I've been doing really good, 90 minutes a day of cardio, since Jan 1st but decided that I needed to incorporate some weight lifting and strength training into my daily routine.

My gym membership is free under Silver Sneakers, so I don't pay for it and they have trainers that you can pay. I've never used a trainer before, but I decided to give it a try. It's $30 for a 30-minute session if you sign up for 12 sessions, so I did. The first session was free to get to know the trainer, see if you got along, describe your goals, set a plan, etc.

I've done 3 workouts with her so far and it's WONDERFUL! Not only does she show me how to properly use the dumbbells, barbells, and cable machines, but she encourages and supports me and directs me what to do. She mixes it up so I'm not doing the same muscle group all the time or get bored with the same routine.

I don't know how long I can afford it but I like it for at least these 12 sessions. I'm doing them 3x/week. Maybe I can do 1x/week for the next month and then after that just incorporate everything I've learned and do the exercises myself.

Have you ever used a personal trainer? How'd you like that?

our gym had a special last fall where seniors could meet with a personal trainer three times. I got enough out of that that I was able to put together my own strength-training program, so you should do well with those 12 sessions.

I used a personal trainer at a gym 10 years ago, the last time I got close to the weight I am now. Of course, that was before I had surgery. I don't remember for sure, but a probably did 2 or 3 dozen sessions. It definitely made me feel better.

I've been thinking about doing it again. As I near the supposedly ideal BMI of 25, I notice that my legs and especially my arms are looking pretty scrawny. I also have some wrinkly skin on my arms and legs that could really benefit from adding back some muscle mass. (Of course, at 68, I'm a certified Old Guy, so maybe the wrinkles are par for the course, but they weren't there when I was bulked up with fat. )

And though I look good in clothes, I still have a couple fat places that could really look a lot better when I'm standing shirtless in front of the mirror to shave.

What I've been wondering is whether I need to find somebody who has experience with bariatric surgery patients, and if so, how to find such a person whom I could afford.

I have spent so much money on personal trainers. From local to private gyms where the head trainer was a former olympian. My experience of it was all over the place. What stuck with me was the weight training, bought 10kg dumbells to use at home to keep up my strengh. The funnest was the trainer who warmed to me, he advised and talked to me like a friend. He use to do these vulcan death grips on me because my shoulders were so tense and no joke I would squeal because it hurt!

14 hours ago, GradyCat said:

I've been doing really good, 90 minutes a day of cardio, since Jan 1st but decided that I needed to incorporate some weight lifting and strength training into my daily routine.

My gym membership is free under Silver Sneakers, so I don't pay for it and they have trainers that you can pay. I've never used a trainer before, but I decided to give it a try. It's $30 for a 30-minute session if you sign up for 12 sessions, so I did. The first session was free to get to know the trainer, see if you got along, describe your goals, set a plan, etc.

I've done 3 workouts with her so far and it's WONDERFUL! Not only does she show me how to properly use the dumbbells, barbells, and cable machines, but she encourages and supports me and directs me what to do. She mixes it up so I'm not doing the same muscle group all the time or get bored with the same routine.

I don't know how long I can afford it but I like it for at least these 12 sessions. I'm doing them 3x/week. Maybe I can do 1x/week for the next month and then after that just incorporate everything I've learned and do the exercises myself.

Have you ever used a personal trainer? How'd you like that?

Great to hear! keep up the good work. I have worked with a trainer in the past but prefer to just do the workouts on my own. You will learn the exercises and how to mix it up on your own. I go to Planet Fitness- only $10/month and personal training is free if you want it. I have been consistently weightlifting at least 5 days per week since late Summer/Fall of 2021 after fully recovering from gall bladder removal and I think it has made a great difference in how my clothes fit, how my arms/legs/stomach skin looks and how I feel overall.

Hi, thanks for the post!