personal trainer
 

Anyone used one before and really seen a difference?
I always seem to plateau not get hugely discernible results.
Mulling over doing some sessions but not cheap.
Be interested if anyone has any perspective.

I think it's better to do a regular group class, like circuits, spin, boxercise, etc, if you want pushed harder than you would push yourself in the gym, but it seems more fun than PT.

I've been doing circuits for a few months and all my fitness figures have shot up. I lost 4 inches off my waistline, blood pressure perfect, BMI spot on, heart rate, everything. Achieved all my targets (and I'm quite a heavy smoker).

I go to the gym other times just to maintain that level.

I used one for the past few months, totally worth it. Big gains both strength and size wise, Plus it really helped me to sort out some imbalances and problems I'd been having.

I'd say that if you do it's probably best to have a specific goal in mind so that the PT knows exactly what kind of direction you want to go in (I mainly went to build some strength up and sort the imbalances out, the size gains were just a bonus).

I'd say this though. If you're going to get a few sessions with a PT, don't half arse it and go with whatever BTEC sporting mouth breather happens to be working in your local fitness first. Do some research and find someone who really knows their shit. otherwise there's no real point. But if you do get someone with real deep knowledge of what they're doing it's totally worth it. They'll spot stuff you never noticed and give you insights you almost certainly wouldn't get on your own. It's changed the whole way I train tbh.

Thanks Stein that's helpful.
I did a taster with a guy who seemed to know his stuff, talked a lot about core being the foundation, needing to shock the body etc
Did some boxing for first time too which I really enjoyed!!
I'm thinking I might kick off and maybe do some half hour sessions, one a week for a month, see how it goes.
Not long but money is tight etc
How often were you training?
Did you do a lot of core work?- he was talking about it being the foundation.

I was doing 2 sessions a week with a PT, but I teach Krav and do BJJ and Muay Thai on top of that so that was all I needed. You could maybe do 3 sessions a week but I wouldnt do more than that.

And it depends what you mean by core work. Most of my workouts were based around traditional strength training stuff. Compound lifts like deadlifts, squats, cleans, overhead presses etc. The core works to stabilise the structure and form of movements like this, particularly the deep abdominal muscles and the core muscles in your posterior chain, and in that sense they're a foundation, but they were mostly worked through paying very close attention to form in these compound lifts. I didn't a few isolated core exercises to supplement this, but there wasn't all too much done on the core.

It depends what kind of thing you're going for though. I was mainly training for functional strength for fighting/sport etc., but if you just want to get ripped your program would probably be a fairly different from mine.

Thank for that.
Looking forward to getting into it now, maybe do a few lessons see what happens - the old adage about doing the same thing getting the same results is a powerful motivator etc
Krav Magd etc interesting! Have to chat next time you are about.

Sorry realize this thread is a few months old now but I would strongly suggest using a personal trainer. But I am one so of course I would ;)