Personal Trainer
Well I was not the one scammed in this situation, but my grandmother was...
My grandmother and I got a joint membership at one of the 24 Hour Fitnesses in Bakersfield. During our interview to get the membership, the woman was sweet talking my grandmother into getting a personal trainer. And my poor grandmother, as easily convinced as she is, said "Okay". The personal trainer costed her $900 for 18 one hour sessions plus the starter kit that she was encouraged to buy. Altogether, this personal trainer costed her $1,000.00. I didn't like her trainer from the get-go. All I saw him doing during her sessions was checking out other girls at the gym and yacking. And besides that, everytime when I walked in there with her, he made some comment about my weight (which I knew he was doing it so that I would hire him as a trainer too). So anyways, on my grandmother's 16th session, he asked her if she was going to sign up for another 18 sessions. She told him no, saying that it was just too expensive right now. So he went ahead and set up their next session for a few days later. When she went back, he didn't show. No phone call, no nothing. He called her a couple of days later and said he was sorry, that he had gotten sick and forgotten to call her or let her know. So she said that that was okay and they set up another session. He didn't show up to that one either. My grandmother was PO'd! She said that once was acceptable, that maybe it really was an accident, but twice was just too much. I think that he just decided to ditch out on her since she wasn't going to pay for any more sessions. So she decided not set up any more appointments with him. She avoided him when she went to the gym and just decided to let it go. I, on the other hand, wasn't going to let it go. The two sessions that she didn't get to have were equivalent to about $50. So I went and told his supervisor what he had done. I told her to either refund my grandmother's money or to give her her last two sessions with another trainer. She said that she would find another trainer for her to work out with for her last two sessions. A week later, the personal trainer that I complained about was fired. =D |
Oh how awful! My husband and I belong to 24 Hour Fitness and love it. Of course they tried to get us to sign up with a trainer, but we declined. They were fine with that. We even got two free sessions with a trainer. We still see the trainer at the gym and he has always been very nice and helpful to us even though we didn't sign up for the paid sessions.
I would of gotten the Supervisor involved sooner. That would of been my only suggestion. There is no excuse for the trainer slacking off checking out the chicks a the gym. PS - How is your Grand Mother doing? That is awesome for her to get the gym. Good for her! |
I also belong to 24 Hour Fitness...been a member for 7 years now.
I'd NEVER use one of their trainers - did you know they only need to take an 8-hour training class to become a personal trainer? And their main job is to SELL supplements and more training programs. Actually they probably do have a few good trainers but they are few and far between IMO. There ARE good personal trainers out there...the best advice I could give you is: 1) Ask for references...past clients...see how happy they were with the training. 2) Check qualifications. Rather than just the certification offered by the gym, look for other certifications from reputable organizations such as ACE or ISSA. 3) How long has the trainer been doing this? Do they look good physically? If you can observe the trainer with a client - so much the better. He/she should be paying attention to their client, making sure their form and rep speed is okay (form is SO IMPORTANT in weightlifting). 4) If the trainer has a college degree in nutrition, physical education, etc. that is a definite plus. Another thing you want to look at is if they have been involved in fitness/bodybuilding competitions. Many fitness competitors are fulltime or parttime personal trainers - and charge about the same as the 24 Hour Fitness trainers who are not nearly as qualified. Even if you're not trying to get into competition shape, a trainer who is involved in the competitive aspect of bodybuilding/fitness can be extremely motivating! Take care! |
Mrs. Jim,
You are so right! Unfortunately this is true about most gyms (24 Hr Fitness, Ballys etc). |
My Grandmother is doing very well. Thank you for asking. She is also overweight and joined the gym to lose a few of those unhealthy pounds. She doesn't want to be skinny, but she would like to lose a little bit of weight just to feel healthier. She has lost about 8 pounds I think in just a few months. I wish that I could say the same. :lol:
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Well you give her a big <<Hug>>. Let her know we are cheering her on.
You too! You can do this! |
I just wanted to add my two cents to this thread. I am a certified personal fitness trainer (ISSA certified). Just to add to Mrs. Jim's recommendations:
Most "big" gyms (24 hour fitness/Bally's etc) do not require their trainers to be certified. They attend a study course and then have to pass a test. If they have a national certification, then the gym will usually pay them more an hour. In my experience, no certified trainer would work at one of these gyms simply because they can make more money on their own. I'm not saying that these trainers are incompetent, just that USUALLY they are not nationally certified. Some trainers have two or three certifications and specializations. Also, I believe that all trainers in big gyms get a kickback from the food/supplements that they sell to you. You do not need fatburners or expensive supplements to have great results. Also, I cannot emphasize enough that a decent trainer will always emphasize the importance of proper nutrition. Most trainers would never admit this, but looking really good and gaining lots of muscle or losing lots of fat is the product of good clean eating, not working out. All of my clients get the lowdown on good eating from the very beginning. This is not to say that you won't get benefits from lifting weights and not changing your diet, but that you will not get outstanding results if you do not change your nutrition. Always ask for references!! And remember, any client that this trainer has worked with and is a referral should be thrilled with their results! If they're not, find another trainer. A reputable trainer should be able to provide you with a good reference. Do not put up with a trainer who isn't watching you like a hawk when you're performing an exercise. They shouldn't be hovering over you or touching you (unless you need a spot) but they should be paying attention. Do not pay a trainer to look at other women or to talk to their friends about football. Most personal trainers do not have a degree in something fitness-related. (I have a degree in literature, of all things.) But they should be able to tell you the latest in exercise research. A good trainer keeps up with new research and passes that knowledge onto their clients. I cannot stress this last one enough--if you don't think a trainer looks AMAZING, then don't hire them. They should have the look that you want. If they can do it for themselves, then more than likely they will be able to motivate you to do it for yourself as well. Hope this helps! Maggie |
I can hear you all groaning now...
and saying jeeeeez, another long boring dissertation from MrsJim... :lol:
Today I was messing about on the Net and came across this great article...called "So you Wanna Be A Personal Trainer?" http://www.testosterone.net/html/40train.html It was WAY too long to quote here in its entirety, but definitely worth a read - here's the beginning of it. Quote:
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Mrs. Jim--
As always, you provide such good information! Thanks! Maggie |
AS a personal trainer, I find that story appalling. However, it is unfortunately very common. Especially at money mills like 24hr fitness. While I have met some trainers from 24hr that are good, on the whole they are are pretty much worthless money grubbers. Who only care about making the sales, not about the progress of thier clients. I see nothing wrong with making good money as a trainer, as long as you provide a good service and only sell sessions and supplements that the client wants or you honestly beleive that they would benefit from.
Well at least you got some satisfaction. You should get at least a partial refund, but corporate gyms/trainers are less likely to make concessions due to company policy. Though if make enough noise they always will. |
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