How to select a gym/personal trainer

May 4, 2023 9:58 PM

I am pretty much new to all this. Hope me not get scammed and/or injured.

Late twenties male. Currently in decent shape from regular running, but with little to no experience with upper-body/core workouts. I suspect that's not something I can do alone, starting from scratch.

Which brings me to the eternal catch-22: inexperienced as I am, how do I find a decent gym and/or trainer? Put differently: what should I watch out for?

Goals include:
-Develop upper body and core.
-Avoid permanent injury, at virtually all costs. I'm prepared to hear that this may never be possible, but still, I'd like to do everything I can.

(Recommendations for protein sources are also welcome. Beans don't seem to agree with me anymore, and they've discontinued my favorite brand of protein powder. )

posted by queen anne's remorse to Health & Fitness (11 answers total)

Best answer: You can be fine and get strong, really and truly, at any gym—even the dreaded Planet Fitness of Lunk Alarm fame. So the best one may be the one that is easiest to form a routine at. Depending on your routine, this might be related to location, niceness of locker rooms + related amenities, and the actual gym facilities themselves.

I prefer free weights (dumbbells and barbells) to machines as they translate more into a feeling of everyday strength. So for me, I look at
- number of squat racks and bench press platforms, especially relative to the population
- are the weights strewn about or every station have a full set of each weight plate?
- is the dumbbell section organized and are there sufficient benches/room to maneuver?

I can’t really speak to 1 on 1 trainers, but I do think you can get strong safely on your own. The way to do this is to start with very light weights. Like, really light weights that seem stupidly easy to hold and move. Then, focus on the technique and gradually build up the weight week over week. It does focus mostly on leg movements, but Couch to Barbell is great and will take you all the from lifting a broom handle in your home to a real barbell in a gym. The worst injury I know of of all my friends who lift weights is my brother in law who tore his pec trying to bench press the heaviest weight he possibly could—don’t do that!
posted by Maecenas at 10:48 PM on May 4, 2023

Best answer: I just started down the weight lifting path, after enjoying cardio much more. Some tips:
-Take things slow. Focus on form with low weight at first. You are aiming for gradual, but ongoing improvement. Keep in mind that if you increase by 5 lbs every week, with consistency this will be quite a bit. The consistency is what is key, not being the strongest person there immediately.
-Generally, get familiar with the different upper vs lower muscle groups (and don’t skip leg day!), core exercises and push vs pull exercises. Likely workouts may include: bench press (regular or incline), deadlifts, squats, rows, leg press, leg extension, leg curl, lunges, pull-ups, dumbbell (DB) curls, flys, farmer carries, planks, lat pull downs, tricep pull downs…there are more, but set aside some time and look at 1. What muscle group these exercises address 2. Other exercises you may want to include instead or in addition to these that hit all the muscle groups
-Routine: You could do a combo, but most people do an upper day than a lower body day. You can do Monday - Wednesday - Friday, or I do
M-Upper body (U)
Tue-Lower body (L)
W-Cardio / rest
Th - U / Core
Fri - L / Core
Sat - Cardio
Sun - Rest / cardio
-Watch YouTube videos for tips on form, and usually you can pay or request a 1:1 session with a trainer at the gym who can walk you through basic movements. You can do one of these sessions and go from there, and later set up another as you add more weight or need it
-For gym, what is important to you? For me, it’s location. If the gym isn’t close or convenient, I’m not going.
-Make sure you know the general time you would go and see if you can do a trial membership for a few days at that time. My gym is smaller, and overrun with high school kids and post-work workouters from 5-7. I get annoyed at limited access to stuff at that time, so I go in the morning. Might not be a problem at your gym for your time, but worth doing the trial to be sure
-If you aren’t 100% on a certain gym, but need to put down a card, use a pre-pay loadable credit card. That way, if you cancel, they can’t do the gym thing and keep charging you unless you load more money onto it
-Protein: Tempeh, chicken, eggs, egg whites, Sargento reduced fat string cheese, fat free Greek yogurt (I sprinkle in healthy fats with nuts and then veggies), fat free cottage cheese, salmon, Garden of Life Protein Powder - I get their normal unflavored protein powder (which I’ll add to food to increase my protein intake) and their workout protein powder. I also like Isopure
-Also, creatine is well tested and very safe. You can take 5 grams a day for 8 weeks, take a two week break, and then restart

Basically:
-Get started, slowly and consistently
-Stay focused on form for the first 3 weeks
-Make your plan malleable and be willing to add more in or change things out as time goes on
-Once you are fully underway, set your plans up to last 8-9 weeks then take a 1-2 week break. It will help you with plateaus and your muscles do need periodic breaks. You can do heavy cardio in those weeks to stay active
posted by glaucon at 2:07 AM on May 5, 2023 [4 favorites]

Best answer: The Ironstrength Workout is doctor- designed and aimed at endurance athletes who want to get strong to prevent injury.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 5:14 AM on May 5, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: One thing I'd add is: it's entirely possible to do weight training without supervision - but I need to feel obliged to get to the gym and do the work, or else it won't happen. So I pay a trainer to expect me to show up. (Not having to think about the routine is a bonus.)
posted by mersen at 5:18 AM on May 5, 2023 [2 favorites]

Best answer: I use a trainer (after I had a series of injuries while doing pole) for strength and really, I found him using the recommendation of a friend. If you can get a recommendation, though, I suggest looking for someone who does not rely on a lot of hype, and has experience training people at all different levels, and has some amount of scientifically based education. (You can look into what certifications exist in your area of the world.) If not getting an injury is your goal, I think having someone who is comfortable with beginners is important. The fact that my trainer had worked with other women my age, including people with bigger challenges that me (for example, and MS diagnosis) gave me a lot of comfort that I would be challenged but not injured.
posted by Kurichina at 6:56 AM on May 5, 2023

Best answer: I think the main thing to watch out for is a macho trainer that is going to push the no pain - no gain routine on you. There are some trainers who don't feel you are training unless you are being driven to win some kind of a competition at all costs.

So when you are making inquiries about trainers look for one who works with people who are doing rehab and who works with seniors. The toxic masculinity trainers don't do well with either category. If you can get a physiotherapist to recommend your trainer that would be a good bet, because you won't get one who gives instructions counter to what their client's physiotherapists are recommending.

They are all supposed to be good at teach form - that's the whole purpose of a trainer. So when you are being shown the exercises pay attention to the trainers instructions and check that your are indeed doing them properly and that your form is improving as you continue with them. If you ignore form, a bad trainer may give up on correcting you so as not to lose you as a client. Emphasize that getting them to help you perfect your form is one of your goals.
posted by Jane the Brown at 7:00 AM on May 5, 2023 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Seconding a lot of what's been said here. Form is absolutely everything and start with light weights until you consistently do it right -- keep the natural arch in your spine all through the exercise, keep feet aligned with shoulders, breathe out on the rep, etc... And the best gym is one you will actually use -- convenient and close to home, not crowded, clientele that doesn't bother you.

Books can get you a long way, but here's a thought: You said you're a runner. Are you connected with a local running club? Or if not, can you join one? I'll bet that you could quickly find some members who do weight training and could advise you on both a gym and a trainer who's qualified and has helped runners build core strength.
posted by martin q blank at 8:19 AM on May 5, 2023

Best answer: I would strongly recommend finding a trainer who is also trained in Physical Therapy. They can demonstrate what “proper form” means, and will have a focus on non-injury as you move into greater fitness.
There are so many “trainers” and yoga teachers who have NO CLUE how the body actually works, or how to avoid injury.
Also, in general, avoid CrossFit (see above).
posted by dbmcd at 1:52 PM on May 5, 2023 [2 favorites]

Best answer: A recommendation from a PT is a good idea. There is a middle ground between just going to a gym on your own and a full-on personal trainer. My gym has smaller groups 5-6 people with one trainer, and personalized programs for each person. This way you still get the attention, the form corrections, and someone to ask about movements, injuries, etc, but pay significantly less.
posted by pyro979 at 5:13 PM on May 5, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Contrary to some of the answers above, CrossFit is a good answer to this question - you just have to find the right gym. I promise not all of them are weird macho bro fests (assuming that’s not your vibe) - I know because I go to one of them, which I started only after injuring myself repeatedly running and my PT told me I needed to do strength training or I’d be cycling back to PT forever. The coaches are trained and can help you with form - it’s also something you could do for 6 months, learn the basics and then quit and do weights on your own if you’re not into it otherwise. Could be a much more cost effective way of getting training on using weights safely, as compared to a 1:1 personal trainer.
posted by annie o at 8:26 PM on May 5, 2023

Best answer: I would join your local FB group and ask for trainer reccos in your neighbourhood. Specify that you want someone who's very conscious of clients not injuring themselves. You should get a few good recommendations and then if you sleuth the person you might find Instagram, TikTok, or Youtube videos - most personal trainers have some online presence - that can help you get a sense of if they'll be a fit for you.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 9:37 PM on May 6, 2023