any bad personal trainer experiences?

I tried out the personal trainer thing at my gym last spring and it turned out to be a huge waste of money. He lured me into a lot of diet products and sessions with him that cost me around 1500$! I got a hernia, and when I called the gym to tell them I'd be missong some appointments they told me my trainer wouldn't be returning to the gym anymore because of family issues. I later found out that he was fired for sexual harrassment and was never a certified pt!
I got an attorney, I was so pissed, as of right now I still have 11 sessions left, I am fighting to get my money back and time out of work.
I guess everyone go some background checks before you make a commitment to get a trainer.

Mon. Feb 27, 8:01pm

Im so sorry :(

I am so sorry this happened to you!
Good for you fighting for what is yours!
i hope your hernia is better and that you kick his butt in court :)

Tuesday, February 28, 2006, 10:22 AM

WOW

That's worse than my story. I have a shoulder that never was quite right after I fell and yanked it with one.... There was another trainer that had me doing jumps with my enormous boobs bouncing all over the place in front of cardio equipment... Some were just idiots and crap company.

Tuesday, February 28, 2006, 1:12 PM

That IS a bad story!

My trainer never even weighed or measured me, we only weighed in maybe 4 times in 15 sessions. I didn't do the cardio on my own and the results were I was strong but basically BIGGER!

Next time, I would say if you are not motivated to workout on your own (which is WHY I GOT THE TRAINER), say so and ask them to do 30 mins of cardio with you and THEN do speed circuit training in 30 mins. I would rather do strength training on my own than force myself to run on th treadmill.

Tuesday, February 28, 2006, 3:29 PM

bad experience, too

I went through the company at LA Fitness. Half of the appts were missed by my trainers, which I had 4. It was a 6 month program that took over a year to complete. Yep, a big waste of $$$.

Maybe we should all become personal trainers and start our own company ;)

OP, just curious, which company, if you feel comfortable?

Tuesday, February 28, 2006, 3:49 PM

I had a horrible experience with 2 of them. Is there really a certification? I feel like there is no way to tell if someone is good or not and I feel like there are many more bad ones than good ones.

Tuesday, February 28, 2006, 3:58 PM

I had a trainer through Gold's and she never had time in her schedule to fit my schedule. I would have liked to see her on two weekday evenings but instead had to fit in on a Sunday afternoon. She was late several times which isn't cool since I was paying for her time.

Tuesday, February 28, 2006, 4:02 PM

trainers

wow! i am so sorry all these bad experiences have happened... i've had trainers at 3 times in my life, from 3 different gyms, and they all worked out wonderfully! these women helped me learn how to use machines and free weights and motivated me to stick with it - good trainers are out there! mabye interview the person before paying for it? GOOD LUCK.

Wednesday, March 1, 2006, 10:32 AM

THERE IS A WAY TO TELL IF SOMEONE IS A GOOD TRAINER

I highly recommend finding good trainers through referrals, ask friends, coworkers, etc. if they have had a good trainer and to recommend them to you. Next, just like you would do references for anyone you would personally hire, whether for work or babysitters, etc. do references on your trainer.

Also, certification from a reputable association is important...ACE or ACSM etc.

Signs of a bad trainer:
*excessive talking about THEMSELVES - HUGE TURN OFF
*excessive selling - pushing products and services on you
*not enough attention to you - they don't weigh/measure you, heck, they don't even listen
*lack of professionalism - trainers should be professional, just because they aren't in an office environment, doesn't mean they don't need to be professional.

TIP:
Never sign up for a big package - insist on a free trial like a one day pass or pay as you go until you find someone you trust and like.

Good Luck!

Wednesday, March 1, 2006, 12:03 PM

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