so i signed up with the PT at the gym i joined. (LA fitness, if anyones interested; i really like it). anyway, they suck you in with a oreintation session for the weight machines on the floor. at the end of the session, they do a body fat analysis, and questionare about your goals/previous workout habits. then they say oh! its only this much for 6 months, but look how less it is if you sign up for 12 months! heres my delima: is this something i really need? yes, i want to loose the weight and i do think a trainer would be helpful. and i have a dress that i need to fit into in the next 6 months. but its soooo freaking expensive! the trainers at my gym are less expensive than others that ive looked into. the cheapest ive seen is about 1500 a month, here im only paying not even a third of that a month. and thats for three sessions a week. im also worried that its too much of a committment. but i also think that im gonna need a kick in the behind to get in gear and really loose the weight. but its soooo much money. has anyone had a trainer before? am i paying too much? is it worth it? or should i just go buy that buff brides workout book and follow the plan in there?
PROS - A PT provides you with "someone" to work out with. Kinda of forces you to keep a consistent schedule if someone is meeting you at a specific time to work out at the gym. A PT can provide positive encouragement which is an issue for some folks. (No offense to the wimmens... but lots of females like someone they can talk to at the gym. Relationship advice is the topic I hear most of the time.)
CONS - Cookie cutter workouts are the norm from what I've seen; Some PT's are not very knowledgable (The office clerk became a PT overnight.) Expensive; Long term committment is required to get cheaper "per workout" rates. Breaking a contract is costly.
I started out with a few sessions (8 - 10) when I first got into it. It helped me get into a consistent workout schedule where I have never done it before. But I quickly realized that I could do it by myself. My only problem is finding a spotter when I go heavy with free weights. That tends to slow down my workouts. I wish I could find a workout partner when I do upper body (arms & chest).
It's obviously your call Froggie.
First off, skip the body fat analysis. You don't need it. And many people lose fat at different rates, so it could seem like you aren't progressing while you really are.
Next, $1500?!? People really pay this much?!?
Here's what I did. My PT met with me briefly before any sessions began (at no charge) to identify specific goals. We then agreed to meet once every 6-8 weeks for a new weight program. I did this three times, with the last session lasting a bit longer so we could discuss future progression possibilities (self-modifying of existing programs vs. more sessions).
For me, this worked out great. I got the expertise via different programs, I could do them on my schedule, and it was cheaper than meeting every week (which I found to be a waste - a workout partner works better here).
For me, my total cost was $99+tax for the three sessions, and this lasted about 5 months (I met my PT every 6 weeks).
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when i was talking to the trainer yesterday, she was trying to tell me stuff about why and how and such, and i already knew 95% of what she was telling me. its like i know what to do, but i feel like i need that extra push.
i dont know what to do. i have a week to cancel my contract. right now im leaning that way...