Should I look for a different personal trainer

doireann08

Hi All

I have started working with a PT a few weeks ago. I am pretty happy with the results so far - I have lost 17lbs, increased muscle and lost fat.

However the PT seems to be becoming more and more unreliable.

I normally have 2 sessions as week but over the last month, he has contacted me at the last minute and had to cancel, 3 sessions for different reasons e.g double booked with another client, dog died, go to a sport event

Other than that I am seeing results but my sessions are due to finish soon and I think I would prefer to go with someone who is a little more reliable. What do you think - has anyone experienced this with a PT before?

max3s1

hey i am kinda in the exact same situation at the mo!

I am using a trainer the last few months he is good and i am seeing
results, the thing is he is a little unreliable too, cancel and is late, and
seems to have more interest in his other clients.

I have a session booked with him on tuesday morn bright and early
so i think i going to have a chat to him then about it! I think thats what you
should do

doireann08

max3s1 wrote: »

hey i am kinda in the exact same situation at the mo!

I am using a trainer the last few months he is good and i am seeing
results, the thing is he is a little unreliable too, cancel and is late, and
seems to have more interest in his other clients.

I have a session booked with him on tuesday morn bright and early
so i think i going to have a chat to him then about it! I think thats what you
should do

thanks max let me know how you get on i will be seeing my PT on Tues too, He also seems increasingly distracted during our workout, answering text messages etc, being late too

cmyk

First off 17lbs in a few weeks considering you've also gained some muscle would be a massive result depending on how much weight you had to lose in the first place?

PT's are generally self employed so it may be he's just having a hard time juggling and fitting clients into a tight schedule. Having said that you should have ample cancellation time, and you should certainly have his attention during the sessions. I'm with max above though, sit down and explain your issues and see if that resolves it.

xgtdec

Your other option is to drop them for a month and tell them why your doing it, nothing like the loss of earnings to snap a PT into your way of thinking!!

But for my money a PT is a long term investment and your should test a few for 4-6 weeks to find one that you know you can work with!

As for canceling 3 sessions in a month....i'd have them gone!!...but thats just me

Darkest Horse

xgtdec wrote: »

Your other option is to drop them for a month and tell them why your doing it, nothing like the loss of earnings to snap a PT into your way of thinking!!

But for my money a PT is a long term investment and your should test a few for 4-6 weeks to find one that you know you can work with!

As for canceling 3 sessions in a month....i'd have them gone!!...but thats just me

That's not a good idea. It will cause bad blood where there is none as yet and if I had a client put me on a one month detention period, I would tell them to find a new trainer.

EDIT: For the record I'm not a trainer but that's what I would do.

MagicMirror

With those results, I'd be inclined to give him the chance to defend himself at least. Maybe the relationship is more of a friendly one now and less solely professional; he might think it's no big deal missing a session with you because you'll understand where he's coming from. I'm definitely not saying that's how it should be done, but it could well be the case.

Bring it up with him and see what he says. Posting about it on the internet isn't going to fix anything and it's a dangerous game because if you so much as hint at who he is it could have a pretty sh!t effect on his business.

Hanley

MagicMirror wrote: »

With those results, I'd be inclined to give him the chance to defend himself at least. Maybe the relationship is more of a friendly one now and less solely professional; he might think it's no big deal missing a session with you because you'll understand where he's coming from. I'm definitely not saying that's how it should be done, but it could well be the case.

Bring it up with him and see what he says. Posting about it on the internet isn't going to fix anything and it's a dangerous game because if you so much as hint at who he is it could have a pretty sh!t effect on his business.

100% this.

The adult thing to do is discuss it rationally.

xgtdec

Darkest Horse wrote: »

That's not a good idea. It will cause bad blood where there is none as yet and if I had a client put me on a one month detention period, I would tell them to find a new trainer.

EDIT: For the record I'm not a trainer but that's what I would do.

I dont think it would, for the record ive done this with my own trainer, and after the 4 weeks i went back and my trainer had completly revamped his attitude to his clients and was like a brand new trainer with a brand new attitude, 6 months later he was off to Austrailia and last i heard he's running his own business over there. From my experiance good trainers are very very progressive people, when a situations like this come up they tend to take the oppertunity to reflect on how their own service may have been lacking and then re-invent it, or if its a minor issue just tweak it slightly.

Its not a dentention period, its a time out from each other for reflection!

Darkest Horse

xgtdec wrote: »

I dont think it would, for the record ive done this with my own trainer, and after the 4 weeks i went back and my trainer had completly revamped his attitude to his clients and was like a brand new trainer with a brand new attitude, 6 months later he was off to Austrailia and last i heard he's running his own business over there. From my experiance good trainers are very very progressive people, when a situations like this come up they tend to take the oppertunity to reflect on how their own service may have been lacking and then re-invent it, or if its a minor issue just tweak it slightly.

Its not a dentention period, its a time out from each other for reflection!

Do I detect you granting yourself partial credit for his successful business in Australia?

I understand where you are coming from but I don't agree.

xgtdec

Darkest Horse wrote: »

Do I detect you granting yourself partial credit for his successful business in Australia?

I understand where you are coming from but I don't agree.

Jesus no, nothing to do with it at all, he was a very good personal trainer, it was perhaps just a tiny flag to him that he should learn when to give instructions(which he was good at) and when to start listening(which he wasnt good at). When he changed to viewing me as a person rather than a pay cheque we accelerated my progress and our relationship, ive nothing to do with his business success....but i do like to think i helped him slightly redefine what his clients should mean to him!

gymcub

On that note folks, movin up to Dublin soon and was wandering does anyone know a good PT for weights and bodybuilding

Scuba Ste

This thread should be in relationship issues.

You'll get a lot more feedback on partners that don't listen to you or view you as a person and needing time apart to reflect on your relationship.

xgtdec

Scuba Ste wrote: »

This thread should be in relationship issues.

You'll get a lot more feedback on partners that don't listen to you or view you as a person and needing time apart to reflect on your relationship.

do you spend a lot of time over at relationship issues?, hug??

Stickman2

gymcub wrote: »

On that note folks, movin up to Dublin soon and was wandering does anyone know a good PT for weights and bodybuilding

One man for that. Noel McPartlin

Scuba Ste

xgtdec wrote: »

do you spend a lot of time over at relationship issues?, hug??

Only when my dentist isn't paying me enough attention. He does give the best hugs though.

xgtdec

Scuba Ste wrote: »

Only when my dentist isn't paying me enough attention. He does give the best hugs though.

yeah..my dentist gave me those too, i only found out after i woke up in the chair....stopped going to him after that

doireann08

thanks everyone - overall I am happy with the PT, the workouts are varied and interesting. it is just that one element of being a little unreliable and late for sessions.
I wouldn't dream of mentioning who the PT is. Only reason I posted here was to get other people's perspective.

This is my first time using a PT, and as there are several people here who have had more exposure to PT's. I wanted to see what their thoughts are.

Thinking of trying another PT on the one hand just to see what approach they would have and then seeing who I work best with.

In saying that I do not want either to be using different PT every few weeks!! I'll have a chat with my PT on my next session

King of Kings

taking the PT aspect out of it.

If any provider didn't value my service then I'd move provider.
BUt as said talk to him and let him know your disappointment. But to be honest if it was my cash I'd probably walk.

BTW dog died wtf....
If I didn't show for work (I run my own business too) cos my dog died I'd lose my client pretty quick

SlimCi

Hope you don't mind me asking as its off topic, but am very interested in getting a PT also and wondering what the average cost of it is and how its usually structured etc.

nice_guy80

http://functionaltraining.ie/

these guys.
give them a call.

Hanley

SlimCi wrote: »

Hope you don't mind me asking as its off topic, but am very interested in getting a PT also and wondering what the average cost of it is and how its usually structured etc.

It depends..

Ben Dunne gyms charge 25 bucks an hour. I know a place charging 75 bucks for 30 minutes.

Freelance PT, you might get better deals off peak, but generally anything from 40-80 for an hour once off. Possibly a 10-20% discount if you buy 5-10 sessions in a block.

Where are you located? Where do you work? (location, for recommendations!)

nice_guy80 wrote: »

http://functionaltraining.ie/

these guys.
give them a call.

Great dudes. But how do you know they're relevant to the OP?

Their location says Kildare. Might not be suitable at all. Usually worth asking where they are first.

nice_guy80

they're the only people I know in Dublin

€60 for assessment, instruction and a program is good value imo

Hanley

nice_guy80 wrote: »

they're the only people I know in Dublin

€60 for assessment, instruction and a program is good value imo

It's great value, but you don't know if that person is in Dublin.

gymcub

Cheers Stickman2 dropped him an email, will see what happens

gymcub

Sorry forgot to ask, does anyone use Ben Dunne Gervys, whats it like for bodybuilding

SlimCi

Thanks for the replies, new to all this....yes I am in Kildare also so I will check them out. Thanks for the recommendation....