Would you share your PT experiences?

[SlumberQueenie]

I'm 50 and I'd say averagely fit. Walk 10000 most days and swim 40 minutes x3 per week. Probably about half a stone overweight.
I'm aware that strengthening is important in post meno women and I have dreadful posture.
I've tried Pilates and it's not for me.
Could really only afford to go once a week.
I'm interested to hear of ordinary women's experiences.

I see a PT fortnightly at the moment (ish, dependent on schedules). I've been seeing the same PT for about 4 or 5 years now, my aim initially was to get a bit fitter, and now my aim is to maintain - knowing I'm seeing him regularly keeps me doing the right stuff in between sessions (otherwise my sessions really, really hurt! And they'd not be as useful if that was all I was doing).

So we start with a bit of a warm up - a quick jaunt on the cross trainer and some dynamic stretches, then it could be anything after that - I tend to do circuits of 3-4 exercises using various equipment or body weight, 3-4 times each, then he'll set me the next lot. At the end of each exercise, I'm generally struggling to complete the set, and by the end of our 3/4 circuits, my muscles that have been targetted are shaking.

I tend to ache the next couple of days (especially if I've not seen him for a while - ouch!).

Some examples of exercises we do:
planks
kettlebell stuff - swings, deadlifts
dumbbell stuff - squats, lunges, presses
bodyweight - press-ups, tricep dips, shoulder taps, abs stuff
weights machine - I'm a bit rubbish on the names of these - these are the ones I can't replicate at home, and they generally work my arms quite hard.

We tend to finish off with some abs stuff and a short stretch off - an hour in total. I pay £300 for 10 sessions.

Anything else you'd like to know?

You need to find the right PT for you. Can you ask in your local area for recommendations?
I used to have a PT and he was great. He assessed my capabilities, talked to me about what I wanted to achieve and what I needed to do to do it. But I've also seen some awful ones.

I see a PT weekly and it's great. I wouldn't know what I was capable of without him. I give up thinking I'm at my max when I'm alone and actually I'm no where near my max!

Give it a go, but put your all in or there's no point

Enjoy!!

I see a PT 3 times a week at present. I've been seeing him for 4 months and have lost over 3 stone in that time, plus significantly improved my strength and fitness.

I know my current PT from quite a few years ago when I used to go to a personal training gym in the City (one of the best, if not THE best around). I trained with someone else but my current PT used to be there at the same time so I knew him to say hello to and knew his work. But I stopped training due to a combination of finances and work commitments. Then I got fat, depressed and just let myself go horribly. It was a rough few years. Now I'm getting back my shit together and was delighted to discover my current PT had left the City gym and was running a gym near where I live. He is literally half the price now.

I have always been VERY picky about PTs. When I was younger, I used to do a LOT of exercise (I'm a former competitive rower) and I'm qualified as a gym instructor so I didn't want to pay money for someone who knew the same as me. Hence me going to the fancy personal training gym in the City (the guys there are amazing but hell yes they cost a fortune). I have subsequently tried a couple of 'less elite/expensive' PTs and I was disappointed. I would deliberately use bad form or alignment sometimes when doing an exercise to test if they would correct me and they didn't. I even had one tell me to take longer rest sessions between sets of weights. I was horrified. I think they saw an overweight, out of shape 48 year old woman and assumed I knew nothing and had no history of exercise or muscle memory.

At my age, I think it is increasingly important to use a PT who has substantial experience. Our bodies (well, mine anyway) don't snap into shape like they used to and many/most of us carry old injuries or stiff joint problems etc. So there will be exercises you will struggle to do without risking injury and it is important to have a PT who can suggest alternatives or help you build up to the exercise gradually (without injury). I find less experienced trainers can't do that and instead you are left feeling depressed and incompetent because you can't squat like a 22 year old. Or the other extreme that they are so gentle with you because you're 48 (and ancient in their eyes) that they don't push you and you don't get the results you're capable of. Finding that middle ground where they push you hard but you remain injury free isn't always easy.

I tend to always use Poliquin certified trainers (you can check on the Poliquin website) but that's partly because I like to train with weights / strongman stuff etc and partly because it shows a level of commitment to CPD. (Charles Poliquin was a world-renowned strength coach and coached athletes to gold medals in 20 different Olympic disciplines).

Thank you so much. Emma, that's exactly the description I was looking for and the sort of thing I'd aspire to do.
Blubell, I have been recommended one, we live in a rural area without much choice. MMK, sounds really promising.
Hundred, I've looked at his qualifications and he doesn't seem to be Poliquin registered. But does appear to be properly qualified.
He charges £37 an hour but I imagine there might be discount for a block booking.
I'm going to justify the cost to myself and hopefully report back with super toned arms.
Thanks again.

Oh and I also live rurally so didn't have tonnes of choice, but chose my PT based on personal recommendations, his qualifications and several years' experience, and feel I struck gold. He watches my form like a hawk, and I still sometimes need some correction even after so long seeing him.

I've had a few injuries over the years and he's been able to adapt our work to either help strengthen necessary muscles to support the recovery, or just try something completely different if it's a superficial injury, but needs a rest.

He works out of his own (v small!) gym, so there's also that consistency - I think PTs at big commercial gyms can be less committed - they're not seeing the money you're actually paying, and gyms can have a pretty high turnover of staff.

And good luck! Look forward to hearing your progress.

I see a PT twice a week, £25 per hour and it’s very worth it. He makes me work harder than I ever would myself. Mine is very experienced and corrects even the tiniest form issues.

I agree about finding the right one for you. I first had one a few years ago and he was fine but, as my DH described him, “bland.”

Can you go for a taster session first?

If I could afford to see my PT every day, I would (but at £350 for 10 sessions, I can't). He's fantastic. We get on well, and he lets me swear at him. He challenges & pushes me, with great motivation, technical knowledge, and also breaks new stuff down so that I can do it.

My previous experience of sports & athleticky sort of stuff is that some people seem to be born with a cricket bat or basket ball in their hands. I was never taught this stuff properly, but my PT goes through the bits of the movement or the skill, bit by bit, so I can learn to do it properly.

And I've dropped over 2 dress sizes so from a largeish 14 to a 16 in some brands, I'm now a size 10 and even an 8 (even in H&M clothes!). Some of my favourite dresses just hang off me now & I'm having to buy a whole new winter wardrobe.

I got to 39 and was a couple of stone overweight, plagued with niggly injuries and aches and pains and decided I needed to sort my life out if I didn't want the rest of it to be a long slide into decrepitude.

I have now been seeing my PT once a week for nearly 2 years and still can't believe the difference it has made to my life. I've lost 15 kilos, toned up all over, but most importantly I feel so much better and am so much fitter.

We generally focus on weights as it has turned out that that is what I really enjoy. A typical session is a warm up on the treadmill followed by a mix of free weights, body weight exercises and machine weights. I have really bad knees after tearing my ACL 20 years ago, so we've been going slow on the legs, but the results are steady and I can now easily do things I wouldn't have dared attempt two years ago.

Between PT sessions, she gives workout plans to do on my own, which are changed every couple of months to take my progress and goals into account. I'm currently doing a 3 day split with chest, shoulders and triceps on day one, back and biceps on day 2 and legs on day 3.

My PT is a total star and I look forward to every session, both for the workout and her brilliant company!