Is a personal trainer worth it and what do they typically cost?

[GettingInShape2]

I know the common answer will be that they are a ripoff but I would really like the opinion of seasoned veterans here. I know a couple of buddies of mine that go to the gym and don't really have a game plan, they just lift hard and call it a great workout. It seems to me that working out is one of those activities that people think they know everything about just by doing it and reading about it and yet if you take a person who wants to be the next Bruce Lee, they would be laughed at if they were trying to learn from a book or asking advice on a forum. What I'm trying to say is that working out seems very complicated and not just having to know what exercises to do, but how often you have to do them compared to other body parts, etc.

I ended up talking to a trainer in the gym and the guy definitely knows what he is talking about. He gave me a brief rundown of my flaws (I know this is a sales tactic to make you feel like **** so you will run to him for help) but what he said did make sense. I was thinking about training by myself and asking for advice on BB.com like I've been doing but after a few months, do a one or two hour session with him and get a critique, then work out for a few months, get a critique, etc.

Are personal trainers a waste of money or are they somewhat worth it? He quoted me around $100/hour which made me think WTF, but then again I do go to a gym in NYC and have to pay $100 a month for gym membership so everything is priced high here in the city.

[Edge118]

$100/month for your gym membership? Crazy

If you're new to working out, a few sessions with a personal trainer is a good idea, or if you have a friend that can show you the ropes that's even better.

[jdmalm123]

I know the common answer will be that they are a ripoff but I would really like the opinion of seasoned veterans here. I know a couple of buddies of mine that go to the gym and don't really have a game plan, they just lift hard and call it a great workout. It seems to me that working out is one of those activities that people think they know everything about just by doing it and reading about it and yet if you take a person who wants to be the next Bruce Lee, they would be laughed at if they were trying to learn from a book or asking advice on a forum. What I'm trying to say is that working out seems very complicated and not just having to know what exercises to do, but how often you have to do them compared to other body parts, etc.

I ended up talking to a trainer in the gym and the guy definitely knows what he is talking about. He gave me a brief rundown of my flaws (I know this is a sales tactic to make you feel like **** so you will run to him for help) but what he said did make sense. I was thinking about training by myself and asking for advice on BB.com like I've been doing but after a few months, do a one or two hour session with him and get a critique, then work out for a few months, get a critique, etc.

Are personal trainers a waste of money or are they somewhat worth it? He quoted me around $100/hour which made me think WTF, but then again I do go to a gym in NYC and have to pay $100 a month for gym membership so everything is priced high here in the city.

Hi, neighbor.
I'm a trainer in Nassau County. Prices are usually 50-70/hour out here, but $100/hour for a skilled trainer in NYC is not unusual.

Results are worth it. If you can make the progress you want on your own without getting injured, then you probably don't need a trainer. If you need motivation, accountability, ideas, program design, etc. then consider a trainer. If you train on your own now, you'll know in a couple sessions if it's worth it and if the trainer is a good match.

[jdmalm123]

$100/month for your gym membership? Crazy

Ha ha. Welcome to the cost of living in NY!

[mAssholio]

so $100 for every time you workout with a trainer? holy ****.

[zich_52]

buy an issue of muscular development or flex for 8$ and bam... you have access to soooo many workouts, tips from the pros, so much useful info on nutrition, supplamentation, etc... thats the way i learned when i started out.

[BigNeck]

I know the common answer will be that they are a ripoff but I would really like the opinion of seasoned veterans here. I know a couple of buddies of mine that go to the gym and don't really have a game plan, they just lift hard and call it a great workout. It seems to me that working out is one of those activities that people think they know everything about just by doing it and reading about it and yet if you take a person who wants to be the next Bruce Lee, they would be laughed at if they were trying to learn from a book or asking advice on a forum. What I'm trying to say is that working out seems very complicated and not just having to know what exercises to do, but how often you have to do them compared to other body parts, etc.

I ended up talking to a trainer in the gym and the guy definitely knows what he is talking about. He gave me a brief rundown of my flaws (I know this is a sales tactic to make you feel like **** so you will run to him for help) but what he said did make sense. I was thinking about training by myself and asking for advice on BB.com like I've been doing but after a few months, do a one or two hour session with him and get a critique, then work out for a few months, get a critique, etc.

Are personal trainers a waste of money or are they somewhat worth it? He quoted me around $100/hour which made me think WTF, but then again I do go to a gym in NYC and have to pay $100 a month for gym membership so everything is priced high here in the city.

Gawd daym $100 per month? Ours is, literally speaking, 10x cheaper than that


Anyways, I dont think i'd spend all that money on a personal trainer (unless you swim in money), if i were u, i'd learn how to do exercises, get good workout plans/diets, and learn how to use equipment, online


If only there was a website that teaches you how to do that....


Bottomline, I dont think its worth it

[Rap_Rocky]

I currently work as a trainer in NYC...

Trainers can be worth it, IMO. It just depends on what do you want MOST out of that trainer, that will benefit you (and YOU only). If you want somebody who knows what they're talking about and knows how to assess your fitness goals/problems, then it's worth it. But at the same time, if you need that extra push, somebody willing to motivate you to that next level and challenge you, then it can be worth it as well.
I have a few clients that go to me because I'm such a stress reliever, since they have problems with work, school, etc. The benefits of having a trainer doesn't have to be just in a physical manner, it can be very therapeutic as well. I'm not saying this as a gimmick either, I've had a trainer before and you really can't knock them until you try it out.

At the end of the day, it all depends on who you choose as a trainer. Always ask for free sessions, to test who you may want to end up with. Most trainers offer free evaluation sessions

BTW - Idk where you go, but damn, that price for membership is steep. You should join where I work at.

[Justin_Haines]

No.

Im not putting down trainers. They can be helpful. The thing is you want to pay for something that you can easily learn on your own right now. I made the mistake of buying alot of PT sessions and I regret it. That money could have went into home gym equipment, food etc. Dont get me wrong, he gave me a very good foundation to work with in knowledge and and in body. I could have figured it out myself tho. I could have done it all myself if I put my mind to it.

If you can buy a session or two where he just goes through exercises, and shows you what proper form is, thats what i would do.

You only get out of working out what you put into it.

[Rap_Rocky]

Treat paying for personal training, like anything you'd buy - shop around, look, and see what's the best deal you can get before you spend that type of money. Don't just go to the first guy you see because he seems like a great trainers. There's plenty of trainers out there that have a lot of experience/education under their belt and costs a fraction of that $100/session price.

plus, just because it's NYC, don't think you won't find a better deal, because there ARE better deals...

[UtahRocks]

If you can find a PT that is a certified olympic lifting coach go for it. It certainly will be worth your time & money

[Hard Drive]

For sissies we're worth it. For guys who care enough to log on here and ask about it, suck it up and do it yourself.

[givemeabreakman]

http://www.shapefit.com/exercise.html
is where i get my information from and from bb.com

[UtahRocks]

For sissies we're worth it. For guys who care enough to log on here and ask about it, suck it up and do it yourself.

Dumb advice, as usual. There are lifts you cannot learn by yourself.

[Hola Bola]

Its about $50/session at my gym.

[John Prophet]

I charge $20/session and still cant seem to get clients. Its quite dissapointing to me. The clients I do have ALWAYS get results...yet I cant get any love in the word of mouth department. for whatever reason I attract the quiet people. amazing how I cant GIVE it away. cest la vie

my advice...find the LEAST "flashy" trainer in your gym. the flashy ones r full of doodoo

[Justin_Haines]

For sissies we're worth it. For guys who care enough to log on here and ask about it, suck it up and do it yourself.

What education do you have under your belt to be a PT at 19?

[mAssholio]

What education do you have under your belt to be a PT at 19?

you don't need a degree to be a PT....

[Rap_Rocky]

I charge $20/session and still cant seem to get clients. Its quite dissapointing to me. The clients I do have ALWAYS get results...yet I cant get any love in the word of mouth department. for whatever reason I attract the quiet people. amazing how I cant GIVE it away. cest la vie

my advice...find the LEAST "flashy" trainer in your gym. the flashy ones r full of doodoo

Wow, for $20, I'm suprised people don't break your door down. I charge $30. And not all the time, flashy trainers = bad. One of the trainers at my gym is really loud and "flashy" I guess you can say. But that's whats expected to bring in clients and generate $$. That's what working at a gym is all about. If you're not meeting that quota - you aint sh!T

[Rap_Rocky]

What education do you have under your belt to be a PT at 19?

You can be very knowledgeable about PT @ 19. I'm only a year older and 1 semester away from finishing my Exercise Science degree. Then again, I can't speak for whoever it was you quoted...

[Rap_Rocky]

Dumb advice, as usual. There are lifts you cannot learn by yourself.

x2.

[Justin_Haines]

You can be very knowledgeable about PT @ 19. I'm only a year older and 1 semester away from finishing my Exercise Science degree. Then again, I can't speak for whoever it was you quoted...

Yes, you do. Honestly thats awesome at 20 man. Im asking him tho.

[John Prophet]

Wow, for $20, I'm suprised people don't break your door down. I charge $30. And not all the time, flashy trainers = bad. One of the trainers at my gym is really loud and "flashy" I guess you can say. But that's whats expected to bring in clients and generate $$. That's what working at a gym is all about. If you're not meeting that quota - you aint sh!T

yep...."flash" routines sell. solid principles dont. U get em jumping around waving limbs while u count out loud rep counts etc and youll have all the clients you could ever want.

Im pretty sure I wont make it far in the PT world for those very facts. I refuse to be a clown to attract clients.

But the strong/silent type doesnt work either. With that approach youll never get the chance to show what you know. Like I have a client who I am glad to have, he's been a faithful client for over a year and I have thickened him up and strengthened him up quite a bit....but dude simply doesnt hasve any friends or whatever who are into training. So I have zero word of mouth thru him.

as an experiment, before I quit, I may raise my price to $50/session. at $20/per u only attract "bottom feeders" anyway.

[Justin_Haines]

Its true, if you want to be a PT and get clients making them actually work for there gains will have a negative effect. lol.

At 20 bucks, I would be all over that to learn a thing a or two.

[Tyciol]

Cost varies, whether it's worth it varies on you and the trainer and compatibility, no straight answer.

[John Prophet]

At 20 bucks, I would be all over that to learn a thing a or two.

yeah, then when u look aroung the gym at the guys who arent making ANY gains year after year...it gets really depressing that they dont see anything in me worth their even trying my services, lol

DAMN that deosnt say much for me I suppose.


oh well...maybe that 300 workout, or whatever the mags push this week, will finally get their arms to 13"

[coloradokevin]

Hmmm...

For a guy or gal looking for some basic training advice, I wonder if it would be possible for them to find an affordable class at a community college or something?

When I was first starting out I was in HS... I took a weight training elective class where I learned how to do a lot of the lifts, and some very basic programming stuff. I later learned more playing HS football and following the advice of our coaches.

My wife took a weight training course when she was in college (CSU), and found the experience quite educational.

So, I suppose if someone was to look around enough, they could probably find an affordable community college based class to learn the basics... and ultimately save money over the cost of trainers!

Another option might be to look at local rec centers/parks and rec type programs. I bet a lot of communities have introductory weight training classes available (and the government subsidy on these classes should keep cost down).

(NOTE: I'm not trying to knock trainers here or anything, just throwing out ideas for budget-challenged folks who were considering going this route)

[UtahRocks]

yeah, then when u look aroung the gym at the guys who arent making ANY gains year after year...it gets really depressing that they dont see anything in me worth their even trying my services, lol

Maybe you should better advertise yourself. Make sure you're seen lifting a lot of weight, look "huge" if you can, etc.

[John Prophet]

Maybe you should better advertise yourself. Make sure you're seen lifting a lot of weight, look "huge" if you can, etc.

well, there is no secret...im not "cut" at all. Thats all people see.

look at the posts on here, lol. "how can I look like Brad Pitt" etc



Im not a player, not a schmoozer, not a metro, not going to hit the tanning bed year round etc. not going to do roids.


I have found, much to my surprise, that training knowledge isnt very important. I wrongly thought that it would be enough to carry one thru but I was very mistaken.

[UtahRocks]

I'm not cut either and I want to fix that. It is not easy but it can be done.

Anyway, back to PTs. There is an old guy at my gym, he looks like an ex-powerlifter and he has *a lot* of clients - men and women in their 50s-60s. And he's not "cut". He's teaching them to deadlift and squat and he's doing a very crappy job--basically he doesnt care if his students form sucks (which it does). But he is very successful. It's all about marketing.