Worth getting a personal trainer?

I am in need of a personal trainer, being that I sustained injuries over the years.

Yes, I’d highly recc’d getting one to help you along the way so you train properly.

Key things -

1. They help with fundamentals.

1. They teach you good proper techniques doing exercises to avoid injuries (or thereof extensions).

1. Doing weights, they can be a spotter for you. Biggest injuries (deadly too), are when people lift weights. Sadly, I know a few people who had severely injured themselves during bench presses and other free weight exercises.

1. The trainers hold you accountable.

1. Enjoy the journey, this is not a race.

A little add on - don’t purchase supplements and such - I work in pharma, just eat things naturally. This will always be the best way to get nutrients in.

Just marry one like me.  Less of a chance she gets fat, less of a chance either of you die early.  

Some good points.

I've had a trainer for years.  A good trainer will push and pull you far beyond your self imposed limits.  Many of us think we're working hard at the gym, in reality most of us just stare in the mirror while flexing.  You want the trainer that helps you lift heavy with proper technique.  You want the trainer who after an hour workout, you need a 3 hour nap.  These trainers exist and are worth every penny. 

Not really in most cases. I had one I worked with due to my spinal problems but I didn't need him after ~2 - 3 months. Vanilla lifting is pretty straightforward however.

Honestly, I don’t see any value in a personal trainer. The few that I know who do it don’t particularly impress me with their knowledge. I would just browse the internet for a few days and you’ll find enough information on diet and training to build a decent physique. Fitness is one of those things you’ll eventually obsess over so you’re knowledge will eventually get better with time.

If you're going to get a personal trainer, definitely go for the ones in the hardcore bodybuilding gyms. If you look at the qualifications, your typical personal trainer at a regular gym just got a Bachelor's in something to do with nutrition/kinesiology and the applicable license and that's about it. These hardcore bodybuilding gyms on the other hand actually have past NPC and similar conference medalists who are the trainers. I don't doubt it's more expensive, but if you're going to spend money you might as well pay up for the real thing then paying for fake services. 

You can get a shitload of resources online, for diet Layne norton and Eric Helms are top notch,  John Meadows, Seth Feroce, Renaissance Periodization, Jeff Nippard are good for weigth training.

However I think a good coach can be very benificial, it takes a bit of time to get into the nutrition and most suitable training style for your individual goals. Also even if you have seen a bunch of videos that explain exercises, trainers can help you with the exercises that are most suitable for you body mechanics. Also a good trainer can help you with your diet and adjust things as time passes. I have figured things out mostly myself and I can tell you that it saves a lot of time if a trainer can make your programs for you.

The hard part is to find a good trainer, in my experience,talking to trainers and seeing people training with coaches for months or years without seeing any imrpovement tells me that most PT's are garbage.

I would try to find someone through a referral or something or just do it the old school way and buy the books:Starting strength, Arnolds book, Strength training anatomy and figure it out yourself.

Just focus on learning the proper form first and then after you get proper form you can build up the weight/power. Technique is important. 

Overall I think you should begin to focus on several areas:

- Swimming (open water or indoor)

- Cycling (indoor or outdoor)

- Running (treadmill or outdoor)

- Muay Thai

- Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

- Gym (dumbbells, stair stepper, treadmill, jump rope, rowing machine, fan bike, etc.)

Technique is vital for many of these. It’s challenging. 

Check out Nick Bare - he does endurance and weights and keeps on muscle mass. He’s run a sub 3hr 26.2.

https://instagram.com/nickbarefitness?utm_medium=copy_link

Book: Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe

3 days a week, with 1 day rest in between. Squats, Deadlifts, Bench, Overhead Press. 5 reps 5 sets(of work weight), 2-3 minutes rest.

Make sure form is immaculate.

That is all.

Trainer can be helpful, as pointed out already, there are a lot of people who think they are going hard and exhausting themselves in the gym, but they aren't near that. I think all the info you need can be found online, but I think the basics for weight training are as follows...1. Proper Form, 2. Get close to failure, and 3. Progressive overload. If you master these three things, no matter what split or program you are on, you will build muscle. Now whether that muscle is stays lean or becomes bigger, that is depended on nutrition. Nutrition is a different animal than training and a lot harder to get fully dialed in, but you will need to eat in excess to put on the muscle you want. Overall, master the form first, then bring all of your sets as close to failure as you can, and progressively add weight and you will have a great base to work with that can be changed depending on your goals.

I agree with you. A personal trainer is very important in order to quickly achieve the desired effect.

Hey all,

So I’ve been thinking about whether it’s actually worth working with a personal trainer just to get started, especially in a city like NYC where solo gym time can feel overwhelming. I don’t have injuries or anything, but I have had some bad experiences with squats or deadlifts without feedback, and watching random videos only gets you so far — form and consistency still matter.

From talking to a bunch of people here and doing some digging into how trainers work, one thing trainers help with is breaking down why certain exercises matter for your goals and how to structure sessions so you don’t waste time guessing.

Figuring out what works for you — whether that’s some early guidance or structured sessions — seems like it can help build habits you can stick with long-term, especially with a hectic schedule and limited free time here in the city. What’s your experience been?