Wow, what a difference it makes working out with somebody guiding you. I'm sore, but so happy I decided to do this. Today was my first of thirteen sessions with a personal trainer at the gym I joined. I'm on my way!

Great job @JustWatchMe. I have been working out with a trainer for a year and a half and love it. Stick with it and enjoy!

@@JustWatchMe

Way to step it up! Enjoy. Its great to have some one that has the knowledge to direct you into your goals. You will be amazed at the results you get.

I consider it a great investment for myself. When I'm a bit sore that evening , I know it was productive.

AND. .... When something is bothering me in my head, I feel (somehow )better getting energy out.

Good job JWM

Make sure you get a lot of nutritional advise from your trainer, always ask questions. I remember my trainer advising me about my diet saying be on a low carb diet but never be on a no carb diet.

@@JustWatchMe you go girl!!! I love working with the trainer. I will say this though, you have to find the right one to work with you. I actually switched gym locations and found a trainer with a background in PT so that when we work out he is aware of the issues I have with my back and neck and so far it's been really successful and the pain in my back and neck are minimized.

I want to work out and get fit and lose weight but also still be able to sit and stand and sleep without being in crippling pain. It took me a little while but there are trainers out there that know about RA and other bone/joint issues and can work with us, it's so important to know about the client and their health.

Go US!!! I'll be at the gym tonight with the trainer for an hour and then at least 30 min. of cardio. Woot Woot.

I want long strong lean toned arms.....and geez, how to get that core. Maybe it's time for some professional input! Summers and falls are very outdoorsy for me but after this last brutal winter I realize I need a strategy for those cold months. I'm going to start investigating the possibilities and find out about personal trainers and various gyms in our rural area. Great thought, thank you! I need this for my head as much as my body. I've been doing PT and obviously there is crossover there. I think having an appointment and making the investment creates a kind of accountability that I cannot achieve solo at home.

Just a word of caution... a personal trainer completely siderailed my fitness journey. I was quite fit but decided I wanted lower body fat and to build up my gluts. Since I was aerobically so fit, the young man always felt I wasn't working hard enough. (I had been doing pretty hard workouts on my own already!). anyway, due to his pushing, I got an over use injury that led to a whole string of events. I am still dealing with it a year later. The part that makes me so mad is I was doing pretty good on my own - I push myself, but listen to my body too.

@@CowgirlJane you are 100% right. We have to remember that just because we are not "fitness experts" we know our bodies better than anyone else. We know when too much is too much and often we will be really good at pushing ourselves.

It takes a well trained fitness trainer to know when to push and when to back off. Interview your trainers and if your feeling something is too much or too heavy say something.

Remember when you are working out blood is flowing and endorphin's are high and you may not feel any "pain" but if you are feeling resistance is too much or you are fatigued after a certain number of reps don't push for another 10 when you may have only 1 or 2 more in you. Going for the rest is going to hurt you and it's not about no pain no gain. We want to loose not gain

It's the same for cardio. If you are running or rowing or spinning or zuming or what ever your choice of cardio is at too high of a heart rate you are not burning fat, your burning muscle and you don't want that. You want to build muscle and burn fat. Do the calculation for your age/weight/height and try to stay as near as you can to your target heart rate. The longer you can go at that pace the more fat you will burn.

I will also offer this advice, that I got from the training director. If you are going to work out with your trainer do not do cardio before your work out! Warm up for a few minutes...5 to 10 at most and then do your work out. To maximize the benefits of fat burning do your cardio work out after your strength building exercises, and always stretch don't "over" stretch after your work outs, a simple floor mat stretch is good enough. The stretching should not be a yoga class, or a work out in itself.