Personal Trainer

turtledove24 · August 2012

Is it worth getting a personal trainer? Sometimes I feel like I need some more motivation or an extra push when it comes to exercising. I have no trouble starting when exercising, but I never know what to do after cardio when at the gym. I also never really know if I am doing a certain excerise machine right.

Opinions, thoughts? Thanks

firsttimersluck · August 2012

If you have specific questions and/or don't know where to start, it can be very worth it.

If your personal trainers set nutrition plans up as well (my gym does that) and you are okay with that, it can be worth it. Especially if you're unsure as to whether or not you're using a machine correctly. That's a huge reason to sign up for a couple sessions at least.. you want to be doing those things correctly to avoid injury and get the most work out of it.

if you know the gym and know what to do, but it's just a lack of motivation, then it may not be for you ...

I haven't found them too helpful unless I need ONE session to ask a few specific questions, but everyone is different

jennylee813 · August 2012

If you just need help with figuring out a machine, a staff member can do that with you. They're trained on the proper use of each machine. If you're uncertain about what exercises you should do, then you might benefit from having a trainer.

I've never used one, but my mom has. The trainer gave her a whole workout/diet routine and she tried it once and threw it out. Told me she couldn't do it. But let's not go there, that's a whole other story...

When I had access to a gym I would do 30 minutes of cardio and then hit the weight room. I would do routines that I found in fitness magazines, and change them up once a month so my muscles didn't adapt. Shape and Oxygen were my favourites.

If it's motiviation that's lacking (and we all have those days), what about working out with your FI, a like-minded friend, or taking a class of some sort? Zumba and boot camp are popular choices. I've never been one for group classes, until I took an adult karate class a few years back. It was something that I never thought I'd like, but I LOVED it! Being accountable to a workout buddy is often what gets you to the gym on those blah days, and that's half the battle!

Good luck with it.

hwoychowski · August 2012

Try classes if your gym offers them. I needed a boost to my routine so I switched from my regular routine of weights / cardio to a different gym - LifeTime Fitness to be exact for a different atmosphere. I thought I woudl throw in a class here or there but ended up loving how fun and efficient the classes were. I am now addicted at 6 days a week and sometimes 2 a days. My goal was to lose 15 lbs. in 8 weeks but ended up losing it in only 5 weeks. Now I am just loving the classes, people that I meet - they help accountability and I feel fantastic after each class. And I really look forward to it. So anyway - no I dont think a PT is necessary but I do think motivation from classes really helps!

jennylee813 · August 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_personal-trainer-4?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:238Discussion:67f14a15-8ebb-4da2-a9a9-f75344187203Post:c48639c5-ed66-483d-916e-821a8c788ee2">Re: Personal Trainer</a>:
[QUOTE]Try classes if your gym offers them. I needed a boost to my routine so I switched from my regular routine of weights / cardio to a different gym - LifeTime Fitness to be exact for a different atmosphere. I thought I woudl throw in a class here or there but ended up loving how fun and efficient the classes were. I am now addicted at 6 days a week and sometimes 2 a days. My goal was to lose 15 lbs. in 8 weeks but ended up losing it in only 5 weeks. Now I am just loving the classes, people that I meet - they help accountability and I feel fantastic after each class. And I really look forward to it. So anyway - no I dont think a PT is necessary but I do think motivation from classes really helps!
Posted by hwoychowski[/QUOTE]

What sort of classes do you do?

icefog34 · August 2012

I hired a personal trainer for a couple of months in order to get me ready for a Spartan race. It was wonderful because he pushed me further than I would have pushed myself but in addition to that, he was a great source of information on how to do things, new routines to try, and if something hurts, how to modify it to work the same area but without pain (I have issues with my shoulders). I don't think a personal trainer is something you would need for a long time. Certainly they're great for getting that fire reignighted though and showing you how far you really CAN go!

He showed me that I was much more capable of things that I thought I was and because of his helping me, I was able to scale a 10 foot wall all my myself with NO HELP FROM THE DUDES!! lol, I totally kicked a$$.

Try a trainer at least for a month and see how you like it

I bet you'll feel great that you did

swimmy1988 · August 2012

I actually just hired a personal trainer in the last couple of weeks. I never really knew what to do at the gym besides cardio, and the 6 week training program I'm in is teaching me some basic exercises, and building from there. It's tough, but I think it's really paying off!

My personal trainer knows I'm getting married next June so she keeps that as motivation for me. It's definitely nice to have someone rooting for you and motivating you while at the gym.

Cryssteen · August 2012

Last summer I had a free month of personal training sessions through Fitness Together (I won a radio contest). I fell in love with the whole program. While I didn't lose much weight - 7lbs, I lost 10 inches. 3.5 inches from my waist (WOW), and the rest distributed from thighs and arms. So, with my recent engagement (7/18), I contacted the gym and found out about their packages. My FI and i are paying for our wedding ourselves, so I budgeted in a trainer, at a loss for some things I find less important - like the best flowers in the world, or an expensive veil. I started back on Monday, and I'm confident that it will make some sort of difference.

I've gained 5lbs a year for probably the last 10 years. 5lbs don't make a difference one chunk at a time.. but now I look back to when I was 20, and I weighed 50lbs less. or 25 and weighed 25lbs less.. GROSS. It's my own fault. I'm lazy.

I don't stick to diets or my own work out schedule. But I never miss sessions with my trainer (especially now that I'm paying them). It;s the accountability factor for me. It's also the fact that I saw some serious results. They also help with diet. They're folllowing me and commenting on my intake on my fitness pal.

So, bottom line, it really depends on your personality. For me, I need to have an appointment to actually do it. Making one with myself just doesn't work out.

Personal Trainer

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