Went to see personal trainer but?

flyer

I am 53 and weigh a massive 17 stone, Until 18 months ago I was riding regularly to keep fit but injured my back and since then became a couch potato and put on 3 stone!

I have tried to motivate myself and get on the bike but only managed the odd 20 mile all summer so as a last resort I went to see a personal trainer who lives about 15 miles away.

Now 90% of his clients are semi pros entering time trials and are much younger than me.The personal trainer is a nice guy and I spent 1.5 hours just talking to him and he advised on my next visit a full fitness test etc etc.

My question is, is a personal trainer a good idea for someone like me who just wants to loose weight and get fit at the age of 53? There is a cost associated with this £69 first visit and £19 for each assessment visit.

Please can anyone give me some advise as to whether this is a good move for me?

I ride a Scott CR1 pro, have cadence and Garmin HRM etc and want to achieve the ability to ride 80 miles or so purely to get fitter and lose weight!

Thanks

Ian

turnerjohn

think you'd be wasting your money TBH. Its motivation you need. Try joining a club and get some riding buddies....do you more good then all that money and travel !
Oh and get some good lights.....your need them now the clocks are going back :x

t.m.h.n.e.t

Then the answer is simple: Get out and ride

TakeTurns

Personally I think they're a waste of money, unless you're totally clueless about what you need to do. I went to a couple consultations with racing coaches. They were all free so I had no pressure. In the end, I decided not to get one. It wasn't because of the price, it ranged from £160-£25/monthly. The reason was, I acquired enough information from them all to discipline myself. Basically, be my own coach. With the help of a book I bought.

Although your situation is slightly different to mine, it's the same principle. We both want to get to our target x, but need all the help and support we can to make it there. There's a load of free information out there to help. If it's motivation you need, like mentioned, join a club, do sportives, sign up to the gym, do sports with family/friends or even better, go out and ride. No need to tire yourself out when you ride, you want to be able to have enough juice and desire left in you to do it again tomorrow. So gradually work your way.

If you feel that this is just all too much for you to manage to do yourself, then maybe a personal trainer is the way for you. Realistically, a personal trainer in your scenario is just someone who is going to try motivate you to do exercise at a high price.

charlie_potatoes

If you think that it will get, and keep, you motivated then yes it is a great move.

Good Luck whatever you decide.

ShutUpLegs

Stop eating

SwainsL

I used to be a overweight, like someone else said, you need to be able to discipline yourself. However, I didn't do it alone. The support of those who are closest is the best motivation you can get. If you need a personal trainer to give you that extra boost, then go ahead with it. Good luck!

MattC59

Sounds like the wrong sort of personal trainer ! Mrs C has just started with a personal trainer as she wants to lose a bit of weight and get fitter. The trainer comes around to our house once a week for an hour session (which usually lasts about 1.5hrs) for a training session. She's put together a personalised training plan which she monitors and updates as Mrs C progresses. It costs £30 per session.

mikeouk

sounds like a waste of money to me.
As others have said, the main thing is motivation. I find it far easier to get out with others on a ride ,rather than going out on my own. I do sometimes ride on my own, but i enjoy it far more if theres others, we arrange a time to meet and I know I have to be there. Also, riding in the dark is alot safer if theres a few of you.
I also find that my garmin edge and strava are both great motivation tools. i like to see my mileage creeping up and also as my fitness has improved ,its good to see my average speed and personal best times on strava segments increase.
As for loosing the weight, you dont need a personal trainer to tell you, its very simple. Try to eat more healthily, cut out some of the crap, and also get out there and burn some calories. Burn more calories than you take in and the weight will drop off. If you cant stop having the odd curry, pizza etc, just ride a few more hours a week.

t.m.h.n.e.t

What plan did your PT give you? Was it relative to cycling? Does it involve anything to contribute to rehab on your back??

rubyrider

I think you have to decide what works for you. The people I know who use Personal Trainers do so because they lack the discipline and motivation to continue an exercise regime on their own.