Shopping for Personal Trainer

November 6, 2009 5:52 PM

My wife wants to buy me a personal training package at Bally's gym (where we have a month to month membership) at $1104 for 17 sessions ~$65 per session. Is this a good price right now? Is there a way to shop around on price, perhaps with outside trainers? I'm focussed on reducing body fat through resistance training without injuring myself right now.
posted by BrotherCaine to health & fitness (22 comments total)

Is there a way to shop around on price

Can't you just call other health clubs in your area and see what they offer?
posted by pwally at 5:53 PM on November 6

Boy, for that price she could buy you a dozen or more books and you could learn yourself.
posted by sanka at 6:00 PM on November 6

Boy, for that price she could buy you a dozen or more books and you could learn yourself.

For most people, the benefits of personal training come more from having a coach - ie, cheerleading and accountability - than the actual knowledge you gain.

That said, in my neck of the woods, personal training sessions tend to go for $75-125 per session, so this seems like a decent deal. But then, on the other hand, you're buying "in bulk." Have you tried negotiating down a bit? In my experience, pretty much nothing involved with gym memberships should ever go for "sticker price" - you can always get a deal on something. For instance, maybe they could throw in a few months discounted membership.
posted by lunasol at 6:07 PM on November 6

What kind of certification does the trainer have? Would you be working with the same trainer every time? I find this to be super pricey, but it's probably a regional thing.
posted by smalls at 6:28 PM on November 6

Relevant, I think:

Joining Gold’s Gym is a lot like sitting down and negotiating a deal at a used car lot — it’s high pressure and the first dollar figures presented to you, um, don’t really matter a whole lot. They originally wanted me to pay $249 as an “initial investment” (what exactly is that?) and $59.95 a month. After telling both the salesman, assistant manager, and then the manager that I didn’t want to pay more than $39.95 with no “initial investment,” I got my way.

My contract is $39.95 a month for a term of 24 months.

While the staff at Gold’s Gym is friendly enough, they are running a business with outrageous profit margins. If you’re considering joining, just know that and know that the prices they quote you are a rough draft.

I'm imagining there's a similar markup going on with your trainer. I think in this field there's always room for a wide range of dates.
posted by WCityMike at 6:29 PM on November 6

dates prices
posted by WCityMike at 6:29 PM on November 6

How long are the sessions?
posted by arimathea at 6:33 PM on November 6

How long are the sessions and is the trainer ACE/PONSI certified?

If the answers are one hour and yes, respectively, then it is a great deal.
posted by jgirl at 6:36 PM on November 6

Before I signed up for 17 (or even 5) sessions with any trainer, I would want to meet the trainer, and perhaps even work out with her/him once to make sure I liked the trainer's style/personality/approach.

If you didn't like the first trainer that Bally's assigned you to, could you switch to a different trainer?
posted by insectosaurus at 6:53 PM on November 6

I pay about $30 a session, at ten sessions a contract and the trainer has a physical therapy degree. I think what you are looking at is a total rip-off.
posted by caddis at 7:07 PM on November 6

I think those prices are a bit high. Go on CL, tons and tons of personal trainer's advertising for customers. Negotiate to about $35 dollars per one hour (or one hour fifteen) minute session.
posted by boyinmiami at 7:33 PM on November 6 [1 favorite]

Go to a local recreation center (one funded by a city, county, or other municipality) and look for a bulletin board. Almost all of them will have a flyer offering personal training from a student or someone just getting started for $20 or less per session.

There are two main advantages to having a trainer in your situation. First, they will teach you the basics. You don't need a long term package for this. Second, they'll keep you motivated. You don't need someone expensive for this.

Unless you are trying to achieve a high level of physical fitness (beyond just weight loss or basic lifting) or have money to blow this seems like a waste to me.
posted by Octoparrot at 8:18 PM on November 6

How long are the sessions and is the trainer ACE/PONSI certified?

They are 1 hour sessions, I believe the trainer is certified, but will check.

Unless you are trying to achieve a high level of physical fitness (beyond just weight loss or basic lifting) or have money to blow this seems like a waste to me.

I've got some motivational issues involved with working out (there is always an excuse not to, and/or I feel crappy already), and my type I diabetes makes working out with a trainer a bit more useful, at least once or twice a month to have someone watching my progress.
posted by BrotherCaine at 9:14 PM on November 6

You should be easily able to negotiate/ask for a free session to see if you like personal training and if you get on with your trainer.

Whoever the fitness manager is should ask you some this or that questions, i.e. if you like an easy going personality or a military boot camp personality, so they get an idea of which trainer from their pool would be a good fit for you.

I live in NYC and $65 would be considered a good deal.
posted by spec80 at 9:18 PM on November 6

it's a standard price here in Chicago. I've had a trainer for three years, and I find it totally worth it because I didn't know how to use my body at all when I started.

the person who suggested books is off base. there's a lot to a gentle curvature of your back, how you hold your shoulders, etc. that can only be improved with personal observation.

be wary of chain gyms though. some hire trimers in process of certification, and that can mean little experience which can lead to injuries.

with my trainers help I went from 190lbs to 162 and am now considerably stronger, better shaped, more confident, and more graceful. my resting heart rate has gone from 65 (which isn't bad) to 49 (which is excellent). I know how and when to eat. it's health education well worth the price and experience.

find a trainer you can talk to as a friend and stick with them. as good as a family doctor. I've followed my guy through three gyms.

message me if you want more details.
posted by patricking at 11:16 PM on November 6 [1 favorite]

Dear Lord, that is a lot of money to pay for what is probably really shitty training.

ACE certifications? A monkey could pass an ACE certification if you gave him the book a couple hours. Seriously, ACE certification is like "Where is the quadricep" and making sure you prescribe 3 sets of 8 for bicep curls instead of 3 sets of 7 or 3 sets of 9. Useless.

At least go for an NSCA certified training, if you want to look for any certification.

If I were you, that money would be better spent on some good weightlifting books and finding a decent Oly lifting or powerlifting gym in the area where people could teach you to lift and workout properly with real barbells. Or a kettlebell instructor. A trainer is probably going to put you on treadmills, the Smith machine, and a bunch of weightlifting machines that are pretty damn useless, prescribe you useless exercises, and basically egg you on to spend as much money as possible.
posted by schroedinger at 12:07 AM on November 7

Can one bring outside trainers into Bally's gym, or do they not allow that?

The trainers I've seen have focused on barbell/dumbell lifting, bosu ball / fitness ball, and dynamic or plyometric exercises over machines. Any treadmill/rowing/cycling is done on your own before and after the training session.
posted by BrotherCaine at 12:16 AM on November 7

They are 1 hour sessions, I believe the trainer is certified, but will check.

My bad. My sessions are 1/2 hour, not one hour. Your price isn't awful. I would definitely take a free training session prior to investing that kind of money though (and some places offer two free).
posted by caddis at 7:03 AM on November 7

I still think the price is high. Just for comparison, I work with an RD who also has her PhD in kinesiology. She works part time out of a private gym and has a monthly personal training fee of $300. The other trainer at the gym has his MA in kinesiology. The people who have spent years studying for a career in this field are not likely to be the people you encounter at a Bally's. You can find them if you look around.

Furthermore, I agree with the person who commented that you should be looking for a trainer with an NSCA certification at the VERY LEAST.
posted by smalls at 7:28 AM on November 7 [1 favorite]

thirding NSCA certification as a minimum requirement.

talk to your candidate about their approach to training for the less-athletic and folks with motivational issues and goals more geared towards functional strength. if they're worth their salt AT ALL, they'll be able to vocalize about different approaches for different folks. training is not the same for everyone; you don't want someone who just sits there and texts their friends while you're doing your thing.
posted by patricking at 7:52 AM on November 7

My suggestion is to do P90X - a series of DVDs that get you in shape rather quickly. I do The Firm DVDs but I'm a chick. Personal Trainers are way too expensive when you can get the same guidance from DVDs and in your home.
posted by dmbfan93 at 9:10 AM on November 7

nthing that the trainer is just as important as the price you are paying.

Do you know which trainer at your gym you would like to have? You might have seen a bunch of them around - if you have, you might have noticed that they all have different styles and personalities, and like any relationship, some personalities and approaches will work for you, while some wont.

For example, do you want a trainer who is a toughie, who will make you work hard? Do you want someone who is less intense but very encouraging? Do you want a hands-off type of trainer? Someone who is more academically inclined? Someone who talks alot? Someone who doesn't? Someone who likes questions? Same gender? Opposite gender?

Maybe you know this already, but just in case you don't, before you buy the package, make sure you know the trainer you will get. His or her style and personality must meet your style and personality - $1100 is money well spent on your health and fitness when you're with the right trainer.

Know yourself, know how you learn, know your goals and find someone whose personality you like, who will inspire you!
posted by bitteroldman at 12:11 PM on November 7