Semi-Private Groups?

never_mind

Hi all,

I went for a consultation with a semi-private PT gym a few days ago. The PT seems like a great chap - well-organised, diligent, knows his stuff. I have around 2 stone to lose and need a massive crash course in nutrition and diet (running and Low GI isn't working like it used it! I want to also get stronger).

We had a good chat about how the group works. Unlimited classes - 8 a day, circuit training mostly, seems like a basic and straight-forward set up. Very small numbers - there was 6 people in the main gym as I was leaving with one PT. The thing is it's 800 euro for 3 months and that's their min. contract.

Am I mad doing this? It seems like it would work... and then I'd be broke so less nights out and less **** food!

My other option is joining a Ben Dunne and getting a PT. 30 a month for gym, 30 a week for a PT = 150.

Any thoughts on these type of gyms?

Mr. CooL ICE

I've never used one like that. But if you are a complete beginner in the gym and the gym/trainer has a good reputation, then I think it is a solid investment.

You're not obliged to always pay this amount of money for gym usage. You could learn as much as you can in this 3 months and then join Ben Dunne's and take what you learned with you.

tl;dr you're not mad

eet fuk

Go for it. Some people spend the same amount of money on booze/cigarettes/fast food in three months and it’s pretty much acceptable. There’s no reason why you can’t spend that on making yourself healthier

Transform

never_mind wrote: »

Hi all,

I went for a consultation with a semi-private PT gym a few days ago. The PT seems like a great chap - well-organised, diligent, knows his stuff. I have around 2 stone to lose and need a massive crash course in nutrition and diet (running and Low GI isn't working like it used it! I want to also get stronger).

We had a good chat about how the group works. Unlimited classes - 8 a day, circuit training mostly, seems like a basic and straight-forward set up. Very small numbers - there was 6 people in the main gym as I was leaving with one PT. The thing is it's 800 euro for 3 months and that's their min. contract.

Am I mad doing this? It seems like it would work... and then I'd be broke so less nights out and less **** food!

My other option is joining a Ben Dunne and getting a PT. 30 a month for gym, 30 a week for a PT = 150.

Any thoughts on these type of gyms?

€800 for glorified circuit training is nuts.

€800 for properly structured training = good investment

Properly structured = focused mobility at the start taking into consideration where you need to work on, strength section, accessory work, then close with more mobility work or a conditioning piece which will elevate your heart rate.

Mellor

never_mind wrote: »

30 a month for gym, 30 a week for a PT = 150.

3 months @ 30/mo = 90
3 months @ 30/wk = 390

So 3 months on Ben dunne with a PT one a week is goign to be 480 total. Twice a week is 870, maybe 800 with a discount.

So it comes down to whether the small group sessions are worth more than 2 pt sessions a week one on one. And that really depends on the individual trainers involved.

big syke

I would echo what other have said and say €800 for glorified circuit training is mad.

I have lost a similar amount of weight as you need/want to use and did Semi personal training session which focused on strength and some conditioning.

Where are you based? If it is anywhere in Dublin (I travel over 18km to get there 3 mornings a week) I would recommend RevFit in Glasnevin. I am sure others will second this recommendation.,

ismisebernard

Also, what i would say is that in a small group situation training scenario , they can start to turn into 'social occasions' and by that i mean , if there are other women / men your own age, you will be having the odd chat etc and that can lead to sometimes not giving your 100% (in my view).
Do you have to give the 800 up front?

big syke

ismisebernard wrote: »

Also, what i would say is that in a small group situation training scenario , they can start to turn into 'social occasions' and by that i mean , if there are other women / men your own age, you will be having the odd chat etc and that can lead to sometimes not giving your 100% (in my view).
Do you have to give the 800 up front?

I feel its the complete opposite. We have small groups and if anything it pushes you on and it is nice having comradery also instead of training alone.

omb0wyn5ehpij9

big syke wrote: »

I feel its the complete opposite. We have small groups and if anything it pushes you on and it is nice having comradery also instead of training alone.

I'm in a small, class based gym and would 100% agree with the above. It definitely pushes you on more than if you were on your own

never_mind

I've decided to go for another provider where it's a 100 'body transformation' kinda deal. Definitely would prefer!I will pop back in to this thread to let you know how I got on during the consultation today.

Mink

Hope it's what you're looking for.

I'm very surprised that the other place have a minimum contract based on unlimited classes.

When I started, there was not a hope in hell I could have managed more than 2-3 classes per week for the first month or two.

Would it be worth double checking if there is a package for 3 or 5 classes per week? Surely he doesn't want to lose the business altogether.

I love the small group setting. I work harder 100%

never_mind

Mink wrote: »

Hope it's what you're looking for.

I'm very surprised that the other place have a minimum contract based on unlimited classes.

When I started, there was not a hope in hell I could have managed more than 2-3 classes per week for the first month or two.

Would it be worth double checking if there is a package for 3 or 5 classes per week? Surely he doesn't want to lose the business altogether.

I love the small group setting. I work harder 100%

I won't be asking and have already booked in with the new gym! 100 euro and a huge amount of services going along with it.

I always cringe at this... but how do I tell him exactly what I want? I have to fill in this questionaire and I just feel there is so much to diet and nutrition. I want to eventually have a good body.. be muscular with good posture and be able to wear clothes without feeling like I am a blob. I just said to look leaner and not as chunky lol

Hopefully I see a bit of improvement in the month I have with him. Might stick to this group for advice the odd time or would that be against charter?

Alf Veedersane

never_mind wrote: »

I won't be asking and have already booked in with the new gym! 100 euro and a huge amount of services going along with it.

I always cringe at this... but how do I tell him exactly what I want? I have to fill in this questionaire and I just feel there is so much to diet and nutrition. I want to eventually have a good body.. be muscular with good posture and be able to wear clothes without feeling like I am a blob. I just said to look leaner and not as chunky lol

Hopefully I see a bit of improvement in the month I have with him. Might stick to this group for advice the odd time or would that be against charter?

A good trainer will be able to translate what you want. It's like when people come into this forum and are scoffed at for wanting to 'tone up' because 'it's not a thing'. A good trainer will know what someone means when they say that and clarify.

You basically just want to add some muscle and lose some fat. They can work with that!

Transform

never_mind wrote: »

I won't be asking and have already booked in with the new gym! 100 euro and a huge amount of services going along with it.

I always cringe at this... but how do I tell him exactly what I want? I have to fill in this questionaire and I just feel there is so much to diet and nutrition. I want to eventually have a good body.. be muscular with good posture and be able to wear clothes without feeling like I am a blob. I just said to look leaner and not as chunky lol

Hopefully I see a bit of improvement in the month I have with him. Might stick to this group for advice the odd time or would that be against charter?

id be delighted if the client was as honest as that, if they're good at what they do they will be able to help you along

never_mind

Hi all

sorry for bumping this zombie thread!

So, I went with another provider for group PT and it's really, really hard. I love it but jesus christ they work you! Which is great. I have been with them now for 5 weeks and do 3 training sessions with them a week + I run at least once a week (5k). I have been careful with food and switched from beer to gin (well.. it's an ongoing battle!). I went for a weigh in and catch up with one of the leaders and I have lost 0.5kg. LOL. My work outs are monitored and I burn roughly 600kcals in a session. Now it is a body check scanner thing so I don't know about inches lost or gained...

My general diet would be ....

1. Porridge (over night w/ slim line milk, 1 tsp peanut butter, 1 tsp honey, 1 tbs yoghurt)
2. Chicken salad - usually small enough - with dressing from shop (the fresh ones)
3. Dinner would usually be something like chilli (no rice with lean meat and veg), or chicken with sweet spuds and veg etc
4. Snack at night would be 2 x 60 kcal slices of toast with low low, a bit of hummus and and maybe a small treat

At weekends we don't eat take aways, we eat out a bit but I'd always go for salad or chicken wings. I am still drinking beers when out (possibly once a week) but i try to drink more gin and soda water, not tonic, and save calories that way.

Finding it frustrating! Any suggestions what I'm doing wrong?

big syke

Whats you current weight age and height?

Stick every single bit of food into my fitness pal.

You would be surprised how much you eat and not know.

At a guess you are currently consuming over 2k calories


1. Porridge (over night w/ slim line milk, 1 tsp peanut butter, 1 tsp honey, 1 tbs yoghurt) Could be 350 calories
2. Chicken salad - usually small enough - with dressing from shop (the fresh ones) could be up to 600 calories depending on the dressing
3. Dinner would usually be something like chilli (no rice with lean meat and veg), or chicken with sweet spuds and veg etc Again hard to tell but mayb 600 calories
4. Snack at night would be 2 x 60 kcal slices of toast with low low, a bit of hummus and and maybe a small treat So around 120+100(butter and hummus) + Snack - what snack lets just say a twix for example 250 total 470

So your total for the day over 2k calories.

never_mind

big syke wrote: »

Whats you current weight age and height?

Stick every single bit of food into my fitness pal.
So your total for the day over 2k calories.

I find MFP a bit hard to follow and find that the weighing of food a bit obsessive.. Do you have to do that with MFP? Trainer said the main thing to do now would be to switch porridge for 2 eggs. That brings me in at 160 (half of porridge), going to cut out dressing for the salad.

I was doing the 5 2 for a good while and lost maybe 4 pounds in 4 months so packed it in. I'm not sure what the issue is. I am on long term medication and weight gain is a side effect but I used to be 12 stone on it so I'm guessing it's habits rather than the medication.

Would going back to intermittent fasting be a good idea? Maybe only eating 1PM - 10PM or something? The place I'm in don't recommend meal plans but want to know what you are eating. They gave me a cook book but feel like this is nearly more important then the training. I am killing myself in the gym (to near exhaustion) for no gain. It's putting me off.

big syke

never_mind wrote: »

I find MFP a bit hard to follow and find that the weighing of food a bit obsessive.. Do you have to do that with MFP? Trainer said the main thing to do now would be to switch porridge for 2 eggs. That brings me in at 160 (half of porridge), going to cut out dressing for the salad.

I was doing the 5 2 for a good while and lost maybe 4 pounds in 4 months so packed it in. I'm not sure what the issue is. I am on long term medication and weight gain is a side effect but I used to be 12 stone on it so I'm guessing it's habits rather than the medication.

Would going back to intermittent fasting be a good idea? Maybe only eating 1PM - 10PM or something? The place I'm in don't recommend meal plans but want to know what you are eating. They gave me a cook book but feel like this is nearly more important then the training. I am killing myself in the gym (to near exhaustion) for no gain. It's putting me off.

I weight nothing anymore pretty much but ere on the side of caution and overestimate. A lot of stuff is already on MFP. From experience you can tell what 30g of porridge is and what the average size of a fillet is.

The good thing is you can tell how many calories you have left to eat at end of every meal by setting you daily goal. Use it like currency. For me today I have only 400 calories left to spend at dinner. So I will have a few eggs and a fillet.

I don't think it matters if you fast or don't. I personally think 5/2, IF and all that is a fad.

It simple maths for 99% of people. Eat less than calories than you use. It doesn't mater if this is one meal a day or 6 meals a day.

Some people find eating 3-6 meals easy as they are constantly eating nut its all about what works for you in the long term that you will adhere to consistently.

never_mind

big syke wrote: »

I weight nothing anymore pretty much but ere on the side of caution and overestimate. A lot of stuff is already on MFP. From experience you can tell what 30g of porridge is and what the average size of a fillet is.

The good thing is you can tell how many calories you have left to eat at end of every meal by setting you daily goal. Use it like currency. For me today I have only 400 calories left to spend at dinner. So I will have a few eggs and a fillet.

I don't think it matters if you fast or don't. I personally think 5/2, IF and all that is a fad.

It simple maths for 99% of people. Eat less than calories than you use. It doesn't mater if this is one meal a day or 6 meals a day.

Some people find eating 3-6 meals easy as they are constantly eating nut its all about what works for you in the long term that you will adhere to consistently.

Thanks a mil - you are a genius! My issue is that LowGi worked so well for me... I went from 16 stone to 12 over a 2 year period and somehow I managed to put back on 2 stone over the course of 2 years. I suppose I should be more patient.

By the way I'm 30, 5 9, and 89.5kg. Should I not be querying why they didn't measure muscle? I REALLY doubt that I gained anything substantial in muscle, but would I be right in saying I could have gained a poound in that?

never_mind

Hi all,

sorry to bump this thread but I went and joined a local semi-private training club. At the start I was weighed and they did measurements and given a plan. I was told to track my food intake with MFP and to cut down on certain foods etc.

The plan was shown to me by one PT and then he moved from one client to the next giving tips etc. I have found recently that the PTs are a tad inattentive and are talking more amongst themselves or to other professional athletes in this gym. I was told I was doing a movement wrong for over 2 months recently and I kind have thought then well... did you not see me doing it? Are you even watching me? The gym only ever has 4-6 people doing PT and 2-3 trainers at a given time. I feel like they should be on my back but are leaving to my own devices.

Does this sound a bit odd to you? After this amount of time no weigh ins have been done (since June, initial start date), no clear aims discussed, just an email newsletter with low cal recipes. I am paying 150 a month for it and feel like I've gotten stronger but definitely haven't lost fat.

Thoughgts? Should I be pushing them to help me or is this a bit of a red flag?

Transform

never_mind wrote: »

Hi all,

sorry to bump this thread but I went and joined a local semi-private training club. At the start I was weighed and they did measurements and given a plan. I was told to track my food intake with MFP and to cut down on certain foods etc.

The plan was shown to me by one PT and then he moved from one client to the next giving tips etc. I have found recently that the PTs are a tad inattentive and are talking more amongst themselves or to other professional athletes in this gym. I was told I was doing a movement wrong for over 2 months recently and I kind have thought then well... did you not see me doing it? Are you even watching me? The gym only ever has 4-6 people doing PT and 2-3 trainers at a given time. I feel like they should be on my back but are leaving to my own devices.

Does this sound a bit odd to you? After this amount of time no weigh ins have been done (since June, initial start date), no clear aims discussed, just an email newsletter with low cal recipes. I am paying 150 a month for it and feel like I've gotten stronger but definitely haven't lost fat.

Thoughgts? Should I be pushing them to help me or is this a bit of a red flag?

if they are on their phone lots also, please leave and ask for a refund

you shouldnt have to push them to help you, you're paying THEM!!

What does a typical session look like? How long is the session? How many per week?

never_mind

Transform wrote: »

if they are on their phone lots also, please leave and ask for a refund

you shouldnt have to push them to help you, you're paying THEM!!

What does a typical session look like? How long is the session? How many per week?

Typical session would be I show up with my plan that they emailed me, if it's new I get shown the sets and then the first time I do it. I get given two plans but if it's particularly busy then I am told to repeat plan A so they can focus on new clients (I presume). So I alternate between A and B and am allowed do 3 private sessions a week on plan. I am also allowed go to any class but they are on far too early and can't get there on time with work included. Semi-PT sessions are one hour. I am left to my own devices unless i ask until Plan A and Plan B is completed (around 2 weeks of work). Sometimes the lads 'suggest' I go on with Plan A and Plan B for another week or two but feel like they are fobbing me off not wanting to show me the ropes on new plans.

Seems like the guys there are very attentive to the ladies and not so much the guys. There are larger (fatter... sorry) guys there with me and they don't seem to be approached either. They seem to be talking to girls or talking to athletes there. If I am unsure about something I am standing in the sidelines waiting for them to stop chatting about football to get a question in.

Another example... started doing bar work and never ever touched one in my life. After 2 months I was told I should put on the little clip things so the weights wouldn't fall off.. was scolded for it. Never knew they were a thing..? Ever?

Went to new gym today and didn't name and shame current gym (and won't). New guy is offering me unlimited classes and access to weights plus one PT a week for 120. Seems genunine and only last November so think he wants the best for us.

Transform

never_mind wrote: »

Typical session would be I show up with my plan that they emailed me, if it's new I get shown the sets and then the first time I do it. I get given two plans but if it's particularly busy then I am told to repeat plan A so they can focus on new clients (I presume). So I alternate between A and B and am allowed do 3 private sessions a week on plan. I am also allowed go to any class but they are on far too early and can't get there on time with work included. Semi-PT sessions are one hour. I am left to my own devices unless i ask until Plan A and Plan B is completed (around 2 weeks of work). Sometimes the lads 'suggest' I go on with Plan A and Plan B for another week or two but feel like they are fobbing me off not wanting to show me the ropes on new plans.

Seems like the guys there are very attentive to the ladies and not so much the guys. There are larger (fatter... sorry) guys there with me and they don't seem to be approached either. They seem to be talking to girls or talking to athletes there. If I am unsure about something I am standing in the sidelines waiting for them to stop chatting about football to get a question in.

Another example... started doing bar work and never ever touched one in my life. After 2 months I was told I should put on the little clip things so the weights wouldn't fall off.. was scolded for it. Never knew they were a thing..? Ever?

Went to new gym today and didn't name and shame current gym (and won't). New guy is offering me unlimited classes and access to weights plus one PT a week for 120. Seems genunine and only last November so think he wants the best for us.

where do you live and attend gym?

The latter offer is better

the former offering is NOT NOT NOT what semi private training looks like at all (we do it all the time)