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There are many good personal trainers out there, that have dedicated years to helping others achieve a level of health, and fitness that they were not able to accomplish on there own, that really care about what is best for there client's. This article does them a serious dis-service. Maybe the article is just titled wrong, but you are obviously just trying to stur up some controversy, guess it is working, but you should not be so broad with your strokes.

This article is certainly quite biased. The section saying a personal trainer will push you till you drop is certainly not always the case. Many under-qualified low experienced personal trainers would possibly push you too far not reading into your past exercise regime, yet good personal trainers would adapt the workout to suit you. I am a personal trainer and have been training people for quite a few years and I always spend allot of time looking into my clients past exercise history. Most of my client are over 50 and have not exercised for years although at the end of the session they want to feel like they have worked out I tell them that the first few sessions will have to be gentle so they don't do themselves any damage. I cover allot of my clients personal training experiences in my personal trainers blog at http://www.myfitnessstudio.co.uk/news-and-specials/ here you can read about how we adapt our personal training methods to suit the clients. Personal trainers do get a b...(Read more of this comment)ad name by the bad ones in the bunch that is why you need to spend time picking a reputable personal trainer like ours at my studio vetted carefully by myself Robert Bray.(Show less of this comment)

I spent 10 years being a gym member and going occassionally. Over the years my metabolism has slowed down, so if i don't go, the consequences get more and more severe (im mid 30s). From a new promotion and the new amount of stress as large as my new office, I slowly gained more weight, until most of the clothes in my closet didnt fit anymore. The wake up call came when I experienced side pain due to overeating, being overweight, and a bad diet.

Went to gym classes for 3 times a week. But the results didn't come as easily as they once did. So, by luck my teacher (who was really good) also happened to do personal training. I signed up with her, very expensive (but #1 my new diet is cheaper than always eating out...so it pays for itself in a few months, #2 why put in tons of money in a car that you're going to have for only a few years and not spend money on your body that you'll have for your entire life??).

Anyway, there was no doubt she was good and she knew ...(Read more of this comment)her stuff from the moment I met her. Though her story about struggling with weight earlier in life, was skeptical to me at first, I know now how it can be true. I've lost a few sizes in just a few months, and know from all my hard work (in the PROPER WAY), that I will be keeping it off... If you want to know who this trainer is, just email me chickpeadidy at yahoo. I'll be happy to tell you who this wonderful woman is.

Anyway, if I can do it, anyone can be much better than they are now. I went from borderline diabetes who was always tired to boderline super hot model with loads of energy. If you asked me that a few months ago if I would ever beable to say that, I would've said you're kidding me. All it takes is the desire to improve your life, and choosing a good trainer (like a good car mechanic). I've been in the gym which is okay, but there's so much B.S. out there, that you will follow a bunch of wrong fads that will lead you down to more frustration. Best to get it right from the start.

This article is okay. It shows some pitfalls to avoid. But please do not let this deter you from the magic that I discovered in personal training and getting to know your body. It is the best kept secret that all those fad diet idiots who want to make a buck off you want you NOT to do. The good personal trainers (not the fake ones that don't know what they're doing) have their own story, know the human anatomy well, and enjoy the process of helping others improve their body and, consequently, their lives. Good luck and peace out. (Show less of this comment)

Finding a good personal trainer is like anything else, u have to shop around for the best one and know what you are getting. All these stupid stories on here about bad PT are silly. You just got a bad PT, and other should not be sterotyped.

And PS PT is great for people who need a little kick in the butt not a babysitter. Not everyone loves to work out and they show you the right way to do it to get results.

First i would like to say only some of these things are true. My Fiance is a personal Trainer and a damn good one. As far as them pushing Suppliments for sales that is not true since they don't sell them at their Store and he works at a very high end Sports Club. So maybe that is only true for some. Yes they are under Paid, but you can't blame them for that. As far as keeping away from Machines-there is no intense training you can get from a Machine the same way you would get from medicin balls and what not. My fiance always does what is best to get results, he is not worried about them going else where, if anything this article complained about them leaving the client, so which is it?? Can't have it both ways. I think that only very few of these things are true, and it really has nothign to do with PT it has to do with the Individual trainer and Client! This is a bulls!*t article.

Personal Training used to come with the gym membership (inclusive). Gyms have broken it up so thy can make more money off the personal training at somewhere like $40 an hour? Come on. OK. Perhaps those that walked around the gym where counselors in the fitness industry, but we got results quickly because they were there giving us encouragement and that triggered a stress releif mechanism in our brains that helped us lose the weight. Stress causes belly fat. Have you seen the commercial. The counselors took the stress away and gave us someone who at least seemed to care. Now, it is all about the money (for some).

Here is a tip - learn the heart rate of your age that will be good for fat burning and cardio workout, and reach the goal. The first 20 minutes of your sustained heart rate for burning fat, well, you start to burn carbs in the first 20 minutes. In the second 20 minutes, you are burning carbs and start to burn the fat. The third, you are burning carbs and fat, and start to burn protein (muscle). So, a cardio workout of 40 minutes is necessary to burn fat. Personally, I do not want to burn the muscle. So I stop at 40 minutes of sustained level heart rate to burn the fat. I learn this in a college classroom - Drugs and Nutrition. It was great and the best class to learn the affects of the different foods and how they work differently in the body. Spend your money on your own personal reading and take a class maybe. Skip the 'motivators.' Sometimes they are only their for the money. Not all, just some and sometimes. This blog is based on my personal experience. I cannot speak...(Read more of this comment) regarding all because, well, I have not met them all. Peace and much love to you.(Show less of this comment)

Where did the personal attention go, and where did the real caring go. The instructor doesn't tell you how to properly complete tricept workout and doesn't tell you how to breath - exhale on the exersion, breath in on the reverse of the exersion (I cannot think of the word). Ligh reading is good, but who has time and do we not pay for this. How can a gym sign you up and then not tell you how to properly use the equipment? Another thing, all you really need to do is walk about 40 minutes a day or however much will get your metobolism going to help you burn the fat to lose weigh. Here is a tip - learn the heart rate of your age that will be good for fat burning and cardio workout, and reach the goal. The first 20 minutes of your sustained heart rate for burning fat, well, you start to burn carbs in the first 20 minutes. In the second 20 minutes, you are burning carbs and start to burn the fat. The third, you are burning carbs and fat, and start to burn protein (muscle). So, a ca...(Read more of this comment)rdio workout of 40 minutes is necessary to burn fat. Personally, I do not want to burn the muscle. So I stop at 40 minutes of sustained level heart rate to burn the fat. I learn this in a college classroom - Drugs and Nutrition. It was great and the best class to learn the affects of the different foods and how they work differently in the body. Spend your money on your own personal reading and take a class maybe. Skip the 'motivators.' Sometimes they are only their for the money. Not all, just some and sometimes. This blog is based on my personal experience. I cannot speak regarding all because, well, I have not met them all. Peace and much love to you.(Show less of this comment)

I am going to date myself now, however - back in the 1980's I used to go to this gym - Shapes; and back in 1979, I went to a gym - Lady Athena. They both had 'trainers' that assisted you the first time you came to they gym. They also set you up on a program. On a periodic schedule, they would increase your workout on a card, weigh and measure you, and give encouragement. We paid a down payment and a monthly payment for this service. Now, we pay the same type of down payment and monthly payment (ok - some you do not, but on a month to month payment schedule). However, they do not provide you with any instruction. At the gym I go to now, you get one time free 'personal trainer' assistance. The personal trainer tells you how to use the machine (sort of) and does give encouragement. However, I never see them weigh and measure, never see them set you up on a real program with a card, but people walk around with their own set of crib notes on notebook paper. Where did the personal a...(Read more of this comment)ttention go, and where did the real caring go. The instructor doesn't tell you how to properly complete tricept workout and doesn't tell you how to breath - exhale on the exersion, breath in on the reverse of the exersion (I cannot think of the word). Ligh reading is good, but who has time and do we not pay for this. How can a gym sign you up and then not tell you how to properly use the equipment? Another thing, all you really need to do is walk about 40 minutes a day or however much will get your metobolism going to help you burn the fat to lose weigh. Here is a tip - learn the heart rate of your age that will be good for fat burning and cardio workout, and reach the goal. The first 20 minutes of your sustained heart rate for burning fat, well, you start to burn carbs in the first 20 minutes. In the second 20 minutes, you are burning carbs and start to burn the fat. The third, you are burning carbs and fat, and start to burn protein (muscle). So, a cardio workout of 40 minutes is necessary to burn fat. Personally, I do not want to burn the muscle. So I stop at 40 minutes of sustained level heart rate to burn the fat. I learn this in a college classroom - Drugs and Nutrition. It was great and the best class to learn the affects of the different foods and how they work differently in the body. Spend your money on your own personal reading and take a class maybe. Skip the 'motivators.' Sometimes they are only their for the money. Not all, just some and sometimes. This blog is based on my personal experience. I cannot speak regarding all because, well, I have not met them all. Peace and much love to you.(Show less of this comment)

Parkepbl, don't you mean Biochemistry not Microbiology? Haha are there microbes in your nutritional theories?

Let's be honest personal training is not rocket science. I can respect those who went to college to earn more money. But the truth to the matter, those are the ones who make there programs so complicated that people don't really learn the basic principles of taking care of themselves.Bottom line I have been working out for 35 years, I am as in good of shape as I was when I graduated from high school. I still do the basic stuff that I did then. I'm certified but I don't charge an arm and a leg to teach people.Its my profession but more my passion. I know many doctors with many years of schooling but I wouldn't dare put my life into there hands.

I agree with the two previous posts,
MOVE!!! and
BABYSITTER
I hate to knock anyone's profession, but it's not too hard to do some light reading to find out where to start at a gym. Sure, it's nice to get a little help - but that's all that is usually needed. Only someone with a special condition should bother using someone on a regular basis. It only takes one orientation at a gym and some basic light reading to get aquainted with the workout scene.

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I can only speak on my behalf but as a certified trainer going on 12 years I have never stepped out of the boundary lines.The truth is that there are phonys in all careers & there is simply no need to insult or critisize our career.Babysitter? Are you kidding me? People who are beginning the process of changing their physical lifestyles dont all know where to begin & thats where we come in & as far as not making as much money as you thought... tough luck... get a new career or just shut up!

As a registered dietitian and a personal trainer myself, it really concerns me when I hear some of the bogus nutrition information that is given out by trainers at many gyms. I had to go to school for years, and learn all of the microbiology behind it all to be qualified to give nutrition advice and they think the 1 chapter in their trainer book covers it all. They do not take into account what pre-existing conditions the person may have, medications they may be taking, or a host of other factors that must be considered when giving out nutrition advice. In many cases they do not have the clients best interests in mind. Hey all you meathead trainers out there, Leave the nutrition advice to the experts before you cause harm to someone.

CSCSACSMH/FILMT
Yeah, I'm CSCS, ACSM H/FI and a Licensed Massage Therapist. I am tired of these so called 'Personal Trainers' with what I call 'Drive through training'. I spend years getting a Bachelors degree and two of the most reputable and recognized, not to mention, rigorous certifications in the fitness industry which costs over $1000 to take and end up working with someone with a 2 day crash course in fitness. What's worse, we make the same amount of money. I went to school to make more money than the high school grad. It's time that the fitness industry start to take notice of highly credentialed and degreed professionals and pay them what they are worth and put them head and shoulders above the trainers with drive through training certs. It's time to call these incompetent, wanabee trainers to a higher standard. Nuff said!!

Personal trainers are for people who have more money than brains.

Just admit you are an adult who needs a babysitter.

Let's not make it so complicated. The simple solution to fitness is to
M-O-V-E. Using a personal trainer to get oriented is great. But 8 hours of ongoing training is just too much! Read a little. Figure it out.