Anonymous wrote:If you live near a Fitness Together franchise, I’ve had reliably great trainers at the one near me.

how much is it?

When you join a gym, you usually get a few free or discounted sessions with one of their trainers, so if you go that route, it won't be hard to find a trainer.

I've done both OP. Hire a trainer. Use them for a couple of months until you have a good regimen in place, then work out on your own and check in with the trainer every 6 months or so. As a post-menopausal woman nothing beats actual weight training and the benefits it provides, for women especially. OTF is not weight training, although there is a resistance training component it's just a portion of the class, and you're not really pushing yourself hard as you would if you were working one on one with a trainer for 45-60mins - just lifting weights.

You should try OTF first it is much cheaper with the unlimited and I enjoy the classes. You can add a personal trainer for more strength or switch to PT later but I found I get much more value and actually enjoy the OTF work outs more. Bottom line you should do whichever you enjoy more and will actually stick to doing it.

If you live near a Fitness Together franchise, I’ve had reliably great trainers at the one near me.

OP here - thanks everyone and wow, congrats to the posters who have successfully worked and achieved great results!

Does anyone have a suggestion for where to find a good personal trainer?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve done both in the last 11 months. Starting with working with a trainer 3x a week for 3 months. Goals: strength training and continued weight loss. We did about 20 min cardio and rest weights / body weight training (which is also cardio at times). On off days I’d hike / walk with hills and sometimes do yoga.

I’ve been doing OT for about 7 months - average about 3 2G classes (2G has less rowing) and 2 lift 45 classes (just lifting) a week.

Working with the great trainer was crucial in supporting my mindset shift around what I was capable of in addition to learning proper form and sling the way, lifting heavier.

At OT, I have the strength and form and know-how to lift heavier - because that’s where the magic happens.

Results? Along with tracking calories, stress management, sleeping more … 11 months later I am strong as f&$k! Lost 60 lbs. and feel (and look) pretty great.

I’m a 49 woman.

Don't forget how poor you are! both are very expensive

I think this is sarcasm? Expensive is relative, and yes, up to the individual to determine if it works for them. OT is about $200 a month - I go to 15-20 classes a month, so per class 10-15.

Anonymous wrote:I’ve done both in the last 11 months. Starting with working with a trainer 3x a week for 3 months. Goals: strength training and continued weight loss. We did about 20 min cardio and rest weights / body weight training (which is also cardio at times). On off days I’d hike / walk with hills and sometimes do yoga.

I’ve been doing OT for about 7 months - average about 3 2G classes (2G has less rowing) and 2 lift 45 classes (just lifting) a week.

Working with the great trainer was crucial in supporting my mindset shift around what I was capable of in addition to learning proper form and sling the way, lifting heavier.

At OT, I have the strength and form and know-how to lift heavier - because that’s where the magic happens.

Results? Along with tracking calories, stress management, sleeping more … 11 months later I am strong as f&$k! Lost 60 lbs. and feel (and look) pretty great.

I’m a 49 woman.

Don't forget how poor you are! both are very expensive

Sling = along

I’ve done both in the last 11 months. Starting with working with a trainer 3x a week for 3 months. Goals: strength training and continued weight loss. We did about 20 min cardio and rest weights / body weight training (which is also cardio at times). On off days I’d hike / walk with hills and sometimes do yoga.

I’ve been doing OT for about 7 months - average about 3 2G classes (2G has less rowing) and 2 lift 45 classes (just lifting) a week.

Working with the great trainer was crucial in supporting my mindset shift around what I was capable of in addition to learning proper form and sling the way, lifting heavier.

At OT, I have the strength and form and know-how to lift heavier - because that’s where the magic happens.

Results? Along with tracking calories, stress management, sleeping more … 11 months later I am strong as f&$k! Lost 60 lbs. and feel (and look) pretty great.

I’m a 49 woman.

I have done both. Worked with a trainer for a bit, did OTF for 2 years before moving to more strength training.

I think OTF is great if you are looking to get into an exercise routine. The group dynamic and comradery is a great motivator. However, while it has a weight training aspect I consider the overall workout to be more or a cardio workout. Yes, you will build some strength, especially if you are a new to fitness. But you can only build so much strength when lifting in a fast paces environment with limited weight options. I think people love OTF because they are chasing a feeling vs results. That is you walk out of there feeling like you got a great workout. But if building muscle is a goal you will only get so far with OTF.

As for personal training. If you want to truly build muscle and get stronger a trainer is the way to go, but do note, building muscle takes time, women will not gain a ton of muscle overnight. The right trainer matters as does having a plan to follow once you stop using a trainer. Trainer are great at teaching you proper form and hopefully educating you on how to lift to get stronger.

If she likes running on the treadmill and rowing for 2/3 of the time then she might like OTF. I tried it and quit because I didn't want to row that much. I prefer taking strength training specific classes at regular gyms. There wasn't enough emphasis on it at OTF and too much of the other stuff.

I would say try both. My wife (41) has been doing OTF for a long time and does it because it keeps her committed to going and accountable. They have lifting only classes now. Finding a trainer is probably harder than finding an OTF studio you like. Trainer would overall be more expensive.

Good luck!

OP here meant to say, if a personal trainer is a good idea, how do I go about finding one?

Need help committing to a work out routine with particular focus on strength training - early 50s and post menopausal if that matters.