Am I overreacting?

sorry it might not be a fitness question but it happened in the gym and I dont know where to put it. It is just a stupid situation that happened in my gym and I was upset for a while. I met with a manager to help me find a new trainer. I discussed some of the options with her and some of the trainers are really expensive. something like 120 dollars an hour. so I told her " wow, that is really expensive". she said " look at the people around you, this is not expensive for that kind of people who work out here, they can afford this pretty easy".  

guys, I don't know. her answer made me angry a little bit. am I overreating?

In other words, she was saying "If you can't afford a trainer here, you're not rich enough to workout here"?

So much for the customer always being right. Honestly, if a place was that uninterested in my business, I wouldn't keep going back.

I don't think you are overreacting, but don't let it ruin your day -- there will always be stupid people in this world who think that money makes their sh** smell like roses.

I do not think that you are overreacting!  Her answer was rude, which she may have simply been to stupid to realize, and did not in fact address your concern with pricing!

yes.

What Gym was it?

I'm a NSCA Trainer (Pre-Req)

And for the most part the average for a mainstream training with decent-high creditials will run you 50-80 bucks a session, extras like nutrition and what have you may cost more.

120-150 is pretty high, and regardless - Her reaction was very rude..

I personally charge 25 $ An hour but i'm also not yet fully  certified, but when i am i'll hold one of the industry's highest cert -

I'm curious to know what chain charges that...

You may be over reacting, but then again you may not.  The employees usually get a discount on personal training BTW.  I wouldn't want to walk into a gym where I felt sneered at or belittled even if it weren't actually the case, but revisiting the discussion with the manager might make you feel more awkward which you don't want either.

Whether or not you can afford $120 per hour is a different matter of whether or not you feel the service provided is worth $120 per hour, many people spend money that they don't have for appearances and the manager might get people to part with $ by making that kind of remark.  There are very few people that I consider to be worth $120 per hour of my money for anything.  If that's a typical rate for their trainers, then you might consider changing gyms or looking into a private individual who might do their work with you out of another location but provide you with a routine for your gym.

I have one friend who is a trainer who does charge $100+/hour (he has a master's degree in physical education in addition to his certifications and many years of experience and is constantly reading literature on health and nutrition to design the best plans for his clients).  Most gym trainers don't have much in the way of certifications let alone degrees in a related field.  I think it's reasonable to ask not only what their training background is, but for referrals from satisfied clients. 

BTW, if the trainer that you posted about in a previous thread who had the nebulous "dance" background is the one in question, she's not worth $50/hour let alone $120 imo.

Sounds like your friend is top end - 

Unless she was working out an exclusive club, which i doubt (She woulda been aware of how pricey it woulda been)

Those prices are very high - 

Mainstream* won't charge but half of that 

100-200$ range is for Exclusive clubs, and typically high end trainers who work for themselves, both of which this doesn't sound like 

I agree with Smwhipple, sadly most trainers are not worth the spit they use to clean the floors with, and some of them are better at cleaning floors then training.

My best advice, ask about their Certification - there are over 200+ Certs in the industry, but only 4-5 that are really reconized well by the industry, obviously anyone with any type of degree should be a good choice.

thanks, guys. Actually, I was not talking about the price. it is just her answer that made me upset. I felt than even if I can afford it, she should not have replied with such a stupid answer. I know the prices were $100 then went up to $120. I was not questioning the rates, it was just a comment.

that manager is a nice lady but I can't really stand her face since then.

no, Smwhipple. that is not the dancer trainer. I emailed her back with a couple of nice sentences. I wrote: " pushing a client to sign up for a session before he gets to know you is a major turn off. sorry, I am not interested. I hope you got paid for the time you spent with me."

I agree that most trainers are not worth the money but how can I find someone to correct my forms and gives me motivation to go back to the gym ?

:(

Safina, are you still going to Equinox?? Tell me this is not the same gym! WTF?

What she said was rude! Inappropriate and if she was employed by me, it would be means to fire her as$!

Look, yes, that price is on the other side of the medium..but if you came to my gym, you'd probably have to go on xanax [we range anywhere from 100 hr - 300 hr]. BUT...we are all inclusive, and here, having a trainer is also having a dietician and life coach. My trainers travel to client's homes, often times grocery shop with them [or for them], and have literally gotten up in the middle of the night to go and give a client support before they 'binged'.

You need to find a trainer that is IN your price range...including a gym, if you still are looking for a diff gym.

BEFORE you meet with a trainer, find out the cost. That should eliminate any shock value!

There are plenty of trainers out there that are GOOD that charge under 60 an hr.

If you lived here on the West coast, I'd actually have quite a few awesome recommendations for you.

Safina,

I hate to generalize, but that IS the mentality at Equinox!!!  They are quite elitist there, and, even though SHE could not afford to spend that kind of money on personal training, she was sort of trying to intimidate you into doing it.  I don't think her statement should ruin your day, but it is off-putting and condescending.

If you want, I can give you the names of my former and current trainers, both of whom would train you on a private basis for much less, I'm sure.  I can also give you the name/info for a trainer at my gym who does classes in Central Park twice a week during the week (Thursdays and one other day) and Saturday mornings for $10 a class.  He's a great trainer, and since the classes are small, he would definitely take the time to help you with your form (and kick your ass while doing it!!).  His weekday classes are resistance-type conditioning classes and his Saturday class is like a boot camp (sprints, stair climbing, bench jumping, etc.).  Lots of fun, outside, and great workouts.

I do think trainers add a lot of value to working out (I only use one once a week, but he pushes me SO hard and gives me great new ideas that I can use when I'm not with him), but do think $120 an hour is steep.  You have to make the decision that works for you, so ultimately it's up to you, but I understand why you think that woman is annoying now!

Good luck!!

I hate that personal training is SO expensive.  That's why I don't have one.  Honestly, if I were you, I'd post an ad on Craigslist for a work-out buddy.. maybe somebody who is in great shape and is willing to help out someone get into better shape.  It's free, and maybe to thank her you can take her/him to lunch every other week?

I think that the manager was super out of line to say that, though.  However, maybe they had been approached by several complaints about pricing that day and just got snappy.  I don't know- I still think it was uncalled for and rude.  You should write them a letter explaining how you felt and cancel your membership there.  See if they apologize and give you a month of personal training free or something.. that would be the right thing to do.  And if they won't do it for you, it may not be worth going there!

And you know, people CHOOSE what they want to spend their money on.  I'm dirt broke right now, but I still make sure I come up with enough money to purchase my mineral make-up and hair dye.  Other people who are dirt poor will put their pennies towards organic fruits and vegetables.. or film for their camera, or car washes, whatever.  It doesn't mean you're poor if you don't CHOOSE to get a personal training session either.  My parents who are very wealthy don't get family photos.. or pay for big packages of photos from my brothers' schools when picture time rolls around.  They just pick and choose what to spend their money on.  My mom is a volunteer instructor at a health club (her salary gets donated to charity because she does it because she loves it, not because she needs the money at all), and she does volunteer personal training as well.  And some of the people she trains for free are also well-off.  It's just a matter of what you spend your money on!

for a $120 an hour, I'd rather put the money into certifying myself as a PT and then charge other ppl haha. that's rediculous and i would have made the same comment. Good Life trainers are 40-60 an hour around here. which is high enough imo.

Trainers are VERY important - I've been training for 15 years, and about 6 months ago i started in on becoming certified, and the things i've learned shocked me, after 3 years in the Marines, 15 years in the Gym 3 years lifting on All American Teams i thought i knew it all - I was dead wrong.

It would take hours to tell you all the things trainers can do for you (Good Trainers).

Personally, i think anything over 90 an hour is too high, but it's all about the service you get what they do for you.

Knowledge is what makes us worth so much - a "Free" work out buddy won't tailor a plan to you, and look out for whats best for you, a work out buddy like myself before i started school will only do what they have learned through other people who are typically doing 90% of there work outs in the gym wrong - 

I sat back in my Gym for the first time in 6 months (My School has a brand new gym that we do our hands on training in so no need to go to my gym).

And i was shocked, and slightly disgusted with how people worked out, all i saw was injuries in the making.

I can't believe you only get one free session and that they made you give that up for a consultation. I thought MY gym was full of money grubbing elitists...You should really complain about giving up the first session. And as for your form, I really doubt that if you ask a trainer to help you with one particular exercise you're going to be charged for it. Don't they have trainers standing around helping people? I feel like they should, lest someone do something stupid and get hurt and sue...

Original Post by segiris:

Trainers are VERY important - I've been training for 15 years, and about 6 months ago i started in on becoming certified, and the things i've learned shocked me, after 3 years in the Marines, 15 years in the Gym 3 years lifting on All American Teams i thought i knew it all - I was dead wrong.

 Where were you training since you were not a CPT?

Safina, what about getting a partner? Often times, trainers cut prices in half if they train a 'team'- 2 people at once. That is surely one way to cut costs!

She was rude and personally I would not sign up at a place where the staff think they can talk to you how they please. 

Thanks, guys. now I feel much better. I thought I was over senstive but her comment really was not nice. that manager saw me the other day and she said hello safina, nice to see you. ( I havent been there for such a long time). and I wish I could say" it was NOT nice to see you". but anyway I just said " thank you".

I have tried to email another " famous" trainer at the same gym and she is overbooked. she charges more than 120 and she offered to put me on her " waiting list" if I want to workout with " HER".

now, I think my hands are up and I surrender. I don't want a trainer. really. I go to work, and after I finsih work, I go home and I eat and sleep.

oh I forgot to say that I gained weight of course.

Workout buddy? I have posted on GL several times and I was not able to find someone who lives nearby and the ones who are nearby are not serious about fitness at all.

Fitness girl, my original question was actually about the manager's comment and whether it was appropriate or I am overreacting? but it was not about the price actually. and for the services that you mentioned, your trainers are actually doing a great job.

 I wish I were on the west coast. :)

Awww, Safina, I wish you were, too. It's frustrating to see someone like yourself that truly wants to get in better physical health and just seems to be knocking on the wrong doors and falling through the cracks.  Equinox, every one of them, are more about image than they are actual value to the member. Anderson Cooper works out at Equinox/midtown in NYC and actually uses a private trainer that is not associated with Equinox for all of his strength training and dietary plan.

I wish you the best of luck and don't give up.

Thanks, Fitness girl. I am really sad over this. actually, when I was a kid, my parents didn't have any idea about weight training or fitness in general so i don't know how to do proper forms. I know a few of them but I need variety because I get bored doing the same routine over and over.

I know that Anderson Cooper works out in columbus circle right?? I was curious so I went to workout there just to see the place. lol. It was nice. I enjoyed.

so now, I don' t really know what to do. I pay for something I don't use and I can't find someone to motivate me.

safina, which one are you a member at? i know you said midtown..but which one?

I have an all access membership. I can go to any location but I used to go to the one on lex ave.