Is getting a personal trainer worth it?

Mysteriouschic

I'm thinking of maybe getting one. I've been in the gym 1 year and a half I haven't changed much and pretty much look the same.
I eat healthily and don't really eat junk food and try and avoid it as much as I can.

I didn't get a program so I just to do my own thing just do cardio and stay 1-2 hours doing bikes/treadmill/crosstrainer mixing it up and varying the speeds.
Then I added in sit ups , leg lifts ,plank , crunches. This after a year and still seem to look the same. I've started to lose motivation I know it's probably the workout I'm doing just that the instructors never seem to be around much or don't stay long. I think a personal trainer would be good and I'd probably become motivated as I was before. I'm not that badly out of shape but could be better. I have found programs online that I could follow except I don't know how to do the exercises. I have enough money for a PT.

Is it worth getting one? I just need a program and to be shown how to do them maybe do a few sessions then continue on my own then every few weeks , have another to make sure I'm doing everything right.

top madra

If you have the money and have no clue how to exercises then ya it would be no harm to get one..

You could always just search youtube and the likes to see how to do the exercises..

How good really is your diet?

Your diet will be the most important factor on whether you reach your goals or not..

therunaround

yes.do it. best money you will ever spend.i went to http://functionaltraining.ie/ on fitzwilliam street, cant recommend them highly enough. You could go once or twice to get a programme but I got hooked on it and went twice a week for the summer. sacrificed my holidays to pay for it but lost a couple of stone after 3 or 4 years of false starts. More importantly though my speed, strength and flexibility shot through the roof and I am now back playing my sport at a high level. I am faster now than I was as a skinny 17 year old, only wish I had access to that kind of expertise back then and things might have turned out differently.

Go for it and good luck with it.

Mysteriouschic

I have looked at a few videos on youtube they're good a great guy. I still don't really know what I'm doing and would rather be shown first.
I think my diets not bad I drink mainly water rarely drink fizzy drinks ,cut out the junk food. I did cut out red meat for 6 weeks but back on it now thinking of giving it up again.

That place on functional training place looks good but it's a little far from me.

daveyc21

I would recommend finding a decent smaller gym around where your going to get good programming and attention without having to pay the price of a pt to start off with. If the gym is worth it's salt you should have access to personal training.

Hanley

daveyc21 wrote: »

I would recommend finding a decent smaller gym around where your going to get good programming and attention without having to pay the price of a pt to start off with. If the gym is worth it's salt you should have access to personal training.

Not always tho. A lot of places just charge lowerer fees so you're not subsidising a PT. Like if you join Northwood for 300 bucks instead of 600 somewhere, that's like a PT session and new programme every 8 weeks.

Mysteriouschic

Where do you get a personal trainer do you just look at the posters?
I've already renewed my this years gym membership. I'm at one of the Ben Dunne gyms , I'm not sure if I should get one or not.

Mysteriouschic

Hanley wrote: »

Not always tho. A lot of places just charge lowerer fees so you're not subsidising a PT. Like if you join Northwood for 300 bucks instead of 600 somewhere, that's like a PT session and new programme every 8 weeks.

I'm at the Northwood one , I was thinking of getting a personal trainer the ones that work in there.

Wollwead

Dont think about it any longer advise on location and someone can direct you to a PT. You don't have to see a PT every week, just every 6-8 weeks to get instruction and plough away then in the gym and with clean diet on PTs instructions. It couldn't be easier really and you'll also be educating yourself as you go along, which is more than what i see in commercial gyms i've been to. Best thing you could do to be honest. Go for it and don't look back!

Hanley

Mysteriouschic wrote: »

Where do you get a personal trainer do you just look at the posters?
I've already renewed my this years gym membership. I'm at one of the Ben Dunne gyms , I'm not sure if I should get one or not.

You can use a PT that works in the gym, or you can go external and go to one who freelances or has their own place and get an assesment or program off them and then do it in your own gym. I'd tend to do the latter cos it means the person is probably good at what they're doing if they can survive that way.

Mysteriouschic

Hanley wrote: »

You can use a PT that works in the gym, or you can go external and go to one who freelances or has their own place and get an assesment or program off them and then do it in your own gym. I'd tend to do the latter cos it means the person is probably good at what they're doing if they can survive that way.

The ones I see are usually giving tours so I don't get a chance to speak to them. I've seen a few posters around on the walls. I want to try a personal trainer for a few sessions , maybe every couple of weeks.

Hanley

Mysteriouschic wrote: »

The ones I see are usually giving tours so I don't get a chance to speak to them. I've seen a few posters around on the walls. I want to try a personal trainer for a few sessions , maybe every couple of weeks.

The people you see giving tours are "fitness instructors". They tend to have gone thru some course and are only employed by the gym to fulfil legal obligations. A lot of them won't have a clue what they're doing.

I'm sure people can recommend some personal trainers around, but I know the lads in The Edge Clontarf are good but am not sure if they'll write you a program and leave you away at it back in Northwood. Maybe as part of a package. Definitely worth checking out tho.

Mysteriouschic

Hanley wrote: »

The people you see giving tours are "fitness instructors". They tend to have gone thru some course and are only employed by the gym to fulfil legal obligations. A lot of them won't have a clue what they're doing.

I'm sure people can recommend some personal trainers around, but I know the lads in The Edge Clontarf are good but am not sure if they'll write you a program and leave you away at it back in Northwood. Maybe as part of a package. Definitely worth checking out tho.

Oh right so I'm better going to somebody outside for a personal training program than get one of the ones that are advertised in the gym?

Hanley

Mysteriouschic wrote: »

Oh right so I'm better going to somebody outside for a personal training program than get one of the ones that are advertised in the gym?

It 100% depends on the trainer tbh. I KNOW the people I recommend are good, so would obviously favour them over some random punter I've never heard of. But that's not to say he couldn't be a perfectly capable PT as well.

Wollwead

I would suggest steering clear of the PTs at Northwood, i've seen them going through their assessments and they don't look great TBH. I'm no PT myself and am still learning about Health and Fitness myself but i do know what do look for in a good PT and I would say those boys spend more time focusing on the treadmills and stationary machines than they do focusing on exercises that you need to have the basics in fitness.

Mysteriouschic

Hanley wrote: »

It 100% depends on the trainer tbh. I KNOW the people I recommend are good, so would obviously favour them over some random punter I've never heard of. But that's not to say he couldn't be a perfectly capable PT as well.

Not sure what I'll do yet I'll see, it's probably easier getting the ones that already work in there , the ones outside might not be allowed in the gym or something.

Hanley

Mysteriouschic wrote: »

Not sure what I'll do yet I'll see, it's probably easier getting the ones that already work in there , the ones outside might not be allowed in the gym or something.

No, they won't be.

But like I said, you can go see them. That's usually how it works for external PTs.

Mysteriouschic

Maybe I'll try that functional training place if the ones on northwood aren't that good. I could always maybe try one session and see how it goes, I already know how to use the treadmill and stuff just the other machines .

SheRa

Mysteriouschic I think that you are getting confused. Firstly, there are "fitness instructors" in Northwood (I'll explain the quotation marks later in my post). They are employed in the gym and all wear orange shirts. They can provide you with a free workout programme if you ask them. If you like you could meet them every few weeks to get your workout programme (about every 6 weeks as your body will get used to the programme and it wont be as effective for losing weight, getting fit or whatever your goals are.

Secondly, there are also personal trainers who have posters put up in the doors beside the entrance to the mens and ladies changing rooms. Im a member of Northwood and f I remember correctly I think that there are 2 men and 1 woman advertising there. The gym allows these particular poeple to train people there and you have to pay these people for each session. If you wanted to get a different personal trainer you would have to go to their gym/place of training as Northwood won't allow them to train you at its gym.

Thanks to this forum and my boyfriend, Ive been inspired to get back interested into fitness so I joined Northwood with the aim of getting strong again and losing weight. I know enough to realise that free weights wont bulk me up, in fact they are a fantastic way to tone up and loose weight (along with a cleaner diet of course) so when I got a programme done by the "fitness instructors" in Northwood I was pretty dismayed to be told to stick to really light weights, and do a lot of time on the treadmill and cross trainers without any mention of interval training. I never went back to them and modified a programme I had from before. I wouldn't recommend them tbh.

Wollwead wrote: »

I would suggest steering clear of the PTs at Northwood, i've seen them going through their assessments and they don't look great TBH. I'm no PT myself and am still learning about Health and Fitness myself but i do know what do look for in a good PT and I would say those boys spend more time focusing on the treadmills and stationary machines than they do focusing on exercises that you need to have the basics in fitness.

Its interesting that you should say that as Im going to go to one of the trainers soon. I saw him in the gym recently and he seemed to know his stuff. Anyway (if its not against the rules of this forum) I'll let you know how I get on.

Sorry, didn't intend that essay of a post, but hope it helps the OP.

Mysteriouschic

SheRa wrote: »

Mysteriouschic I think that you are getting confused. Firstly, there are "fitness instructors" in Northwood (I'll explain the quotation marks later in my post). They are employed in the gym and all wear orange shirts. They can provide you with a free workout programme if you ask them. If you like you could meet them every few weeks to get your workout programme (about every 6 weeks as your body will get used to the programme and it wont be as effective for losing weight, getting fit or whatever your goals are.

Secondly, there are also personal trainers who have posters put up in the doors beside the entrance to the mens and ladies changing rooms. Im a member of Northwood and f I remember correctly I think that there are 2 men and 1 woman advertising there. The gym allows these particular poeple to train people there and you have to pay these people for each session. If you wanted to get a different personal trainer you would have to go to their gym/place of training as Northwood won't allow them to train you at its gym.

Thanks to this forum and my boyfriend, Ive been inspired to get back interested into fitness so I joined Northwood with the aim of getting strong again and losing weight. I know enough to realise that free weights wont bulk me up, in fact they are a fantastic way to tone up and loose weight (along with a cleaner diet of course) so when I got a programme done by the "fitness instructors" in Northwood I was pretty dismayed to be told to stick to really light weights, and do a lot of time on the treadmill and cross trainers without any mention of interval training. I never went back to them and modified a programme I had from before. I wouldn't recommend them tbh.



Its interesting that you should say that as Im going to go to one of the trainers soon. I saw him in the gym recently and he seemed to know his stuff. Anyway (if its not against the rules of this forum) I'll let you know how I get on.

Sorry, didn't intend that essay of a post, but hope it helps the OP.

Which PT are you using that seemed alright? I haven't looked at the posters properly yet. I've seen the fitness instructor guys mostly I see them doing with people on the treadmill or crosstrainer or just not around . Do you need to book appointments for the gym instructors? I might try them until I get a PT ,I'll probably try and get PT for next week so there might not be a point. I've seen 1 personal trainer around the gym a few times with people not sure his name, he's got black hair he seemed ok from what I've seen him doing. I haven't seen many of the others.

holdfast

Dont know if anyone has mentioned Dominic munnelly but he is well worth a look. great guy and knows his stuff. I am raging i have not been able to get to him lately:(. But I hope to soon when life slows down. you ca find him at http://www.dominicmunnelly.ie/

He does a six week programs or shorter where you can do at home or at the gym.

SheRa

I havent gone yet to the pt yet but am going to soon.

I don't think u need to book an appointment with the fitness instructor,just grab one when you see them. If you don't see one, ask at reception.

Mysteriouschic

I'll probably leave the instructors there usually not around most of the time. I'll just stick with getting a PT , I'll have a look at the posters during the week to see.

Mysteriouschic

How much do PT roughly cost? isit 50/60 per session?

Hanley

Mysteriouschic wrote: »

How much do PT roughly cost? isit 50/60 per session?

Typically 50-80, with some charging more, and some charging less.

Theresalwaysone

Pretty impressive motivation to get to 18months without seeing a change. If you have that sort of dedication and some direction you will prob get wherever you want tbh.

xgtdec

I use my PT for all my building phases, so 3 month on and 3 months off, so i do all my own fat burning and go to my PT for all the heavy stuff, but he has no issues with answering all my mails during the 3 months im not with him so i can get great advice at any stage of my training....getting a PT is def one of the best moves i ever made towards my own goals!!!!!!!

GeorgeOrwell

I second the recommendation of Functional Training Ireland on Fitzwilliam Street. Excellent one-to-one training, tailored to whatever you want to achieve.

I've been a few times, and always leave having done a much, much better workout than just going to the gym.

It's the BEST way to learn how to warm-up, stretch, do exercises properly, avoid getting injured, learn how to do exercises in the right order and cool down safely.

And, it's impossible to cut corners and cheat!