Personal trainer: worth it?

So what's all the fuss about personal trainers ...

by Bernadette Fallon

I’ve never used a personal trainer. Never wanted one to be honest. The start of the year is grim enough without having somebody shout at me as well.

But the offer to try one was tempting – particularly as I’ve been trying to shed a few excess Christmas pounds by signing up for the Diet Chef plan (read more here). And after I scuppered that by adding half a box of Milk Tray to my daily 1200 calorie allowance this week, I thought a bit of shouting might be just the thing.

So I went along to my local Fitness First gym, which is currently offering a Jump Start package including 4-week gym membership and two 40-minute personal training sessions at a discounted rate.


I learned some interesting things.


First – no shouting, just gentle words of encouragement and some great suggestions.

Second – it’s better to do two half hour workouts in a week rather than one hour-long one. Result! No matter how tired I am I can surely manage just half an hour.

Third – Pilates won’t necessarily be the saviour I was led to believe for my dodgy back, in fact because the class will be tailored for the general public (without bad backs), I could end up making it worse. It’s good to have your own fitness expert to quiz on such things.

Fourth – there’s nothing that says you will get better results by using a personal trainer every time you go to the gym, even if you’re lucky enough to be able to afford it. A good personal trainer will be able to devise a fitness plan that’s geared to achieve exactly what you want (trim stomach, slim arms, whatever) and let you get on with it.


So the Fitness First package of two starter sessions is ideal. It’s a good idea to book catch-up sessions whenever you can however, so the programme can be tweaked. Otherwise your body gets used to the regular routine and you stop burning calories. So you’re pounding away on the treadmill like always - your body thinks it’s sitting down reading a magazine. And don’t you just hate to think of all that wasted effort ...


The jump start package costs from £58.95 for a 4-week membership and two 40-minute personal training sessions, buy in a Fitness First club or online at www.jumpstartyourfitness.co.uk


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About The Authors

Carla  Griscti

Carla Griscti

Editorial assistant on allaboutyou; Music lover, travel bee and food fanatic.

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Emma Marsden

Emma Marsden

Food consultant of All About You, loves creating something out of nothing and decluttering.

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Bernadette  Fallon

Bernadette Fallon

Editor of All About You; an online journalist with a fetish for glossy magazines.

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Adrienne  Wyper

Adrienne Wyper

Deputy editor of All About You. I love cycling, cooking and creating

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Carol  Muskoron

Carol Muskoron

Associate editor of All About You, loves life (mostly) and one-pan recipes (always).

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