendations are sites and sources that have been "peer reviewed" and are considered authentic. Peer reviewed means the literature, articles, etc have been reviewed by EXPERTS in that field and the information has been validated as correct. Peer reviewed articles are heavily scrutinized before they are published. While most experts are designated as "doctors" or "MDs" etc. many are researchers in that particular area that is the subject of the article.

- Ask about motivation, accountability, program tracking, body composition testing and measuring, etc.

- Its okay to ask for one free session to assess whether your are comfortable with a CPT's or personal trainer's individual styles, personalities, etc. Not all CPTs and potential clients mesh personality wise.

- If the designed program does not conform and match up to your goals, fitness level, medical limitations (if any), etc DO NOT DO IT! They may have misunderstood some information you presented and should redesign the program.

- If the CPT or personal trainer continues to push a program you are not comfortable with, if it causes you pain (aside from sourness), etc. then they may be attempting to push a specific method of exercising or program that has worked for them and they feel the need to push it on others. I generally see this in younger, less experienced trainers.

Remember, YOU are paying for the fitness center membership. YOU are the one requesting assistance. YOU are the one that may hire a CPT. The CPT or personal trainer should develop YOUR program based on YOUR goals, YOUR fitness level, YOUR comfort zone (esp for beginners), how YOU want to look and feel.

I do apologize for the length of this post; however I want all who read this, especially beginners and those with body image issues, to have some knowledge and to give some guidance on how to navigate through their fitness journey with a CPT or personal trainer. I firmly believe empathetic, ethical, and caring CPTs, personal trainers, and fitness instructors that have the correct knowledge and communicate well are very effective at helping one achieve their fitness goals. Scientific research has shown that use of a CPT or personal trainer increases results. If an exercise partner is added, the results are even more impressive.