the Cost of Personal Trainers by the Hour

As part of my New Year's resolution, I hired a personal trainer to help me get familiar with the machines in a gym and to design a workout that fit my time and goals. The fee of $200 included an initial 1 hour session and then 3 half-hour sessions. During the first session he showed me the various machines and explained their purpose and talked about which ones would be best for me to use to lose weight and get in shape. During the three other sessions, he showed me how to use the machines and coached me to get me into a rhythm and on a schedule to do my workouts.

The service was about what I expected: a basic introduction to the gym and machines and then some sessions to watch me work out and give me advice. The cost was reasonable for the service and the time that he spent with me, and he was motivational and kept me going during those early weeks when many people quit. I feel like I learned a lot from him about the machines and what they do and he was patient but also firm as a trainer.

I think many personal trainers provide the same services, so make sure that you are getting a fair amount of time and attention from the trainer. Ask up front if there will be anyone else besides the two of you at the sessions, because some trainers try to have two people at the same time to make more money. Individual attention is the most important aspect, along with a sense that the trainer knows what they are doing.