Hire personal trainer?

[suzzer99]

Well in my case I've worked out 1-2 times a week for most of the last 7 years. But never very hard. Like 1-2 sets of stuff. Mostly 1. Just enough to keep me from being a marshmallow basically. So I got the trainer to get me in the habit of doing a real workout, and have someone to answer to. I don't see itas forever, but hopefully it should help get me over the hump from what I was doing, to get in the habit of doing a real workout.

[notfreemoney]

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Is my friend getting ripped off? He's paying 80 dollars per session for 24 sessions which come out to be 1920. One session is an hour long. I think he's paying way too much but he really needs it. He's 5'11 and about 260 pounds. He is more motivated now because he's paying alot of money. Maybe that is the key? He's going twice a week so the whole thing is going to take 3 months. What happens after that though? Without the trainer will he stop going? If that is so he's going to have to pay someone for his rest of his life?

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80 is on the higher side but is not out of the ordinary for a competent trainer... Some even charge upwards of 100 per hour. Hopefully after the 3 months your friend will have seen that he can lose the weight with hard work and have that as a motivation.

[MasterCye]

Finding a good trainer is very difficult. At my gym, in the 2 years i've been going there, they've gone through about 30-40 different trainers. The only one whose been there the whole time was the guy who does the martial arts classes. Of all the trainers that have been there the only one I would trust is the martial arts guy, and only to teach martial arts.

In finding a trainer I would ask these questions:
1. How important are squats and deadlifts in your programs?
- In 2 years I've NEVER seen a trainer have a person do squats and deadlifts.

2. If they say squats and deadlifts are important ask if squats to parallel or ATG(ass to grass).
- ATG, it recruits more muscles in your legs and is safer for your knees

3. Machines or free weights.
- Free weights doing compound movements are king.

4. How much do you incorporate those brightly colored balls on the wall.
- The more they use them, the worse they are. I've seen trainers working people out on those balls almost their whole session.

If you manage to find a trainer who correctly answers these questions congrats, they still might suck the big one.

Your best bet is to educate yourself. Buy some books, browse some of the online forums. All this will cost less than a bunch of sessions with a probably sub-standard trainer. The best thing that can happen with a crappy trainer is wasting some time and money, the worst is severe injury because they taught you something incorrectly.

[shemp]

From what I've observed personal trainers have several major problems:

1. They eschew major movements and heavy weights (presumably their certification authorities tell them it is dangerous).

2. They focus too directly on core and stability (giving the impression of building a six pack).

3. Focus on "pump." (This is perhaps related to #1 as well as what they think will impress their clients).

Even assuming those problems, whatever gets someone to the gym, motivation-wise, as well as leaving the planning to someone else are good things.

[SamG]

I've considered booking a few sessions with a trainer to me help with my form on squats and deadlifts and to learn to clean. But you'll get better advice on this forum than you will from a trainer, and Rippetoe or 5x5 or whatever is a better program than whatever machine circuit a trainer will probably put you on.

I think of personal trainers in the same way I think of financial advisors: You're probably better off spending just a little time educating yourself and doing it on your own.

Do Rippetoe and invest in index funds. [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

[ImsaKidd]

Anyone have good advice on good exercises to practice form on with a trainer besides Squats/Deadlifts/etc?

[LocustHorde]

[ QUOTE ]

1. How important are squats and deadlifts in your programs?
- In 2 years I've NEVER seen a trainer have a person do squats and deadlifts.



[/ QUOTE ]

you know, now that I think of it, I've never seen them having their clients do bench press. They have them perform all these foo foo exercises. I wonder if it's a liability issue(i go to 24 hour fitness)

[notfreemoney]

I think alot of you arent realizing that over 50% of clients that personal trainers get are sedentary +45 year olds. Hi Martha, so I realize you havent ever played a sport, work a 9-5 desk job and are sedentary the rest of the night... ok let me show you how to properly perform ATG squats and max DEADLIFTS today becuase those are gonna get you buff.

People have medical problems. People are sedentary. People have never lifted before in their lives. You see personal trainers on machines because when someone first comes in and they have never lifted before, they do not have the neuro skills to perform freeweight exercises. Nor do they need to start on them. Yes, for the experienced lifter squats, deadlifts, 5x5, super Hi intensity workouts while eating a bucket of whey are the norm. But for someone who just wants to get in a little more shape and lead a more functional lifestyle- those exercises are dumb to start out on.

[slimon]

I bet you if someone payed my friend 50 bucks to work out for an hour he would but yet won't do it for his own health. Even though I'm only 10 pounds overweight I wouldn't work out for my only good but I would work out for the 50 bucks. Isn't that alittle crazy?

[TimM]

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Most of my life I have always had team sports to keep me in shape(hockey , soccer etc.) but due to some injuries etc. stopped last year. I have found myself getting way out of shape. I have a hard time coming up with fitness ideas etc.
and I think a personal trainer might help. Anyone with thoughts or experiences using a personal trainer?

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I haven't missed a workout since I started doing Starting Strength in April. I'm very goal oriented so seeing the weights go up is my motivation. When I joined my gym in December I was assigned a trainer for three sessions who just gave me a typical machine workout. It just wasn't the same. There's something about knowing you're doing what's right for your goals and knowing you're getting results that is very motivating.