I recently signed up for once a week sessions with a personal trainer at my gym. I was surprised by a lot of things when I first met with her, but one of the biggest was that she didn't give me a strength program to do on the days I don't meet with her. I specifically asked her about it because I was given the impression when they signed me up that she would be giving me a program to do on the days I wasn't with her, but she said it was fine to only strength train the once a week I meet with her. (BTW, my goal is fat loss).
I've never worked with a personal trainer before but when I've had fitness assessments when I joined gyms previously, they usually gave me a training program [albeit a generic one] to follow. Is it the usual practice for a trainer to not have their clients strength train on the days they don't see them, particularly if they only meet with the client once a week?
It's possible that she doesn't feel like she's had enough time to be sure your form is good alone. Ask.
It's also possible that she's trying to ease you in, and not scare you off. That's common. Many people will not do the work on the off days, anyway. So, she might have that in mind.
IMO, two brief full body strength training sessions a week is preferable to even one long strength training session.
Lost Dog: That's a good point WRT form. We did not discuss anything beforehand so she has no clue how long I've been lifting. I also thought she may be trying to ease me in, which is why I didn't want to go off on her after only one session. The training sessions only last 30 minutes, so right now, I'm only getting in one brief training session a week. I will talk to her about my past lifting experience, though.
PlankIt: I'm not sure how much experience she has and it is a commercial gym. She is supposedly the best trainer there and has 4 certifications, but I don't know which ones.
Tattooed Phat Man: That's one of the odd things - she didn't ask me how long I'd been working out, what I'd been doing, or anything. I mentioned that my cardiovascular endurance is crap because the only cardio I had been doing was low intensity, and that I usually took longer rest periods when strength training, but she didn't ask me any questions. That was a bit of a red flag to me right off the bat.
Unfortunately, she literally had me so winded during the first session I was physically unable to ask any questions. She gave me her e-mail address, though, so I plan on e-mailing her with my questions and concerns. I realize that every trainer does things differently but I wasn't sure whether it was completely out of line to think that she would give me a plan for the other 6 days of the week I'm not with her.
IMHO: She should have asked you for your lifting and workout history. She should have been clear with you on your goals and what you wanted from her services. She probably should have done some sort of assessment on you (other than just working you out). She should have told you what the next steps would be - e.g. is she going to write a program for you and give it to you next time? But if she didn't interview you and assess you I'm not sure what inputs she'd use for writing your program.
It seems like there should have been some "here is how I work with my clients" outline for you, if not a "here is what we're going to do for the next month". She should have been really clear with you on what she wanted you to do in the time between appts for each of your workouts and what would happen when you met up the next time.
But - benefit of the doubt - see how it goes with email & with the next session.
IMHO: She should have asked you for your lifting and workout history. She should have been clear with you on your goals and what you wanted from her services. She probably should have done some sort of assessment on you (other than just working you out). She should have told you what the next steps would be - e.g. is she going to write a program for you and give it to you next time? But if she didn't interview you and assess you I'm not sure what inputs she'd use for writing your program.
It seems like there should have been some "here is how I work with my clients" outline for you, if not a "here is what we're going to do for the next month". She should have been really clear with you on what she wanted you to do in the time between appts for each of your workouts and what would happen when you met up the next time.
But - benefit of the doubt - see how it goes with email & with the next session.
I totally agree. In brief, this is what's happened:
I met with the training manager last Saturday. He had me fill out a form that asked about my goals and how long I had been training. He laid out their training philosophy for me. He did a 10 minute physical assessment, which I couldn't even complete because I was ready to vomit. He signed me up and introduced me briefly to the trainer, since she was in between clients. He told me that when I met with her the first time, the session would probably be around an hour for her to take my measurements, talk about goals and plans, etc. He also said that she would be giving me a plan regarding what to do on the days I didn't see her.
At my first session, she took my measurements and then launched right into the workout (I hadn't even warmed up because I thought we were going to be talking for quite awhile). Like I said, it was physically impossible for me to say anything to her during or even immediately after the workout.
There are a lot of red flags here to me but I'm trying to give her the benefit of the doubt as well. She was out sick one day last week (when our session was originally scheduled) and had to shuffle everyone around so maybe that's why she seemed so rushed.
IMO you are being generous by giving her the benefit of the doubt. The fact that she didn't
-do a proper assessment (why someone OTHER than who you are working with did the assessment is beyond me...especially without her being present).
-establish clear cut goals and touch on diet
-make sure you were properly warmed up
-take into account your fitness level while training you (as you said she basically beat you up)
would have me running in the other direction faster than an Olympic sprinter
She should be able to do ALL of these things despite being rushed.... they are no more than one would learn in Training 101.
Furthermore, that was YOUR hour. Not hers. It should be about you and creating some form of balance between your needs/wants/and shoulds than about leaving you unable to walk.
Is this a Bally or 24hr Fitness by any chance? Sounds like she just went through their 'ideal' first session...
something sounds wrong here. You shouldn't be "ready to vomit" or so winded you can't ask questions early in a new training program. Maybe later, but not right away. I'd give the trainer one more chance to do better and listening to you and evaluating your fitness, but probably not two more chances.
Plankit: It's an LA Fitness, which is probably close to Bally's and 24 Hour Fitness. WRT to diet, one of the salesman's selling points was that this trainer is a certified nutritionist, yet all she gave me was a handout with lists of recommended foods and extremely generic dietary guidelines that could have been applied to someone 100 pounds as well as someone 300 pounds. I thought I was paying $50 a week for (1) a 30 minute in-person training session with a trainer; (2) a plan for the rest of the week; and (3) a nutrition plan. Instead, I'm paying $50 for 30 minutes of her time once a week; that's not a steal, that's theft.
Tattooed Phat Man: My heart rate and breathing didn't return to normal until over 30 minutes after I got done with the training session. The only rest breaks were when I told her I needed to catch my breath. (To her credit, she did wait until I said I was ready to start up again and didn't try to push too hard).
I actually like her and the training; it's really the economics of what I'm paying for that I have the most problem with.
The deadline to cancel without penalty was last Tuesday; I didn't meet with her for the first time until Friday night.
If anyone has any tips on getting out of contracts like this without penalty, I'm all ears. My husband offered to go down there and raise hell (something he enjoys ) but I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable working out there again if he did. Unfortunately, I quit my old gym because I changed jobs and it was too far away and this is the only gym close to my work.
[BTW, my husband asked me the same question. He also said "Who is more stupid? Someone who gets suckered into signing a contract or someone who continues to pay for something they don't want?"]
I met with the training manager last Saturday. He had me fill out a form that asked about my goals and how long I had been training. He laid out their training philosophy for me. He did a 10 minute physical assessment, which I couldn't even complete because I was ready to vomit....
Not sure if this is accurate of your situation, but I'd like to just throw this out.
Occasionally a client is so out of shape that no assessment is really necessary. You can see just by looking at how they stand and walk the many problems they have. And if he did a 10:00 physical assessment and you were ready to vomit (assuming he knew what he was doing), then it's possible you might fall into this category.
If so, then I think much of what the female trainer did is understandable. She may not need a detailed history beyond what he took already because it doesn't matter. She may not need to do another, longer assessment. And she may not want you doing a thing unless she can watch your form. It happens with some clients.
Quote:
Originally Posted by krispy1138
I thought I was paying $50 a week for (1) a 30 minute in-person training session with a trainer; (2) a plan for the rest of the week; and (3) a nutrition plan. Instead, I'm paying $50 for 30 minutes of her time once a week; that's not a steal, that's theft.
As for a full nutrition plan, a workout plan for the rest of the week, and a full 30:00 workout right then and there, that's asking one hell of a lot for 30:00 first meeting with a client. There's no way I could do all that in 30:00 at any quality while you're working out right in front of me. For example, how can she write up a program for the rest of the week without seeing what you can do the first time?
Really, it sounds to me like you need to cut her some slack and see how subsequent sessions go.
Dave - you may be 100% right in everything that you have said - HOWEVER - the trainer was still remiss in not acting professionally and setting expectations from the start with a brand new client.
She could have explained what was found in the assessment and outlined how things would be addressed - or at least let the client know what was going on.
Similarly, if access to nutrition information was promised, it doesn't take but a few minutes to explain that the sheets given were for example a guideline for the first week and that individual particulars would be addressed over time.
As far as a plan for the next week - heck yeah there should have been a plan. Under your scenario, since no additional assessment was needed on the spot, a basic plan should have been made available. No, it isn't custom for the client until after you work with her for awhile, but sending her away with nothing - essentially telling her that whatever she did on her own the next week didn't matter (because if it mattered you would tell her) and that she was just as good on her own as with anything from you - doesn't that make her think what's the point of paying you? Anyone could have a sample plan for a week for an out of condition weight loss client don't you think?
I'm just saying - the trainer could have done a much better 1st session with only 30 minutes than what happened. And actually talking to the client to make her feel heard wouldn't take that much time. Giving her a small program to do for the next week would have only taken a few more minutes.
To me, it is more about setting and managing expectations - the trainer apparently didn't give the client any confidence that there would be any program or relationship beyond getting beat up once a week.
Those are good points, Dave. The only thing I would point out is that I was told the first session would be longer than 30 minutes so that all of those additional things could take place.
I'm about 90% certain that I don't appear as out of shape as I am. I'm 5'6, 140-145 lbs so I have about 15-20 lbs to lose. One of the reasons I bombed so much in the assessment was that I'm 41 years old, smoked 2 packs per day for 20 years and any kind of cardio activity shoots my heart rate up, which then makes me nauseous. Also, I've been doing Leigh's OPT program for the last 9 weeks so I've only been working at lower heart rates, plus I've been doing 90 second rest intervals in my weight training so I'm not used to training with an elevated heart rate. I know my endurance sucks in general and that is one of the things I'm hoping to build up in this training.
That said, maybe the guy who did my assessment spoke with the trainer out of my presence about my assessment and she didn't outline anything for me because most of her clients aren't interested in the details. I did send her an e-mail with my questions, concerns and expectations.
Those are good points, Dave. The only thing I would point out is that I was told the first session would be longer than 30 minutes so that all of those additional things could take place.
My initial assessments run one hour -- not including nutrition. I also include a workout in that hour to give a taste of what I do. So you're right, 30:00 for your initial intake was pretty brief. I still say see how it goes. If the second time is less-than-satisfactory as well, then definitely complain about it. Good luck.
If they told you she was the *best* she must be pretty good (I can't see anyone saying this unless there was some truth to it). Often people who know they are good sometimes aren't so good on cross-the-t's-dot-the-i's , cookbook procedures which may make them appear somewhat unprofessional. I say give her a chance and see what she can do.
$50 seems like a lot for only 30 minutes. Wouldn't most sessions be scheduled to be an hour?
I would give the trainer another chance to explain her long term plan. It's possible she is the *best* and you and her just don't get along philosophy wise.
__________________
"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." -- T.S. Eliot
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit."-- Aristotle
If they told you she was the *best* she must be pretty good (I can't see anyone saying this unless there was some truth to it).
*snort*
Depends on the competition.
And the definition.
Your session should be longer for your money. Esp for a hack place like LA fitness.
Some trainers don't do the "give you a plan for other days" thing because they see it as incentivizing you to not schedule more sessions.
Now, if you commented on how you've been lifting but your CV endurance is crap, maybe it was taken as a cue that you want something to improve that and you can manage to lift on your own. Still, lifting once a week for a rather short session is kinda meh even with maintenance.
Krispy- haven't you worked with a number of professionals on nutrition? Do you think she is going to teach you anything new at this point?
Also, haven't you worked with a few different trainers on training plans?
I ask because from your past posts I get the sense that you know what you need to do. I'd also pony up the guess that you know what she should/shouldn't be providing you.
Krispy- haven't you worked with a number of professionals on nutrition? Do you think she is going to teach you anything new at this point?
Also, haven't you worked with a few different trainers on training plans?
I ask because from your past posts I get the sense that you know what you need to do. I'd also pony up the guess that you know what she should/shouldn't be providing you.
I've worked with a few on-line trainers that gave me nutrition and training plans but not anyone in person. I can't seem to get to where I want to be on my own and figured that the level of accountability would be higher if I worked with someone in person.
I agree that $50 is a lot for 30 minutes. I actually wasn't aware that the sessions were only 30 minutes until after I signed up. I didn't think to ask because the trainer that signed me up had commented that the $125+ per hour that my old gym charged was really excessive so I assumed (which I shouldn't have) that these sessions were also an hour.
At this point, I really just want to make the best of a bad situation.
At this point, I really just want to make the best of a bad situation.
Good idea. Why not give her a copy of your typical eats & a breakdown of what you are looking for nutrition & convenience wise? That way you can at least get some physical use out of those 30minutes
Good idea. Why not give her a copy of your typical eats & a breakdown of what you are looking for nutrition & convenience wise? That way you can at least get some physical use out of those 30minutes
To her credit, she did ask me to keep a food log so she apparently does intend to give some kind of nutritional guidance. Maybe she didn't give me calorie guidelines the first week because she wanted to see how much I actually eat first??
I heard back from the trainer. First, she said she expects me to continue with weight training two additional days per week but she doesn't write up programs for her clients if she sees them less than 3 times per week. She also said "Its my job to teach, not pass out my own workouts".
With regard to nutrition, she did say she would go over nutrition and calories with me but also recommended that I get some books on the subject.
And with regard to all of the things that the guy who signed me up told me, she said he is a "training sales member" and that she is the one who actually handles the training.
So it appears that I am paying $50 a week for 30 minutes of her time.
50 dollars per 30 min is a bit high but not completely out of line for training services.. so you are not getting completely ripped off by the gym.
An option if this person does not work out is that you can switch trainers. I would give this a shot with the expectation that she is there to train your body only for that 30 min and if she cannot do that job well enough ask for another trainer. If that person fails then cancel the card that is being held by the contract and break the contract. You can always break a contract if you can prove that the person providing services were not acceptable and you did everything you can to fix the situation. It would be a pain in the ass but it is doable.
Honestly though I'd give this gal a shot. She might be fun to work with.
__________________
The BIGGER I get the smaller you look
50 dollars per 30 min is a bit high but not completely out of line for training services.. so you are not getting completely ripped off by the gym.
An option if this person does not work out is that you can switch trainers. I would give this a shot with the expectation that she is there to train your body only for that 30 min and if she cannot do that job well enough ask for another trainer. If that person fails then cancel the card that is being held by the contract and break the contract. You can always break a contract if you can prove that the person providing services were not acceptable and you did everything you can to fix the situation. It would be a pain in the ass but it is doable.
Honestly though I'd give this gal a shot. She might be fun to work with.
I did enjoy my first session with her and definitely want to continue with her. My only issue is that they led me to believe that I was getting a complete training plan for the money. If I had known I wasn't, I would have signed up for more sessions per week for a shorter commitment.
I got another e-mail from her and she said she is going to speak with her manager to see if I can switch to another plan. I told her I'm completely open to that, as long as it's for a shorter time commitment so that the total cost remains the same. So she seems to be working with me on this.
Question re personal training
) but I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable working out there again if he did. Unfortunately, I quit my old gym because I changed jobs and it was too far away and this is the only gym close to my work.
Linear Mode
