I have never used a personal trainer..but I met with my first one this week. I never felt like I needed one. I’ve always been active and I learned a lot about working out starting from when I was in high school. I also did a lot of research about workouts from magazines, books, word of mouth and from past coaches. It’s almost as if I feel weak asking a personal trainer for advise. Ironically, I’ve had serious thought about becoming one because I feel like I could whip some people into shape but decided that this career path wasn’t for me.
Anyway, I was at the gym last week, and in the middle of my ab routine, one of my gym’s personal trainers knelt down beside me to talk to me. At first, I thought he was going to hit on me, but for awhile I still didn’t know. Nevermind that fact, he began by saying that he was noticing I was doing a lot of ab work, but commented that it might get boring doing the same thing over and over. He offered to give me a free 50min personal training session to learn some new moves that worked my whole body but mainly helped build/stabilize my abs/core. At first I was hesitant, but because he used the word free, I thought I would give him a chance.
I met with him on Wednesday and got a few surprises. I found out that I’m fatter than I thought!! HOLD ON! Don’t get me wrong, I’m actually not fat, I know this. And I’m not trying to brag, but I am very proud of my body because I work hard for it. BUT, he measured my body fat with those pinching caliper things…and I think he said I was at 24%-25% which is at the high-end of the “fitness” level for women. Now, this is a little different from my BMI which is a calculation using your height and weight (mine is at 19%). I did some research online and a lot of people were saying that 24hour fitness might over exaggerate my body fat percentage so that I either 1) buy their personal training services or 2) make me feel accomplished when they tell me I already reached my goal in such a short time that I’m so impressed, I will continue their services. After meeting with him in the beginning, we went over goals. I decided I wanted to drop that percentage to about 21% which would put me at the high-end of the “athlete” level. I also would like more definition in my abs…nothing like a 6-pack or anything, cause that looks manly and gross.
He showed me some moves that I have never tried. He was very good at explaining how they’re done, what muscle groups the moves work and why I should incorporate them in my work out routine. I told him that I didn’t really like the machines since they can be dangerous/boring and he agreed, and made sure to include full body moves. After the session was done, I did actually feel tired and like I had a good, strong work out. I was definitely sore the next morning. We sat down and talked to see if I wanted to continue and do some more sessions. Even though the price is kinda high, I decided to try it – mostly to see if I, or other people like me who already are pretty fit and set in their ways, can benefit from personal training. To get my money’s worth out of this, I made sure to tell him that I only want to learn workouts that will help me improve my over all routine, supplementing my running training program (without him messing with my running schedule/routine), and I wrote down specific goals that I want from these sessions. The personal trainer said he was certified to train athletes, which was appealing, and even said that these sessions could also include helping with my diet (which I think is fine) and he offered to give me routines for the days I don’t meet with him…..he also said I could text him on the off days and he would tell me what to work…..hmm…maybe he was hitting on me…..just kidding!
Anyway, I’m going to give this a chance, learn some new routines and see if this can help my running overall because you definitely need a strong core to be a better runner. My next race is in a little over a month, and since it’s a race I’ve done before, I think it will be a good test to see if these personal training sessions help. I’ll keep you guys posted! Let me know if you have benefitted from personal training in the past or if you would ever try it.
Racing & Wandering 
Hey there! Great post Lady. I also do a lot of online research and watch what other personal trainers do at the gym. Obtaining a personal trainer is something I have battled with for a while as well as I think I’m pretty well rounded with what I do. However, it would be interesting to see what my body fat % is. Personally, having seen you, I think that 24%/25% is really high. So, I find that very odd indeed. Anyway, do you have Tuesday nights from 6-6:30 free? There is an abs class at a rec center in Lakewood that is absolutely phenomenal. Let me know. Keep up the great work! I cannot wait to photograph you.
-Shay
That’s what I was thinking, that the 25% seemed high, and I have to remember to ask the guy again, but he did measure with those caliper things, so I don’t know if its not necessarily “body fat percentage” or called something else….I’ll let you know. And unfortunately, I do not have Tues nights free..I work at night at 6:45…and yes! I can’t wait to do some photo stuff..but hopefully it’ll warm up and be prettier outside soon!
I need a personal trainer LOL, I just can’t seem to work it into my already tight budget. Trust me, I’ve tried!! Good luck 🙂 🙂
yeah, its expensive! My first session, like I said, was free…and if you sign up for 24 hours fitness, you get a first free session. But Its going to be $129 for 3 (50min each) sessions. And the weird part is that at first, you have to pay for a package of 3, after that you can pay one at a time.
I’ve been working with a personal trainer at 24 for about ten weeks or so now. I love it. It’s been really great helping to get a fitness routine and I’ve already seen a lot of results. It’s expensive, but I would pretty much use the same money on silly stuff like clothes or shoes or eating out. So this is definitely a better investment.
I’ve never tried a personal trainer either…although sometimes I think that having a trainer would certain keep me accountable. I definitely don’t have the money for it right now though haha
Right on for getting a personal trainer! I was a Master Trainer at 24 Hour Fitness before I decided to go independent.
Although I’m a trainer myself, I def. need a trainer too. And that’s why I joined a boxing gym in SF. We all need someone to push us, motivate us, and like “savor the sweet life” said, we need someone to hold us accountable. And hopefully your trainer does that, as well as show you some good core stabilization/core strengthening exercises.
Again, good luck with all your races! I’m looking forward to some updates! Cheers!
That’s funny that a personal trainer needs a personal trainer! Then who is the personal trainer’s, personal trainer’s, trainer??? lol
lol, good question… let me ask me
The girl’s abs on the left are way hotter – not masculine at all. IMO.
I would argue that their abs are probably identical and that the girl on the right just has more body fat covering them up.
Good luck with your trainer.
to each their own!
I worked out with a personal trainer several years ago and got quite a bit of benefit from it. A few thoughts:
Do your research when choosing a personal trainer. Observe them and their clients. Are their clients getting results? If the answer is “no,” you need to choose a different personal trainer. Are they using fad exercises and diet tips? Skip ’em. Are they discussing diet at all? I’ve seen several trainers in my gym doing more damage than good, so be careful who you choose.
I’d recommend looking for a trainer with a body type who matches your own goals. Is the trainer chubby? We have those in my gym. If they can’t practice what they preach, I wouldn’t listen to a word they say. Body builder? Probably not who you’d want to train with. My trainer was a former body builder who had slimmed down for more functional muscle, yet worked towards strength gains. This was perfect for my goals, as he and I were in line with what we wanted to accomplish.
Also, take fat measurements with a grain of salt. Calipers aren’t very reliable. Neither is BMI. This could be a simple sales tactic.
Finally, holy shit! 24 Hour Fitness’ personal training is horribly overpriced. From what I’ve seen, $25 – $30/hour (or less) is standard pricing.
I married a personal trainer! He’s helpful and I’ve learned so much from his expertise. But I agree 100% with Bronan the Barbarian. For every good trainer there are about 5 bad ones. Also, I’m kind of wondering why I don’t look like a supermodel yet…
And BMI is a pretty inaccurate measure of “fat.” Calipers can be unreliable, but they will give you a better indication of muscle mass if used correctly.
Welcome to blogging!
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