To invest in a personal trainer

[Size12wannabee]

I am not rich by any means - but for the first time in my life I have been trying to get fit. Its not just about weight loss a member of my family had a health scare and it has made me realise the importance of healthy heart etc.

I have joined a gym at Easter(and actually going- as opposed to other times when I have joined and gone just a few times)

I have noticed a lot of members have personal trainers and I was thinking of maybe signing up to get the most out of the time I spend in the gym.

I told my husband and he aid it is a silly waste of money (he reckons it is all a con and the only way to get fit is to get on the runner, rower or bike and get out of breathe!)

I would particularly like to hear from anyone that has tried a trainer and what they think

Your husband sounds sensible.

I have one. She is amazing. We don't train in the gym tho, it's all outdoor work. They can tell you the best exercises to do and explain how/why.

Mine also gives dietary advice as well as coordinating a running club.

I have one too, she comes to the house. She works us so much harder than I would ever do myself or in the gym. I would never have done any kind of kettle bells or weights without her and that has made the biggest difference.

It is expensive though....

I had one when I was younger and childless. Expensive but worth every penny. I learned how to use weights, I had a programme designed to get the most out of my time at the gym rather than just running a steady 20 minutes on the treadmill... Nutrition advice...

Why don't you try a few sessions and see what you think?

Yanbu. I've been looking into it too, they used to be free at my gym but we have to pay now. The PT's at my gym totally beast their clients .

They'll give you more variety and encouragement than doing it on your own. You won't get away with half-arsed workouts. Very good for lifting heavier weights too as they will check your position and increase the weight safely.

I had a personal trainer at the gym for a year and it was the best money I ever spent.

I had one for a while and he was brilliant. Couldn't recommend it enough in his case but it does depend on the personal trainer themselves... Make sure you get recommendations.

Mine got me into resistance training, I would have been afraid to try it in case I bulked up like a weightlifter but it made me lean for the first time in my life and I've never been as strong or fit. I'm pregnant ATM and I think it's made things easier for me, I'll be going back to him for a while after the baby is born to get back into it.

My gym offered some free PT sessions, so I've had a couple. I think whether or not its worth it depends on:

(1) how motivated you are. Not just how motivated you are to go, how motivated you are to consistently keep your heart rate up and push yourself hard, and do the things that you hate (but know you need to for a good all over work out. Do you find someone standing over you off putting/annoying, or do you thrive with encouragement?

(2) Whether you have any physical limitations. For example, I have an old ankle injury which limits what cardio machines I can use (I need low impact on joints eg cross trainer, bikes) so I can't really be jumping around for a PT, and I don't need them to stand over me for half an hour on a cross trainer to motivate me.

(3) How well you understand what you should be doing to give yourself a good all over workout, how to target any particular areas, how to use the weights properly, that you need to increase duration/resistance/speed at regular intervals to keep your body working etc. If you're not sure about any of these things, it may be worth the investment, although you might find a one-off session to develop your work out programme will be sufficient (with perhaps additional sessions every couple of months to change it up).

I know some people who swear by them, but it's not really for me, other than perhaps an odd session to keep me on the right track. I think it largely depends on the above.

I've had a PT and would really recommend it. They spend their professional lives thinking about muscles, metabolism, nutrition, strength, cardio, VO2Max etc etc, so will know how to get you fitter and stronger than you'd imagine possible. Take a look at PTs in your gym and their clients - if they only work with huge power-lifter types, they may not be for you - equally if they only work with beginners you may want to be a bit more ambitious.

Plus, and this is key, you must be able to amend your eating, else you may get fitter but you won't see the results so well and that is the biggest motivator for me (maybe I'm just vain?).

Get a plan worked out - don't be afraid to say "I can't afford that" or just "no that doesn't work for me" re timings, frequency, etc.

Alternatively, talk to a PT at your gym, and work out a schedule of classes that will optimise your fitness, eg body pump three times a week, with one or two cardio classes and either a swim or a yoga. It's a lot, and you don't get one-to-one attention, but you will get up and moving.

Good luck!

Why don't you do fitness classes in the sport centre? The instructors are quite knowledgeable and do correct you if you are doing something wrong. It's also cheaper.

I'd second going to classes...I have a fab instructor, I enjoy going and all the other women are supportive and friendly. I found the time passed much more quickly at class as I found the gym really boring. I lost over a stone and a half, toned up and felt the best and fittest I'd ever been...I even kept the classes up until I was 29 Weeks pregnant and then switched to aqua until 38 Weeks...I really recommend classes add I have none of the aches and pains etc that other friends had at this stage

I have a personal trainer.

Without doubt some of the best money I have ever spent.

I spent decades berating myself for not just going to the gym, for being slf conscious in classes etc.
Having a personal trainer means I committ to the sessions. We work in blocks of 10 weeks so I increasingly push up my goals. It's all tailored to me.
Two weeks ago I was feeling really low and had tugged a long standing back problem. We did a great session all designed to losen me up and help me focus on positive stuff. I know for sure I would have cancelled a class.

She helps me with food and nutrition too. I am in the best shape I have been for twenty years.

I have one from time to time. Not every week, but maybe once or twice a year, I'll buy a block of six sessions.
I work so much harder during my PT sessions, but also during my other workouts in the week, and the habit continues long after my block of sessions has run out.
He is great at giving me little goals to work towards, and an hour flies by really quickly. I actually look forward to my sessions

It isn't just someone to stand next to you on the treadmill and give you weights to hold afterwards. He has been able to spot some muscle weaknesses from the way I run that were causing me to get injured, and worked on exercises to strengthen me up.

He has focused on my core, so now I don't get bad backs and my stomach looks flatter because I hold myself properly
And if I've had a shitty day, he will do stuff like boxing, or circuits outside, to get rid of some stress and give me some fresh air.

No trainer would expect you to commit to a session once a week forever, but maybe try a few sessions and see what you think?

Also, they vary a lot in terms of their 'style'. Some coax you, others shout at you, some make you do food diaries. A good trainer should be able to adapt their style to suit you, but it might be worth watching them with other clients? Also, if you can pick a trainer who also does classes, it might motivate you to go along to their classes as well

this is why I do classes rather than free gym time

I work harder and get better instruction

I also do a boot camp out doors once a week with 2 instructors and get loads of pointers and they push you really hard

If you get the right one it is amazing. I saved up and had one for a year when I was training for a marathon. I chose really carefully and decided upon a truly amzing lady in her early 50 s with a huge amount of experience and energy. I've never been so fit or motivated in my life. I still train with her now as friends. My advice would be give it a go, be really careful about who you choose though. Also I still use many of the training schedules we used and have gained so much knowledge.

I have used a personal trainer and would definitely recommend it.
He makes me work much harder than I ever would on my own and there's nowhere to hide like there can be in a class.
He got me using all the weights equipment which I would never have done on my own as it is all too scary looking. And he pushes me to do the stuff that I hate and would avoid if possible.
My gym does a taster session of 3 x 30 min sessions for £30 - might be worth seeing if your gym does something similar to see if it suits you

I occasionally get a block set with a fab PT at our gym, however it's very expensive at £42 per session so I would only get a set of 4 and space them out and ask for a personalised programme at the end.

If you have a good one then I'd totally recommend it, my PT really focuses on my core and her specific exercises mean that when I was doing it often I lost an inch off my waist ( I'm not hugely overweight so that's quite an achievement for me).

Is it possible to pay for one session and see how you get on - also speak to the people who have one, see who they would recommend.

Yes, what about British Military (?) training in parks. It happens every week, come rain or shine, and they are supposed to be on a scary side of motivating .

I have a PT who comes to the house/work. It is a luxury but has made a massive change to my life. He has a tailored programme just for me which is updated every week and works towards my goals. He brings load of equipment and explains everything really well, as well giving me dietary advice and bags of positivity.

He is also drop dead gorgeous....

I'm lucky enough to be friends with a personal trainer and got 'mates rates' but its definitely worth it as they make you work hard and exercise needs correct form to get the best results

I have a PT. She is amazing.

I have learned so much from her - nutrition, exercise, the lot.

Definitely worth doing imvho.

And you can't do it by getting on the running machine. There's so much more to it than that.

It's definitely worth investing in a trainer, especially if you want to learn how to exercise effectively. For example if you want to lift weights, there are ways to do it and ways not to, and it's hard to learn from books etc. Similarly, running has a lot of technique to learn, if you don't want to get injured.

I have one who comes to my house once a week. He works me with different things every week, and has built up my strength and flexibility. I hate sport and if he did not come, I would do nothing. Asit is, I am about to add swimming three times a week.

I am watching my MIL crumble into a little old lady who will probably have to leave her home and live in an institution because she is so unfit- zero muscle tone, falls over, can barely walk. Whereas my own mother, only slightly younger, can still walk 5 miles across rough country. I really took this up when I hit 50 as an investment in my future health.

Yr DH needs to understand that intelligent guidance is worth a lot. My trainer says he sees loads of people at gyms flogging themselves pointlessly as they are doing the exercise just a little bit wrong. The hour I spend is worth much more time spent not knowing what I am doing.

Also, I hate sport and am lazy, so unless I paid for it, I wouldn't do it.