Personal trainers

So i'm about to join a gym, and i have aproblem really knowing what i should be doing to loose the weight i need to loose. so i was thinking if ic ould get a personal trainer once a week this may work, do trainers work like this or do they want to be there everytime you work out?also whats the avg cost per hour or whatever for a personal trainer? thanks,

lala

you should be able to decide hwo often you want to meet w/ your trainer. they should give you a program that you are able to do on your own. I only meet w/ mine once a week. If you really just need help w/ getting started, you may want to just meet w/ them a couple times a week in the beginning and then go on your own. I think mine is somthing like $40 a session. It's pricey, but I think worth it.

You can work out whatever arrangement you want with a personal trainer - from meeting everyday to working out with you once or twice and writing up a plan for you to follow on your own... You'll need to figure out how they work it at your new gym but you should be able to get a 'trial' session first - it's really important to find someone with a compatible style to your personality.  Do you need a drill sargent or do you prefer someone whose experienced in weight loss or nutrition or body building?  There are all types of trainers out there - you just need to ask a lot of questions and not feel pressured to commit to anything unless you are sure.

Cost will depend on area, type of gym and experience - for instance I pay $60/session but I work out with a partner and we commit to 12 weeks at a time and have been working with him for a while (I need someone to push me, but not yell at me because I will yell back!).  We meet once a week and every session starts off with - 'How's your progress? How many days have you put in this week? What did you do (besides elliptical)? Any problems? Anything hurt? How is the calorie counting? Ready to get worked?...' Which is then followed by 60 minutes of stuff I would not do on my own.

I love my trainer.  I'm moving in a few weeks or I would never give him up!   

Most trainers would prefer that you work out with them at least 2 times per week. That said, they should be willing to work out w/ you one time a week if that is what you prefer.  Cost varies, depending on where you live, what gym you belong to and what certifications and experience the trainer has.   The gym I used to work for charged anywhere from $75 down to $65 per session depending on what kind of a package you purchased.  But, I have heard of gyms where they charge less and some that charge more.  If you do choose to work out w/ a trainer, make sure she/he has a nationally recognized certification. The top three are NSCA, NASM & ACSM.  There are some others like ACE that are pretty good too.  The trainer should do an initial consultation w/ you where she/he goes over your health history, workout history etc... You will then discuss your goals and probably do some basic fitness assessments and body measurements.  Most gyms will offer you an initial complimentary session as a way to get started.  The trainer will most likely give you a workout to do on the days that you don't train w/ him/her. Don't be afraid to ask questions and tell the trainer specifically what you want.  If you don't feel the person is a good match for you don't be shy, ask for another trainer.

You will almost definitely get better results by working with a trainer. I am a trainer and I get better results when I work out w/ one. It is nearly impossible to push yourself as hard as someone else will. Hope that helps.

Trainers are great, if you find a good one.  Sadly, the gym I go to has a lot of young college kids that are looking for part-time jobs while going to school.  I've gone through 4 trainers.  To me, a trainer should tailor your work-out to your specific needs, but as I would see while I was upstairs doing my cardio, and watching my trainer with another client, they would do the same exact exercises with every client.

I finally found a trainer who has made this her career and has been training for about 20 years.  She is wonderful and yes, she tailors each workout to each individual she works out with.  Plus, she and I have become really good friends, so it's like I have a buddy with me to work out with.  I've gotten better results with her since November, then I did with the other 3 trainers in 18 months.

Talk to the person at your gym and explain exactly what it is you're hoping to accomplish and tell them that you want someone who will do what's best for you, not do what is easiest for them.  At my gym, the more sessions you sign up for, the less expensive it is. Oh, another note, the trainers don't get paid very much, probably only about 25% of what I am paying for my sessions.  But, a lot of them also do training on the side, on their own...you might want to watch the different trainers, see how they work with their other clients, pick one you like the style and ask them directly what they would charge you.

Good luck!

Robbyn

I've had both the good and bad when it comes to trainers.  the first gym that I was at had me sign a years contract to get a great rate (me being an idiot signed it!).  for the first 4 sessions i had, i had a new trainer each time, they paid no attention to what i was doing, and one even told me that he didnt know much about vegetarians so he couldnt help me with my diet.  I understand that it was completely my fault for signing without doing some research.  

I now have an awesome trainer who is amazing!  she helped me with my diet, and had really creative workout sessions. I googled the gym/trainers before i signed with them and even though i didnt do this it would be a good idea to ask the trainer if you could talk to past people that they've trained.  

My trainer requires that you sign up for a minimum of 12 sessions (but i'm sure that she would have worked with me if i needed her to).  the $ amount depended on how many sessions i signed up for.  I paid $36 per session which were 1/2 hour long sessions

Hiya Im new to all this but i can help you with the gym, i lost 40 lbs since december without the help of a personal trainer! Just reply and let me no!

I love my trainer!  I see her once a week and she sends me an email each week with my homework.  It's great, because she teaches me how to to the exercises - pushes me farther than I think I can go - and then lets me loose to do it on my own.  I come back with questions and we work on whatever was giving me a hard time. 

One reccomendation I have is to shop around.  You don't have to use a trainer from your gym.  There are professional trainers in independant companies.  I too have a bunch of collge kids looking for extra money at my gym, so I went to a small independant training center.  It's much easier to learn in a quite environment too.  There are only ever 1-2 clients with their trainers.  I feel a lot less "on display".  Depending on the package you buy a good trainer should cost about $60-$80 a session. 

Good luck!!!

i love my trainer too and evne put up with his tardiness and stupid emails because my body is just THAT much stronger, leaner and healthier when I am seeing him twice a week. It's not the answer to all problems but I really think that if youre serious about changing your lifestyle or getting into great shape from sedentary that a trainer is a necesity. Also theyre great motivators. I wouldnt do half as many sets without mine there.

I had a personal trainer and it was about $55/hour and I had 30 - 1 hour sessions.  I can honestly say that the only thing that it was good for was motivation and having someone to push you to go that extra inch (or mile) when you were about to give up (or pass out). 

My recommendation would be to "observe" others personal training sessions and pick up on the workouts that they are doing and copy them.  This acutally came from a personal trainer that I had talked to at my gym.  It is just so overpriced, but if you listen and watch, it's like having a personal trainer without spending the money.  Otherwise, I would sign up for a free session (which is usually offered) and go from there.

Original Post by jillargiris:

I had a personal trainer and it was about $55/hour and I had 30 - 1 hour sessions. I can honestly say that the only thing that it was good for was motivation and having someone to push you to go that extra inch (or mile) when you were about to give up (or pass out).

My recommendation would be to "observe" others personal training sessions and pick up on the workouts that they are doing and copy them. This acutally came from a personal trainer that I had talked to at my gym. It is just so overpriced, but if you listen and watch, it's like having a personal trainer without spending the money. Otherwise, I would sign up for a free session (which is usually offered) and go from there.

I would not recommend copying the workouts of personal training sessions for someone who is newer to fitness. When I train a client I tailor the workout specifically to that client's fitness level, balance level, core strength level.  I also use corrective strategies to fix any inconsistencies in the way their body is moving. Then I create a workout that takes into account their goals and body type. For instance, if I had an experienced client who was looking to increase power and had them doing plyometrics and a random gym member that is a beginner were to do them. they could get seriously injured. The same would be true for doing things on unstable surfaces etc.  I am really surprised to hear that a personal trainer would recommend that you copy workouts to save money.  The whole reason personal trainers exist is to help people create safe and effective workouts for their specific needs.  With the numbers of people I see in the gym every single day doing really ridiculous and dangerous things, I cannot say enough about the benefits of having at least one session with a trainer. Just my opinion

+++ to kashicat

Your biggest issue is going to be do you know enough to judge if the trainer knows what they are talking about?  My gym gives you a free personal trainer for 1 session every 8 weeks.

I know more that the trainer does and I am no expert.  I had to tell them about the number of reps and what weight is right etc.  They didnt even know the correct postures for most items.

In the end I got a free weight, endurance, flexibility test.  Otherwise I should have been charging her for training me.

I would suggest you find someone that knows what they are doing and have them help you select a trainer.  I would help but I dont use trainers as I think they are a waist of money and time.