Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with personaltrainer

Shopping for Personal Trainer

BrotherCaine — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:52:13 -0800

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.

Recommendations for a good personal trainer in RDU?!

luckyme793 — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:20:08 -0800

Recommendations for a personal trainer in the Raleigh/Durham area? I am 21 year old college female who is looking for a personal trainer for 3-5 sessions. I want to learn how to FINALLY get rid of the freshman 15 I gained 3 years ago, and also to build more lean muscle and tone specific parts of my body better. Does anyone have any recommendations for a knowledgeable and friendly PT in the RDU area?

What Personal Training certification am I supposed to get?

tumbleweedjack — Tue, 05 May 2009 15:12:27 -0800

I'd like to get a certification to become a personal trainer, but there are so many different certifications and certifying bodies available I have no idea where to start. I asked three friends who are in the field and I was told to check out CSCS, ACE, AFAA, NASM, NPTI... lots of initials to wade through. It seems that there are different bodies who do the accreditation and different kinds of accreditations to get. What is considered the best, or the most respectable, or the most useful to have?

Personal trainers who do house visits?

simona — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 09:34:11 -0800

I want to solicit a personal trainer to come to my father's apartment twice a week and do a session with him in the building's gym. He's too depressed and demotivated to go on his own accord, but he'll comply if someone shows up at his door. How do I do this without paying a fortune? Are there Human Kinetics students around looking for part-time work? How would I go about finding them? There's also a swimming pool, so a swimming instructor would also be possible, but my dad can't swim, so it'd have to be someone patient enough to coach a cranky 57-year-old in swimming. As I've mentioned above, he's 57, overweight, and thoroughly demotivated. Prone to excusing himself from exercise with bad jokes.

Help me get back in shape.

Mavri — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 08:16:00 -0800

Can you recommend a gym and/or personal trainer for an overweight, out of shape girl in Brooklyn? I used to be in great shape, but not anymore! My two big problems with getting back to exercising are motivation and intimidation. I was thinking that having a personal trainer would help with the motivation problem. But, looking at a couple of prior AskMe's, people say the best way to find a personal trainer is to talk to the ones at your gym. Which leads into my second problem--intimidation. The thought of being the fat girl in the gym is very intimidating to me. I know I'd still be the fat girl in the gym if I were there with a personal trainer, but I'd at least have someone there to tell me what to do and help me out. If I have to go to a gym on my own, does anyone know of one in NYC frequented by un-fabulous, normal people rather than just superfit gym rats? I'm also not limited to just gyms. I'd like to her about alternative workout possibilities, like yoga or pilates or whatever else is out there if you know of a place that would have a welcoming environment for someone like me.

Any advice, recommendations on gyms, personal trainers, workout programs, etc?

What to give a personal trainer?

tzuzie — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 08:47:09 -0800

What should I give my personal trainer for Christmas? She is a wonderful trainer and I want to reward her spectacularly. Last year I gave her a certificate for dinner for two at a great local restaurant. This year I want to do better than that. She is in her 30's, married, no children. We live in a relatively small city in Montana.

Great trainer/doctor in New York to tell me how to sculpt my body?

Malad — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 00:35:25 -0800

I am an overweight male. I want to look trim, have a 6-pack, and so on. I am willing to put in the necessary exercise and diet. I need a REAL expert in Manhattan with the knowledge and experience to tell me exactly what to eat and precisely how to exercise in light of my body, lifestyle, and history, and who could train with me on a regular basis. Where can I find such a wise person in New York (or persons? -- trainer + sports nutritionist?)?

Help me find a good personal trainer!

hazyspring — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 16:52:37 -0800

How do I find a good personal trainer? I have read other posts on this and I feel like I need more info. I would like to lose about 40lbs, the right way, through exercise and diet. I feel like getting a personal trainer could be really helpful, especially because weights are so intimidating to me. But, I have used two personal trainers at two different gyms, and they were not that good. I mean, one was barely interested in what she was doing. The other ended in this really awkward sales pitch that was ridiculous and really turned me off. He also didn't even know my name or ask me what I wanted. The gym I am currently using (and really like) LA Fitness have a bunch of guys who all look the same, it doesn't seem very personal at all to me.

I really want to find someone good, and preferably a woman. Any suggestions? Also, I'm looking for a person in central NJ.

Help me get my booty into shape, without killing my knees!

barnone — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 12:18:37 -0800

What qualifications should I look for in a personal trainer? What do the ACE certifications actually mean? I'd like to hire a trainer for a few sessions, but I really don't want to hurt myself or hire a nut. Please help me sort through the options! I've had some substantial health issues in the past few years. I'm now in a place where my apartment has a gym, I'm healthy enough to exercise on a regular basis, I'd like to lose some (fat) weight and build muscle, lower my BMI, increase cardio capacity and generally not hurt myself doing it. I know that I can do some of this on my own, and I have, but I'd like someone to kick it up a notch and show me some safe ways of working out without aggrevating my problem areas (knees, mostly).

So, I've started looking into local personal trainers - but they have a bewildering amount of acronyms, bogish-looking qualifications and fitness mumbo-jumbo on their sites and ads. I don't know anyone who uses one in the area, so I can't ask for personal recommendations; even then, I'd like to know what *I* should be looking for in a trainer. What kinds of questions should I ask them? What is a good qualifying degree or program, if there is such a thing? I've seen people hire trainers who push them too far too fast, resulting in an injury, and then physical/mental set backs as they recuperate. I'd like to avoid that -- how do I find a well-trained trainer?

More specifically, if I may, I found someone that looks relatively decent with the following qualifications: "Three certifications from the American Council on Exercise (ACE): Personal Trainer, Lifestyle & Weight Management Consultant, Clinical Exercise Specialist. Also certified by the American Academy of Health, Fitness & Rehabilitation Professionals (AAHFRP) as a Medical Exercise Specialist." Does that mean anything?

I'm in Durham, NC if anyone wants to recommend a local trainer, but I'd really like to learn how to differentiate among the options for the future, as well. My left knee and my back thanks you in advance, dear MeFites!