If you hate working out, hire a personal trainer to get you motivated. A personal trainer will help kick your ass when you don't want to do anything.
Working out sucks. I hate it with a passion because I find it so wasteful to expend energy on doing nothing. I would rather use the energy to build a house in Somalia, landscape the backyard, or play sports than lift some stupid weights.
That said, working out is also convenient because there's a gym right across from me that I attend before every team or client dinner outing. I figure I better pump some iron and jog a little before blitzing my diet!
One of my goals in 2016 is to win a tennis tournament. To do so, I have to improve my endurance given I faded in both tournaments since we had to play back to back matches each day. The season really gears up in March, leaving me with a solid two months to get in shape. I know there is no way in hell I will be able to go to the gym 3X or more a week so I've thought about enlisting a personal trainer for help.
Personal Trainer: Spending Big Bucks
For $795, I get 10 one hour sessions with any trainer of my choice at my local club. Yes, $795 sounds like a ridiculous amount of money, which is part of the reason why hiring a PT might just work! If you're spending $79.5 a session, it's likely you will always attend and work your butt off to see results. If the sessions were free, I'd probably slack off here and there until I don't go at all. Think about how often you go to your gym's free classes. If you're honest, the answer is not as much as you should.
I always thought hiring a physical trainer was for clueless rich people who need a lot of hand holding. I mean come on, who can't read the little instructions on the machine and move one's arms back and forth? Who can't go on Youtube and watch a workout video and emulate what they've seen at the gym? And then I realized, maybe it's not all just about getting fit.
Why Do I Feel Guilty With My Personal Trainer?
As I was surveying the 12 trainer's bios with pictures on the wall, I found myself gravitating towards a very fit and attractive looking woman. I could choose the beefcake body builder guy, the Madonna-arms looking woman, the crazy-eyed man, the woman in this post's picture (momeee), or this attractive looking woman named Meredith. Who would you choose if you had the choice?
Meredith has three years of personal training experience and is obviously in great shape. She's an ex-athlete herself and can empathize with me on all the mental anguish that athletes go through during crucial match scenarios. I met her in person and she's very friendly and fun to talk to. She invited me to observe her train one fella and I obliged. She was terrific and her client obviously felt the same when he told me to jokingly “get in line“.
Do you remember in school where there was this really hot girl (or guy) in your class you had a crush on? The class could be the most boring subject on Earth, but it didn't matter because you got a chance to see her for 50 minutes.
A personal trainer like Meredith is like that. She makes you automatically want to get in shape because she's very attractive and you develop this unconscious desire to look good for her.
OK, maybe it's a very conscious desire since you're scheming to ask her out once you're ripped. She not only introduces you to some great exercises, she's also 100% behind you for a full hour. Some people pay thousands of dollars an hour for this type of companionship. Just ask Elliot Spitzer or Charlie Sheen!
So what do you think folks? I know that if I spend $795 for 10 sessions with Meredith, I will be in the best shape of my life and ready to achieve one of my many goals for 2011 of winning a tennis tournament.
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It is worth every penny if you find the right personal trainer. Working out on your own unless you are very disciplined usually leads to slacking and or not pushing yourself or getting the right direction for training and nutrition. The difference between a great trainer and a bad one are like the difference between a great financial planner or a bad one.
A bit expensive for me. But trainers are worth it if they are good. I go to a gym called Trainer Joe’s Fitness, it’s much more affordable but awesome. I’ve never regretted going there even once.
It seems you chose the right trainer. A good trainer needs to do 3 things:
1. Motivate you.
2. Teach you how to train more effectively.
3. Correct your workout form.
The problem is that many trainers aren’t really worth the money. I actually written about some warning signs recently:
https://www.worldofdiets.com/personal-trainer-waste-of-money/
First of all that is a hilarious picture! It can be so hard to stay disciplined with a workout regimen. I was probably in my best shape in school when going to gym class was a requirement, lol. I’m addicted to yoga now though which has really helped improve my flexibility and lowered my stress levels. I think it’s great you’re so active and working towards fitness goals. Best of luck!
OK, I’m late to the game here, but a good personal trainer who you work well with will make working out much more enjoyable, and you’ll understand what you’re doing (and how you can use it in real life). Why would it be wrong to choose the trainer who you think will be the most motivating for you? It’s the only logical choice.
I opened a personal training center seven months ago — just me in a room we converted in our house — and my clients and I have a good time. But there are some people who I would not be a good fit for. That’s OK. In something that is that personal (you are talking about manipulating your body, which is pretty personal), of course you should go with what feels the best.
How’s it going?
Well, paying for a trainor per session is great. But I think all you need to have is the internet and you would know how you can get buff without asking help from that scary lady in the picture. LOL
So, it’s been almost two weeks, did you finally pull the plug?
You strike me as a person who knows himself and works hard at what he does. You know the stuff you think you should do to get fit without the help of a personal trainer but you gravitate towards the other option.
Admit it, you’re itching to spend money! :D
I’d say, if you wanna do it, do it right. Not sure how 10 sessions will be sufficient for a lofty goal you have. My husband and I bought 50 sessions with a personal trainer for just a little bit over $1000 (it’s Asia, baby :D). So far we’ve seen remarkable result in terms of weight loss (for my husband), reduced fat ratio and increased fitness. We’re climbing a 4095m mountain in March to celebrate this achievement. We plan to continue using this service on a less regular basis to keep moving up to the next level and avoid falling back to the old bad habit (which is more important).
Working out is boring as hell, so having a PT makes it more fun and you could chat with another human being while lifting weights (although the thought of “hating my trainer” pops up more often than I care to admit). That being said, bringing your wife/partner/life partner/girlfriend/soul mate/whatever on board will be a good motivator. I know when my husband’s improvement surpasses mine, I work out even harder.
If the buff trainer leads you to work out more then go for it! I loved working out a gym went my insurance basically paid for it. Now, I just do it at home. Not the same but it works.
How did you get your insurance to pay for your insurance? You claim out of shapeless?
Or you could try out a much less expensive online personal trainer: (one of my other websites which is much more fun to work on than the credit card website :) )
If you really think that it will make a difference, then why not? Isn’t it worth the $795 for you? On the other hand you might beat yourself up and wonder why you didn’t go for it when you had the chance.
I got a personal trainer that really worked with what I wanted to achieve. Its $72 per session and its totally worth it. I dropped 15 lbs and lowered my body fat by 6% in the first two months. I would only go twice a week to the gym and play football on th weekends. The cost mkaes me go and work hard for every minute of it. My trainer showed me how to eat better, train for specific events properly, and a lot of ways to change up a boring exercise routine.
If Meredith will help you get where you want to be the best, then go for it. If you need a hot trainer or a drill sergeant to motivate you to work harder then hire one. Its all personal on what makes you give that extra effort.
I say go for it. It is just as important to invest in your health as it is your wealth. $700 is a small price to pay to get yourself in top health; the trick though will be to keep it going and make that $700 investment pay off. If you are someone who needs someone to push you then a trainer should do the trick. Try it out and see how you do. That is really the only way you can evaluate a method to see if it will work.
As you know, I am getting my personal trainer certification this year, and once it is complete I plan on starting a fitness health blog with videos, tips, and routines. You might find it useful once it is up.
My best friend is a PT. I never work out with him (well… I did once and he almost killed me). I think I can do pretty well working out by myself. I know what I want to achieve, so I don’t need anyone to tell me what to do. :-)
I would hire a personal trainer in the beginning because once I get going, I’m in the zone for working out. The hardest part is definitely getting started.
Perhaps I will be truly committed? I’m going to use my blog to help me save some money. Will highlight in a future post. Cheers
Congrats on this move. I think that you made the right decision here. I’ve been training at various different gyms in the city for the past 5 years and I can tell you why I feel that hiring a hot chick is a good move:
1. Girls care about form! Females actually do their workouts properly. Most guys want to lift the heaviest weight and they don’t care how they lift. They usually end up swinging it around.
2. Motivation. Seeing some jacked dude might motivate you at first but your really won’t want to disappoint the hot chick.
Another point. I took my certification as a personal trainer and worked in the field for a bit. A personal trainer is not just some one that will show you how to do a proper deadlift. They are your own personal workout partner. It’s someone that will inspire you and push you more than you could do so on your own.
Hey man, that’s really cool you got your personal trainer certification! How long did it take, and how much did it cost? I was thinking maybe I could get certified too, and that way, I could make money and get in shape at the same time!
My clients would motivate me so much to get in shape!
If it works, why not?! Go with Meredith of course. :-)
I agree with you that sometimes working out sucks. I too would rather play some basketball, badminton or learn tennis. Good luck on getting fit for your tournament.
By the way, who do you think will win the Australian Open? Federer or Nadal?
Hi Sam, The guy in the picture is too frightening and distracting. I’m a time miser and work out in the way that is the quickest! That means tae bo dvd’s a couple of times a week, throw in a nature walk, and an occasional zumba class and I’m done. My motto, is do what works for you. I gotta say, the Zumba class pushes me more than I push myself. Of course, I just want to maintain my fitness, don’t really care about improving it! :)
I say go for the scary looking beef cake. haha
That is one terrifying woman.
I think the muscles and the leather may attract, em, a certain type of customer?
It’s your money certainly, and if ten sessions with Meredith will set you on the right paht and bring you value, do it.
For me, a morning routing of kettle bells, squats, push ups and pull ups are enough for strength training.
You still need to keep your eyes on the prize though. Aside from motivating you to be in better shape, does she have the skills to get you there in 10 hours? What’s the training? Is she going to get you to do the training from the movie 300?
I would evaluate everything else and if she is an added bonus than that’s great but what if she gets client just for her look …
If you base the cost of the PT on a set ratio like you did with car and other categories, then I say why not. I’m not sure what a good fitness ratio would be, but I’m willing to bet you can afford it (I hope I don’t sound too much like Suze Orman, lol).
I actually would love to have a Trainer personally, but at my current stage of wealth, I can’t afford it.
Life is short, fitness/health is important, so if I were in your shoes… I would give it a try (especially if the ratio method worked out in my favor)! If I didn’t like it, it’s only 10 sessions…
Hmmm… I would be interested in seeing what kind of ratio you are talking about. Suggestions?
What if you make $1,000-$2,000 in income a day. Is spending $795 over 1.52 months a lot?
Sorry for the late response… I missed this one.
If you make 1 to 2 thousand a day, I don’t think $795 over 1.52 months would be too much…
I guess it depends on how much you value your health. For me, I’d say between .5% and 1.5% percent.
I say if it works, do it! Any type of motivation is good motivation. A little eye candy never hurts.
I agree though, it’s hard to force yourself to exert energy without really accomplishing anything. That’s why over the past year or two I’ve stopped lifting weights entirely and shifted complety towards sports to stay in shape. I play hoops a couple times a week and on my days off I try to go mountain biking to keep my legs strong and help me jump! It’s also very easy to keep motivated doing those two things…I’ve either got other people I can’t let down or I’ll hurt myself if I fall off my bike!
I’m mean seriously, who voluntarily submits themselves to suffer? Illogical! I need her!
I LOVE hoops and played 2X a week for a couple years. But, I kept getting injured and felt it not worth it since I play tennis for several teams.
That photo is epic. Just wow. I tend towards being muscular as I’ve been lifting weights since I was 16 but it takes serious dedication, supplementation, hormones and protein to get to that photo. Sorry I’m so distracted by the photo, but I couldn’t get past it.
Oh yeah? Didn’t realize you are rippeD! One day, you will have to show us your muscle sinew!
Go with Meredith!
I like tennis, now that the days of Saturday morning humilation (ass kickings by far superior players) are over. Our girls’ tennis pool at school was so dire that I ended up captain.
BF wants to start getting back into fitness (used to be somewhat of an athlete) but reckons organised sessions are the way to go (gyms, with either a PT or else just someone he knows to gym buddy it up with and help push him.) Which will not be me – I hate gyms, and it’d be a waste of money if I went along just to humour him.
Awesome you play tennis! Getting one’s ass kicked in tennis is one of the most SATISFYING feelings imo. I LOVE playing a great player and getting blown off the court. I’m smiling from ear to ear!
It’s the tough close losses that suck.
Ass kickings are not my definition of a good time, no matter when side of the score I am on.
I love tennis, but I have a hard time finding people to play with outside of playing at a tennis club. My schedule varies so much that it is hard to be in a league right now.
Personally, I will take a tough, close loss any day. I can’t stand feeling like I was no competition to the other player.