Viewer Mail: Training Partners & Choosing a Trainer.

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MizFit, do you have a workout partner? if not why not? I dont (none of my friends work out when I do) & dont really want a partner—but I need motivation.

I dont have a partner.

And I have to admit that I have more than a fleeting jealousy of this blogger and her workout friends. Much more than fleeting.

Back in the day (if by the day you mean pre-Tornado—-which I do) Ren Man and I lifted together.

We started when we were dating and did so for 12+ years.

I’d imagine were you to ask him he’d say Im a great partner (happy to be the motivator as far as getting to the gym and **happy** to be the cheertasker as far as encouraging him to lift more weight/reps) and a terrible partner (Im not good with the encouragement. If he said: come on!! three more!! and I knew I was finished at two more Id roll my eyes and throw set down the weights. ).

Right now I lift solo.

Our lifting together doesnt work (he’s at the gym when the daycare isnt open) & our weekends tend to be more filled with active *play* than anything else.

I guess I could find a different partner (Charlotte? wanna move to Texas?) but I really havent even looked for one as right now I rely more on my accountability partners.

People who dont workout with me but hold me accountable for my goals anyway.

People with whom Ive set up clear expectations so that both parties feel taken care of/looked out for but not nagged.

What do I mean by that?

At the outset my partners & I decided how often we wanna be nagged (check in with me once a week and ask if Ive worked on XYZ, please) and in precisely what fashion (email, phone, in person, text).

I learned the hard way that, when we didnt clarify the specifics up front (no matter how uber formal it sounds), one of us ended up feeling either nagged or ignored.

You might try something like the accountability partners (so easy to arrange as it can all be virtual) & see how it works for you as well.

HELP MizFit!! how do I know if I’ve found a good trainer?!

This is a question Ive receive pretty frequently & could rant about for post upon post.

That said, Im highly confident ya’ll have better things to do than listen to me ramble about the fact you should NOT select the trainer who checks herself out in the mirror every 3 seconds (while supposedly spotting you) nor should you think that simply because Trainer X has more letters behind his name than your physician it’s an indication of his fabulousity.

As a result Im going brief here, People.

Bullets.

In all confidence you’ll chime in below & anything Ive missed/give me your collective .02.

  • Education or certification. This isnt the most important quality in my opinion (Ive seen some amazing trainers who have learned everything on their own) but it certainly helps. Find out whom their certifying body is and googlegooglegoogle to read more about it.  There are a few standard respected ones (ACSM, ACE etc.) and more than a few “fill out this form and send us 500.00 and youre a trainer!” online offers. (Some people like to ask about CPR/first aid/liability insurance. I never thought to ask when I was seeking a trainer but was certified/had insurance when I served as a trainer.)
  • EXPERIENCE. By this I dont mean years of training clients (we all need to start somewhere with a first client) but an interest-level/passion with regards to your population. Are you pregnant? looking to lose weight? gain muscle mass? Do you have a chronic injury you need to work around? Seek a trainer who has experience in YOUR arena.
  • Do you like the person beyond the fact s/he’s a trainer. In my mind this is the first thing you should look for after assessing a trainer’s knowledge. Whether it’s one session or 400 you need to find a trainer you WANT to spend time with! I had clients 3x week for years who might have lasted a month with a different trainer. I also had employees with long-term clients who’d definitely have quit after one session with my celeb-gossiping self.

How do you know youve found a crappy not-good trainer? You wont need to ask!

If youve hired Suzy ItsAllAboutMe she wont listen to what you say (from basic chat to exercise questions), she’ll spend most of your session on her cell phone/chatting with gym members, fail to return your calls/emails in a timely fashion, and make the sessions more about her goals than yours.

I know Ive tossed a lot your way.

I start writing with brevity in mind. EDITEDIT (yes, you get the *short* versions) & the Viewer Mails still run long.

You’ll have that.

And now YOU.

Training partner thoughts?  Love em? Loathe em? Long for one?

Have a trainer?

Did you bother to ask for references when you selected him or her?

Are you a trainer & do you offer references? free consultations?

Please to hit us all up in the comments.

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Comments

  1. I have been going a trainer once a week for a for a few months now. I chose based on the recommendations of people who has used this trainer themselves. I didn’t ask about qualifications to be honest. I figured I’d go once and just see how I got on. My biggest evaluation was asking him on day one how much weight he thought I needed to lose. His response was quite a reasonable number in-line with my own goals. If I had been told a ridiculously low number whether “BMI” correct or not then no way would I have gone back.
    Along with that he is a nice guy, serious but not over the top. Plus we can have a laugh and that can’t be bad 🙂

  2. I train (if I can call it that 🙂 ) alone and haven’t had a trainer before BUT I like that you say it is about more than just education.

    I have seen many trainers with clients at the gym where I workout who do not seem to be paying any attention to their client at all!

    I know I would never come back for a second session.

  3. I do go it alone, but I would love a workout buddy. What I do have is one person who loves good walks and pushes me harder than I would normally go. But that is intermittent and a regular hike partner would be best. I love the idea of an accountability partner!

    Never had a trainer and I am not sure if I would like one, they annoy me to death at the gym, nicking all the weights and hogging the equipment and making irritating boxing noises (and I can’t do planks yet)!

  4. Hey remember when you did the MizFit Motivational Matches?

    I wasn’t ready to buddy up then but I am now.

    I love the idea of someone I don’t work out with and yet who encourages me as I tend to workout whenever I can during the day.

    Are you going to do those again?

  5. OH and after yesterdays post that’s all I think about when I read people’s blogs.

    Wheter I look at them as role models or not.

    You are in my head LOL~

  6. The trainer information is definitely interesting! I had a trainer that I had to get rid of. It was horrible because I like her as a person, just not as a trainer. She gossiped about her other clients, the other staff, and her life the entire time I spent with her. Um, hi, I’m paying you to talk about ME!!!

    This has also helped me formulate an opinion of how I don’t want to be when I become certified in the next few months.

    Getting referrals is always great because someone else has had the experience first!!!

  7. Back in the day, my trainer would stick me on the treadmill for 45 minutes, then schedule me for another week!
    Good work, if you can get it….

  8. OK not to bring this back to yesterday….

    I was rereading the comments this morning and someone said that you bear more of a responsibility because of your large platform.

    do you think this as well?

  9. more when I can but this:

    Back in the day, my trainer would stick me on the treadmill for 45 minutes, then schedule me for another week!
    Good work, if you can get it….

    I see that all the time.

    and wanna jump in and say to the client: SISTER, ILL DO THAT FOR YOU FOR FREE!!

  10. I have a training partner (running) and I would not run most mornings if she didn’t text me it was time to get out there and meet her!

    That probably doesn’t say much about my motivation 🙂

    I want to know what Nancy asked too:

    do you think role model and responsibility depends on blog platform??

  11. I never believed in the power of partnering until I teamed up with my 13 year-old son. He’s done basketball throughout the years, so I’ve always “trained” him, but now that he’s older, he’s taken the principles I taught him and has become *my* motivation in partnering.

    We do medicine ball workouts, outdoors intervals, and strength training together. He’s an awesome partner!

  13. I workout at a gym without a partner or trainer.

    I don’t think I’d need a partner for motivation (to get to gym) though when I see some of the training partners laughing and having fun I wonder if I shoud look for one.

    I like the virtual idea too.

    MizFit Matchups?

    I missed that one.

  14. Suzie mchappypants here 🙂 sorry but i got the biggest kick out of that this morning!!
    Anyway i’ve never had a partner and i’ve never had a trainer.
    Although in the future it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea

  15. Yay.
    For once I have a lot to share 😉

    I searched for a woman trainer in my area and tried a couple (no free consults either!) and did not like any of them.

    One was really condescending (I’m not young) and the other pushed me past my comnfort zone the first day together.

    (I was in PAIN for 2 weeks.)

    I now have a trainer I realy like (and hate same days LOL) and its a man.

    I never anticipated I’d feel comfortable with a male trainer and I do.

  17. Don’t have a training partner, but the Lobster and I try to encourage each other. However, we also are happy to give each other lots of slack so that we never play the role of “enforcer.” I think I’d chafe at the idea of someone trying to get me to exercise when I didn’t feel like it.

    And I’d love to have a personal trainer but have been too cheap to explore this! Thanks for the great tips should I ever take the leap.

  18. My “stay-cation” this year was a week of daily indulgences of a trainer from 24-Hour who came highly recommended by other people in the club. It was an amazing week. He knew I was only going to have him for one week and he came up with a great series of workouts, each day emphasizing different parts of fitness. We started with lifting upper body on day 1, to plyometrics on day 2, to advanced yoga techniques on day 3, to lower body lifts on day 4, and ended with a swim stroke clinic on day 5. I felt totally worked! He was young and relatively inexperienced in terms of overall numbers, but his enthusiasm and finding out from me first what I wanted to accomplish made it very worthwhile.

  19. rolling on the handheld.

    Yadayada @ park before its 100 degrees.

    (Translation: thoughts later)

    BUT Leah? I adore that idea. My life is fraught w/staycation right now (myriad reasons) and a one-on-one yoga trainersession sounds life a cool treat idea.

    And Crabby?

    Careful what you wish for!

    I might just come out of retirement to train yer crabarse 😉

  21. I was talking to my trainer about this the other day. There are two or three other trainers who I see around the gym and there’s no way I would have lasted with them. They yell at their clients, tell them they’re weak, push them beyond their limits. For other people, that may work. For me? Not so much.

    When I signed up, I made sure I had a trainer who would push me but not break me. Someone who would understand that I’m in it for the long term and breaking me would be a BAD thing.

    Make sure you and your trainer are on the same page. If they think they’re training the next figure competitor and you just want to make it up the 23 flights of stairs at work, there’s a problem.

  22. Oh you know I’d be your workout buddy in a HEARTBEAT!! I’ve ended up lots of places in my life, perhaps someday it will be Texas;)

    My workout partners make or break it for me & I totally recommend them to everyone! (Well, not mine personally although if you are in the area everyone is always welcome to workout with us!)

    As for a personal trainer, this is my rule of thumb: Do they listen to you? I’ve seen too many try a one-size-fits-all-approach and listening will go a long way in motivating:)

  23. I don’t have a trainer or a partner, but if I get to a point where I’m not seeing results on my own, I would definitely consider getting a trainer to help me mix it up.

  25. Something I have been using is a little keychain trainer called nextfit. I got it through the program I am doing with Kathy Smith. (if you are interested you can email me and I will get you the info.) I LOVE IT! It is an mp3 player that you upload personalized workouts on. You have something like over 100,000 workouts all by professional trainers. Kathy Smith, Tony Robbins and around 30 more really good trainers. They explain technique and all of that. It is almost like having them there with you. You can choose your trainer and workout yourself and it has every workout you can imagine. Fairly cheap as well.
    So just another option that I really like!

  26. still on the thumbs/handheld but Gemfit makes a great point about BEING ON THE SAME PAGE.

    When I own my personal training studio I frequently had new clients being LITERALLY PAGES to our consultation.

    What their goals were.
    What they were currentlu doing.
    Photos of how they wanted to look.

    I always appreciated that.

  27. I’m BA-A-ACK!!!

    My training partners all have 4 legs. And don’t seem all that concerned about whether I’m enjoying my workout.

    Methinks it might be time to replace those cows with someone who talks.

    Wanna come out of retirement, Miz, and come to a place that’s cool?

  28. I don’t have a trainer but I DO have work-out buddies. 2 people at work attend the Mon,Wed,Fri Yoga class with me and another person attends the weight-lifting class on Tues/Thurs. The company I work for is very forward thinking and provides each employee (over 250 of us) with a gym membership so most of us work out at the ‘Y’ across the street at lunch – oh yeah and we aren’t expected to stick to an just an hour lunch.

    While at home the hubs and I work out at night and while we don’t usually do the same thing we are accountable to each other since we drive to and from the gym together and are competative so neither one of us wants to have to tell the other that we just don’t want to work out that evening.

  29. If I could afford it, I’d hire a personal trainer. I really feel I need that level of support and accountability.

    Back in the day (like a quarter century ago) I used to go to the gym with my sister… every day… it was great. Having a workout partner, at least for me, makes a world of difference. For me it’s the difference between working out being an isolating experience or a social experience.

  30. I don’t work out with people. But as a trainer, I have some other suggestions to keep in mind:

    1. When dealing with a trainer, understand that if you aren’t paying for a service, they might not be getting paid (most are independent contractors). Remember this if a trainer seems reluctant to go into the specifics of an exercise with you, but encourages training.

    2. Ask to see a sample workout chart/series of charts for a program. If the trainer argues that it’s confidential or otherwise refuses, that should raise a red flag (especially if the workouts are kept in an area that’s open to the public). Even if the trainer doesn’t show you workout charts that are specific to your goals, you can learn a lot about their style from the charts. If the workout seems to have a lot of machines and/or classic exercises listed, and there are little boxes next to each workout indicating that they are to be done with the trainer weekly (and it wasn’t a workout for a beginner), find another trainer, as this one is unlikely to have a lot of knowledge.

    3. Ask about “homework”. A trainer that says they give their clients assignments between sessions (a) understands that it’s not just what goes on in the session that makes a difference and (b) should put you in a position that will enable you to work out independently of the trainer.

    4. Watch out for personal trainers who offer nutrition advice. Unless their degree is in nutrition, they probably paid $200 and filled out a form (or took a weekend seminar). If you do ask for advice, and they give you a list of supplements/bars to eat or drink instead of meals, find another person to ask.

  31. I still have my motivational partner and we are in touch almost daily. I’m not sure what she was implying up there about 4 legs though…

  32. In the past when I’ve scheduled gym time with a friend she frequently no-showed. It was HER idea. She needed the accountability to show up at the gym knowing someone was waiting for her. Then she would bail. For me, I prefer working out by myself. I have to be accountable to myself and get my fatbutt there to do it.

    When I’m at the gym I watch the personal trainers work their clients. I’m scouting for one someday-when-the-disposable-income increases. There are so many trainers, women AND MEN who check themselves out. Their client is doing reps of something and they’re looking around the gym, in the mirror, etc. I make a mental note: do not pick Mr.Ego. I find a trainer who is focused on the client and verbally coaching them or correcting their form. THAT is the kind of trainer I want.

    I will admit to hiring a trainer five years ago who had a BA from SDSU and lots of trainer credentials. He was good. But he was even better on the eyes. He’d stand super close when I did triceps on the machine to hold my elbows in. I could see his chest hairs move on my exhale. It was heaven.

  33. I must be far too literal as I’ve never thought about VIRTUAL training partners before.

    Good suggestion.

    I also wondered if you trained only women or men too?

  34. I’ve never had a workout partner, but I’ve never felt that I needed one… I’m quite the loner actually. I remember being very irritated at my previous gym when a woman in my Pilates class wanted to CHAT with me while I was doing weights. How rude! I do love classes, where you obviously get to know the people and share in their highs and lows.

    As for a personal trainer, I’ve never been able to afford one. You and Bob Greene are IT for me!

  35. Hey remember when you did the MizFit Motivational Matches?
    Are you going to do those again?
    maybe? the reason I lean toward NO is because it’s hard to have any “control” over whether people keep up the match and I ended up with so many matches where one person was really committed and disappointed that the other was not.

    If only the world were like BAGLADY and MARIANNE 🙂

    Wanna come out of retirement, Miz, and come to a place that’s cool?
    yes

    I am curious why you think you don’t respond to encouragement?

    I do in every other realm but this physical! I tell myself (and the husband) that its because I KNOW when I cant do any more (safely) and encouragement isnt gonna change that.
    is that true?
    I certainly think so 🙂

    I also wondered if you trained only women or men too?
    good question. ONLY WOMEN. no reason other than Im a firm believer in knowing your target market and your gifts and mine are NOT as much in motivating men.

    plus I always had a few employee whose gift it WAS so it wasnt ever an issue of needing me to train men.

    do you think role model and responsibility depends on blog platform??

    Ive been thinking a lot about this as well. and MY thoughts are yes. kind of. I dont think that a larger readership means CENSORING (ever) but I do think that with a larger readership comes the obligation to at least reread ones post before publishing with an eye to what a reader might see/find.

    frequently thats different than what the author intends.

    one may decide not to change a letter—but at least it has been considered.

  36. I have a personal trainer. Love him! I’ll be honest…when I hired him I talked to him for about 15 minutes and said “let’s go!”. Luckily he’s a gem. I was in a fairly desperate place and needed to change things. I weighed over 300 pounds and knew it was time to ask for help. The gym had just opened and this was the only trainer there. We’ve now been training together for a year and I’ve lost 114 pounds! Over the year I also worked out with trainers that he employed through his private studio. The experience with them were mixed. Some great…others not so much. At the end of the day I told him I needed to work with him! We don’t train as often now because I feel completely comfortable giving myself a good workout and he helps me with the routines. We’ve been fortunate to develop a great relationship and he’s there for me whenever I need his support. He has been a huge part of my success!

    I also have a gym buddy that I occasionally walk with and maybe do ab workouts. I prefer lifting alone if I’m not with my trainer.

    I would love to have the hubby as a partner but he’s not in that place right now. Sigh.

    And can’t forget my two toddlers…sometimes they are my partners….last night we jogged/walked to the park and I did a bit of a workout while swinging, sliding, chasing them!

    I guess right now I have a pretty good balance that works for me.

  37. Oops! Marianne, I wasn’t implying that you have 4 legs! (Although…. come to think of it….. I’ve never actually SEEN you…. Nah… you’re a real person, I’m sure of it!)

    And Miz? You did an awesome job of matching me up with Marianne – she’s the best motivational partner a gal could want. Honest. (and funny as hell, too!) Thanks!

  38. I miss the gym but never liked the trainers there. They never seemed very interested in ME. Now, I work out at home, sometimes with the Wii and it picks on me so I guess that is some interaction. But I kind of like the time alone when I exercise.

  39. I like having a choice of people to train with. Right now I’ve got four different people that I can go to if I want to workout… it’s nice to have the variety!

    I’ve been so lucky so far with the personal trainers I’ve dealt with. They were all awesome.

  40. Hmmm . . . I actually prefer NOT to have a workout partner. On the treadmill I watch TV on my iPod (I’m currently flying through all the seasons of Lost – how did I miss this show all this time? and the first season of Fringe), and the gym is the ONLY place I watch those shows. So I’m usually pretty motivated to go because I want to know what happens next! LOL!

    And when I’m doing weights (which I’ve been slacking on lately, ahem), I don’t like the distraction of someone standing there watching me. I have good form (thanks, ballet!) and I know what my body is capable of and when I need to stop, so like you Miz, “just one more” when I KNOW I’m done makes me roll my eyes and stop anyway. (I actually have a tendency to push myself farther than others think I can go, anyway. I like that feeling of sheer force of will overcoming the physical.) Plus there’s a slow rhythm to the whole process that for me is almost meditative. And that feeling is spoiled when someone is standing there.

    BUT. I was glad to have a trainer for a few sessions to show me some exercises and how the machines worked! And when I hit a point where I’m not moving forward, I’ll get a trainer for a few more sessions to learn some new stuff.

  41. I’ve always been a lone wolf exerciser kinda gal since I left gymnastics/diving. My fiance and I just get angry at each other when we work out together so we go at separate times (except bike riding, we do that well together, and occasionally a short run).

    It’s totally and completely selfish I guess, but exercising is my me time. I can think things through, I can go as fast or slow as I want. I can unwind for the day or think about what’s to come. I think it would annoy me if I had to slow down because a jogging partner couldn’t keep up on a day I felt like pushing myself.

    As for a trainer, I’d love to see one for a few sessions to see if they could teach me new tricks, but I am pretty capable of pushing and motivating myself. I have enjoyed Zumba class and wouldn’t be opposed to social interaction that way – doing my thing in a room full of people doing their own thing – alas my gym doesn’t actually have any classes and it’s what I can afford right now (for 10 bucks a month though, I’m just happy it has A/C and working equipment!).

  42. I don’t workout with my boyfriend but we do encourage each other to go to the gym.

    I go in the evenings and he usually does mornings.

    The thing is I do often feel nagged when he check with me to see if I’m going to the gym after work.
    I feel as though he’s saying I’m fat (LOL at your comment yesterday).

    I THINK I NEED TO EXPLAIN TO HIM HOW I NEED TO BE ENCOURAGED.

    Thanks Miz.

  43. I don’t have in person workout partners. But I do have friends who check in with me occassionally to see how I’m doing. I wish I had someone local to go with me to the gym but alas all my friends are at least 1.5 hours away.

    When I looked for my trainer I wanted to find someone who had experience with my type of back injury and surgery. I am using my trainer to help strengthen my whole body but especially my back so I wanted someone who would know how to modify exercises for my situation. I actually found her through my Physical Therapist when I was finishing therapy because that’s who he usually recommended. She has great skills but I love working with her because she pushes me just enough to make me strive to improve.

  44. I work out alone, I even do my long bike rides by myself. For me, my gym time is “me” time. The chunk of my day where I get to do what I want to do and be with my own thoughts for a while. Sometimes I’ll lift weights or go biking with my boyfriend, which is fun to switch it up, and a fun way to spend time together. But I still prefer to do it alone! 😛

  45. i think liking your trainer is important, but them being able to hold you accountable is more so. Your trainer shouldnt be your friend, they should be there to give you results.

    same with a workout buddy- obviously you are going to need to like them a little more, but they should be able to push you too.

  46. I sorta think that since you have all those playground workouts that Toddler Tornado is your workout partner.

    😀
    OOOH GOOD CATCH. you know, before she saw this post and yelled at me in her inimitable preschooler way…

  47. I really miss my workout partner. It’s not easy to find one that works well with me. My old workout partner was close to my same ability so we challenged each other and at the same time neither one of us help each other back. It made for a great time together and my workouts went by much faster.

  48. I am a lone wolf too (loved that phrase a commenter used above).

    I get in and get out of the gym and spend time with people when I’m not exercising!

  49. I’ve never had a personal trainer & I don’t know anyone who has. But, I’m thinking about it. Maybe during the rainy season when I can’t count on going for long bike rides.

    Those were helpful tips. Any fee guidelines?

  50. As you know, I just became a certified trainer (NASM), and I’m working on getting clients. Really hard when I’m not working in a gym – but in the current climate, working in a gym is actually harder.

    I know my target market is the middle aged woman who realized she needs to get moving to feel better about herself and her life. IT’S A HUGE MARKET. Once I start getting word of mouth, I should explode. (I hope).

    Crabby, if you make it to the bay area next winter, I promise you a couple training sessions.

    In weak moments, I even picture starting up my own small studio someday.

    That said, I do not have a workout partner, except for when I work with a personal trainer. I’d love to find someone to work with, but I accept that for women my age unless you come to the gym with a friend and progress together, it’s harder to make it happen. And the time I work out there are only men in working (except for a few ladies doing cardio).

  51. I don’t have a trainer but the one I met with when we first joined the new gym was wonderful. He was very attentive and made sure to always compliment me if I did something well. He also pushed me to do better which I liked a lot.

    Now on the other end of the spectrum, I was up on the treadmill the other evening and was watching this one trainer with her client and she was awful. She kept looking at other things around the gym and had her client doing squats but never told her to change her form which was all wrong.

    I would love to have a personal trainer here locally because I definitely felt I got a lot from the guy. One day!

  52. fast thoughts but COST:

    Depends on aread of country.
    Depends on trainer/the client demands they have.
    DependsDepends.

    I know when I wanted to sell my studio/train less I jacked up my rates thinking no one would want to train with me (that they’d pick my employees).

    I’d underestimated the American thing of more $$ must = better.

    Not always true.

    Anyone wanna chime in with trainer rates in her/his area?

    In TX it ranges from 40-100 per single session.

    And deb? Not WEAK MOMENTS. Moments of CLARITY 😉

  53. I work at the Y (as a swim instructor, not trainer) and met my trainer there about a year ago when I asked her to show me the machines. She gave me great explanations and encouraged me to sign up for private training but didn’t push me into it. When I was ready, I went to her and have been working with her ever since.

    Our Y has a bulletin board with all the trainers/fitness staff and their credentials and education. I like that.

    My trainer listens to my needs and provides me with an excellent program that I can do myself but I feel comfortable going to her with any questions at any time. I switch things up approximately every six weeks and now that we’re friends, she doesn’t always charge me, it just depends on how much effort she has to put in to the program which of course, I understand.

    At the Y, the trainers are not contractors so they do get paid even if they don’t sell training sessions. They might make more for the training sessions though, I’ll have to check on that. The rate is $45 an hour which I think is pretty reasonable but of course the Y is non-profit and we’re in a fairly rural area.

  54. I have always been a solo workout person except for when I went thru the aerobic classes days AND when I was training for my bodybuilding competitions. When I was bodybuilding, it was really important to have a partner not only to push me thru the really tough stuff BUT to spot for the heavier lifts.

    Right now & for years, I have worked out alone not only because I work out at very weird hours but I do like it that way. I am self motivated with my workouts & really push myself so I don’t need that AND I work to change my workouts based on my understanding of my body & what it needs so that does not interfere with another person that may not have the same goals & needs as I do at that time. For example, a couple years ago, with age, I noticed the legs needed more work cause as you get older, things are just “different” so I started some real focus for them along with other areas. With a partner, it has to work for both of you & meet both your needs & I tend to want to work what is right for me & in the body part order that is right for me.

    I do think a partner would be great for certain exercises BUT I am fine & try to find ways to get around that.

    I never have had a trainer BUT was one in my early years & everything you mentioned, Miz, is so right on!

  55. I LOVE my trainers. Did not do much research, but had heard a lot of good things about the place where I workout (Brad is the owner). I think I was really lucky, because I didn’t know that there were bad trainers out there, and since I got such good ones, it’s completely changed my life with regards to fitness.

  56. I’ve worked out with people before, but it never works out.

    I don’t use trainers either.

    I’ve always been the ‘I’ll do it myself’ type though. 🙂

  57. I lift with hubby a few times per week, and, for the most part, we are good for each other. That is, on most days one of us motivates/pushes the other. And we truly take turns, naturally…. 😉 We also like to have “friendly” competitions while running on the treadmill, etc. (But in all honesty, hubby is merciless and very much into “winning”…).

    I still haven’t signed up for a personal training session, but I really like your thoughts. And I have been watching the trainers at my gym and have a pretty good idea whom I’ll “pick” once I finally do treat myself to a few training sessions.

    Finally, I loved yesterday’s post and all the fabulous comments. I actually started to type a comment a few times, but my thoughts kept evolving and changing and eventually got messy. Great food for thought! 🙂

  58. I would LOVE a workout partner! Or a trainer. Okay, I would really take both.

    I really ENJOY working out alone, especially running. I zone out, I think about my problems, I pound away my stress. But I would LOVE someone in my life that I could call up once or twice a week for some motivation/new ideas. We all could use a little of those!

  59. My dogs are my trainer, they cry and whine until I get out there and walk. They set a fast pace and keep me moving. That gets me started for the day, anything else I do is up to me…thats the hard part.

    I’ve found that having email workout buddies helps me tremendously. We check in with each other daily and just sort of update on how its going, food wise, exercise wise and a bit of personal lives thrown in there too.

    As a side note: a friend had a personal trainer that always smelled like food. Then one day she caught her stuffing McDonalds nuggets and fries in her mouth in the locker room…she found a new trainer 🙂 So if your trainer smells like MickyD’s, don’t pick them

  61. I had a training partner and loved it but now I have to strike up that motivation on my own which is hard (for me)… but I think I’m going to get myself an accountability partner 🙂

    Thanks for the trainer tips… I just started looking and this will def help!

  62. I’ve found that the couple of classes I take at the gym (BodyPump and spin) function like a group personal training session for me, in that I do tend to work out harder in an instructor-led setting. And the BodyPump instructor is great about coaching us on good form.

    I did do the gym’s freebie meet-a-personal-trainer session, and I think that were I to have the budget for it, I’d work with one to set up a better at-the-gym strength routine. Wish list item…along with a good road bike and a wetsuit. 🙂

  64. Anybody who reads my blog knows that I have a personal trainer that I just love. She was recommended to me by a friend who really thought I would enjoy the trainer’s way of working. Man, I can’t believe some of the stories on here. I have her personal attention for the full hour that I am scheduled for. We have a little food and goals talk (this could take the whole hour if we aren’t careful–both love food and cooking.) And then we do a workout. I have been working with her for 3 1/2 months, and so far every week has been a little different. She is giving me a lot of options for different types of exercises that I will be able to apply in the future. She is also very careful to adjust exercises for my back and my knees.

    Other than that, I work out alone. And I like it that way.

  65. i use brandon as my workout buddy for most things … but i’m realizing some workouts are better solo. running, for example, i think i do better on my own. swimming doesn’t matter as it’s a solo activity as it is. cycling i haven’t decided and lifting i love the boyfriend there.

  67. I work out at a well known gym company that may or may not be open “24 hours”… Anyway. There are about 15 trainers… half women and half men. Unfortunately all but one of the men are super-young, and all but one of the women are perfumed, blow dried, caked up with makeup… and spend a lot of time NOT paying attention to their clients. I would love a female trainer myself… but there is the problem of trusting someone who looks like they are about to hop into a prom dress in the middle of a training session. It is a huge turn off for someone like myself who struggles with my own image. Maybe it isn’t fair for me to expect that, but I wonder why they dress/act like that?? I suspect that they struggle with their own body image issues…

  68. Since I’ve been working out on a regular basis (about 11 years, plus?) I’ve had three trainers. The first one came to me as part of a 4 session package I received when I bought my gym membership. He was great — he was certified and answered ALL of my questions with data to back it up. I signed up for more sessions. He’s no longer a trainer but we’re still friends. A few years later I signed up with another trainer from the same gym. A nice college kid, but not certified. He just did what ever the gym told him to do. I did the standard “women over 40” protocol workout, which was WAY too easy for me — I was constantly telling the guy I needed heavier weights or more reps. He couldn’t answer ANY of my questions. I basically paid for a spotter. Currently, I am working out with the people I had physical therapy with, who also rehabs everyone from kids to pro athletes. These guys have credentials and degrees up the wazoo, and they are friendly. Once my physical therapy was over, they actually asked me if I was interested in further training. Most physical therapy places I’ve been to just get you to a certain point then release you. I realize that it could sound like a marketing thing, but I really needed more coaching to work on form, and they were impressed with my progress. They really didn’t think I would progress as quickly as I did, based on my injury. Training with them was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, and since they are sport specific, they’re working with me on running. As far as the cost goes, training where I do now is actually cheaper than training through a well-known gym. 🙂

  70. Have a trainer? – yes

    Did you bother to ask for references when you selected him or her? – was highly recommended to me after having a bad experience with another. and is a good match!

    I think you are right on about needing to enjoy spending time with the Trainer – personality mesh – and also making sure he/she considers your goals, struggles, style, etc

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