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When you join such a chained commercial gym, it is pretty certain that there is a personal trainer to try to sell you personal training sessions along with membership. The price can vary from a couple of hundred to above one thousand HKD. And those trainers will try to sell tens or a hundred sessions right away the moment you join the gym. It is not a small amount! Usually people feel like they are ok on their own. They are cool with jumping on the cardio machine and they feel like they are able to use gym by themselves. Hence, a lot of people find there is no need of help from a personal trainer.
I am a personal trainer myself. But I am being very neutral. I am not biased to personl trainers.
Some people are really open-minded. They might find the gym has too many equipment and they have no clue how to start with. So when they join a gym, they might go straightforward with PT (personal training) too. And having a personl trainer, they don't have to be bothered what workout to do on that day.
When you buy a whole new music instrument, you can't really do much with it by yourself.
You need a teacher to learn from.
Benefits of having a trainer
A trainer can come up with a training programme upon client's targers and fitness level.
He can follow through a client's progress and design different exercises to achieve what the client wants.
Especially for those who lack initiatives, a trainer can help push you through challenges to help you achieve your goal as close as poeeible.
For those who have no training plans and programmes, and are lost each time hitting the gym, a trainer can arrange what to do each time to save the client's time.
A trainer can also coach the client to use all gym equipment, training methods and give nutrition advice.
For a gym beginner, a trainer can make sure the client perform each exercise correctly with good form and make sure the client won't injury. Especially for those who have injured or undergone surgeries before they have to exercise with extra care.
After total recovery, appropriate amount of correct exericse can help the injured part increase the range of motion and get close to the condition before it got injured.
Drawbacks of personal trainers
It is beneficial having a personal trainer. If one is eager to learn, one can make the most out of having a trainer. However, trainers from commercial gyms might not be the best.
Fee per session there isn't cheap. If you go for very few sessionss, you won't learn much and can't see the results either. But it is expernsive to buy so many sessions. Not everyone can afford that.
For making the client's buy more sessions, the trainer might teach the client fewer drills and techniques to prolong the course period so the client will buy more sessions.
And I have heard that many trainers are unprofessional. The way they sell the sessions is way too inappropriate. Some of them live a unhealthy lifestyle (heaving smokers) and don't train because they have no time.
How can they convince the clients when they themselves don't look like trainers at all?
How can they keep clients motivated if they're not role models themselves?
Nevertheless, I shouldn't too stereotype trainers at commercial gyms.
I think it's best to first arrange a trial lesson to see how the way the train trains, his personality and energy, and whether it is someone that you can work with long-term.
Private gyms/studios have less flow of people. The training atmosphere is usually better and more comfortable, and trainers train seriously. The monthly fee could cost a bit more than commerical gyms but I'd say personal training sessions can be more or less the same or cheaper.
What if I can't afford a trainer
I think it's not really that you can't afford one. You can, you might just think it is worth spending the money on something else more.
If you think it is worthwhile to have a trainer because you need someone to push you and give you guidance, you might rather have a trainer than eat out, go out or go to the cinema.
If you're really in short, you can have a few sessions first, and write a training programme and train by yourself when you have a base to start with.
What if I really really can't afford a trainer?
You don't really need a trainer if you just want to know how to use the gym and perform the exercises correctly. You can ask around - especially the "veteran" looking guys around the gym. From my experience, big guys are usually very nice despite their daunting apperance.
But of course, you should ask politely and do not disturb when he's doing his exericse.
You may consult from him in between sets or even better, when he changes the exercise.
Internet resourses
Make use of the technology. I started learning how to use gym equipment/machines on the internet first. And the first time I got to be instructed by a real person was when I was doing my PT certificate.
What you have to do is to simply google the names of the equipment or moves. I am sure Youtube has all the demos. Bodybuilding.com is also a good reference site for gym exercises too.
For women who find gym weights or machines intimidating, you can learn from fitness gurus on Youtube. You can perform cardio and resistence workouts on just a mat.
Check out Cassey Ho (Blogilates), Rebecca-Louise (from XHIT Daily), The Lean Machines on Youtube. They talk about exercises, nutrition, lifestyles, sports science etc.
I learnt a lot from the above mentioned channels, and also health sites such as LiveStrong, Women's Health. As I read more and more about health and fitness, I got inspired to be a personal trainer.
Working out is not very simple. It takes effort.
Train and learn from a trainer if you can. If not, take notes from a friend or from the internet is not a bad idea.
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很多人有意欲去做運動，希望能夠改善身型，變得更健康或想減壓，
無奈一般香港家居面積小，居住市區的更加沒有戶外地方可以運動，
連鎖健身中心是一個不錯的選擇，價錢一般大眾可以應付。而由於付了會費，開放時間又方便(通常早上6時至凌晨12時)，不同地區都有分店，人們就更有推動力去運動。
在這些連鎖健身中心付款入會時，同常都會有健身教練一併推銷私人教練課，
一節一小時的課價錢由數百至一千多都有，而他們一開始會推銷數十甚至十百多十課。
由於不是小數目，以及一般人會覺得自己「踏下機」就OK，很多人都會很抗拒及覺得無需要教練。
雖然我自己是健身教練，我抱的立場是很中肯，不會把健身教練讚到上天。
有些人很爽快，一入會都會一併購買教練課，因為覺得人健身室器材太多，無從入手，
有一個教練帶著做運動，不用煩惱要做甚麼運動。
就正如你新買了一個樂器，自己玩弄著不能彈奏到甚麼，
你需要一個老師去學習彈奏。
這正是教練的好處 -
教練可以根據客人的程度及目標，訂立訓練方案，
全程監察客人的進度，設計不同的練習及運動，幫助客人達到目標。
由其缺乏動力的人，健身教練可以推動你去運動，去盡力達到你的目標，運動期間不容易放棄及懶散
無訓練計劃的人，每次去健身中心不知做甚麼運動，教練給客人計劃好每次的訓練項目，
給客人節省時間
教練教導客人有效地使用器材，訓練方法及營養建議。
對於健身新手，教練可確保客人做運動姿態正確，防止意外受傷。
由其是曾經有意外受傷，傷患，接受過手術的人，
傷後復原需小心運動以免加深傷患/舊患。
完全康復後，適當及正確的運動可幫助傷患部分增加活動幅度，回復/接近回復受傷前的狀態
教練也有缺點
其實健身教練的好處挺多的，一個抱開放心態學習的人，應該會獲益良多。
可惜的是，大型連鎖中心的教練未必是最理想的選擇。
一來，那些教練學費不算便宜，
買得少節數沒能學甚麼，亦沒有甚麼效果，買得多節數都要上萬，
一般人未必能應付這種消費。
這些商業健身中心的教練為了令客人買得更多節數，
會特意每次不教客人太多技巧，把課程拖長。
而我亦聽過那些教練很不專業，銷售手法不當，自己生活習慣不健康，由於長時間工作而不會操練，
身型完全不像健身教練，那麼怎能說服客人，又怎可以仞客人有推動力?
我又不應以片蓋全，連鎖健身中心總有好的教練，
但我覺得應該最好先安排試堂，看教練的教學方法及性格，能否給你推動力及跟你配不配合。
小型健身中心人流比較小，教練訓練通常比較認真，運動氣氛及風氣較好，環境較舒適。
月費可能比一般連鎖健身中心高，但單對單私人教練課可能相若或較便宜。
沒能力負擔私人教練該怎麼好
首先未必你沒能力負擔，而是你覺得值不值得去跟私人教練上堂。
你覺得值得的，有需要能推動及需要有專業人士貼身跟進，
你可能寧願一個星期少外晚飯及上酒吧兩三次，看少一齣電影，節省回來的來上課。
不妨跟教練上一陣子課，有根基後，給自己編一個訓練方案，自己訓練亦可。
真的真的不能負擔教練費又怎辦
要學習用健身中心並非一定要教練，你真心想學習應該不恥下問，問在場看似有經驗的「師兄」。
不用怕，「大隻佬」其實很友善的，那當然你不要在人家做運動時打斷人啦。
在他們做每組運動回氣時，或轉動作時就最好。
善用網上資源
我最初學習用器材是從網上學回來的，直到我讀教練證書後，我才第一次有真人指導我動作。
記住器械的名稱，GOOGLE，YOUTUBE一定有示範片段。
而所有健身室動作，Bodybuilding.com一定都有，不要怕看英文，很值得一看。
或者怕做器械的女士，可以參考一些YOUTUBE健身紅人的片，
瑜伽席上就能做到帶氧及負重運動了。
可看看Cassey Ho (Blogilates)，Rebecca-Louise (XHIT Daily)，The Lean Machines的頻道。
除了運動外，他們還會教飲食，理論等，
我是從Youtube片及網站如Livestrong，Women's Health等等慢慢學習，又培養了我對健身的興趣，我開始有做教練的念頭。
其實健身真的有很多學問，以及很專業，抱開放心態學習才會進步，
有能力的不妨跟一個好教練上課學習，跟朋友，上網學習亦無壞。
About Elektra Yu
Asia's Next Top Model 2 亞洲超模生死鬥二
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