I have done work with a few different personal trainers over the years. After a shoulder injury…read morelast year I decided to get back into personal training to help me strengthen my core and upper body. I specifically chose this gym due to several reviews that specifically indicated that John has experience working with people who have sustained injuries. I also really liked that it was a private gym and that street parking was super easy. John was able to accommodate me quickly and at my preferred 6pm time. He was pretty flexible and offered some good rates. I was a little apprehensive at purchasing 20 sessions for $1200 (and having to pay upfront), but the more you buy the less you pay per session and it seemed to me that this was pretty common among personal trainers. I had liked what he had to say at our initial consultation and so I decided to go for it.
Unfortunately for me that was a big mistake, and my only hope is that I can prevent someone else from doing the same.
- On the website it states you get a personalized fitness assessment that includes measurement of body mass index, weight and circumferences at every workout. I was NEVER measured, not even once, in the approx 10 sessions I completed.
- It also states he will provide nutritional guidance. He did this twice. 1- Asked me what I had for dinner, I gave a good answer and that was the end of that discussion. 2- Asked me what I had for breakfast, and told me to add eggs or something protein rich as soon as I woke up.
- Does not provide time for stretching or guidance on how to stretch at home. First time ever I have never received guidance on something so vital to weight training. I took it upon myself to ask questions on how to best stretch my shoulder and he did provide guidance but only after being asked and never again after that.
- Constantly on his phone during the one hour work out. Not even just a check here or there, CONSTANT. I grew extremely frustrated and would call out to ask him if I was doing something correctly. As a professional, save an emergency, you should NEVER be on your phone while a client is performing exercises that could injure them.
- My work outs also seemed very cookie cutter, and solely based on weight training. I have had many sessions that incorporated cardio and weights and asked him about adding cardio. He said it would come in time. Half way through my sessions and there was never cardio. It also appeared to me that I was doing all the same workouts as the guy in the time slot ahead of me. The workouts rarely varied, and if they did it was by one different exercise. (One session arms, the other legs).
With that being said, John was cognizant of my shoulder injury in that he would ask how it was feeling and did not try to push too hard if I said it was hurting; or he would end the session early. The problem though is that my sessions were still not designed around my injury. I know that personal training helped John after his own injury but I feel as though he thinks everyone will respond like he did, when that is not the case, as all injuries are different. Add to that the fact that he wasn't watching closely the majority of the time, and there is a large window for error. So while he did ask those questions, they weren't enough. An hour of weights on a weak shoulder was likely too much and the whole session should have been more varied, in my opinion; and should have definitely incorporated stretching.
As you may have guessed by now I re-injured my shoulder. I also pulled my other shoulder performing a sit up with a weight. I saw an Ortho specialist who recommended Physical Therapy and to stop my Personal Training. I have now started intensive physio for my shoulders. I told John about this and requested a refund. Although I didn't sign anything, there is apparently a paper on the wall that says no refunds, and he tells me I can come back at anytime. When I further stated that I was injured and there should be some difference (I am not just quitting) he said he would get back to me. He never did, so I texted him a couple weeks later. He did not respond again. To me, this is completely unprofessional and irresponsible. I am now at a point where I will cut my losses of approx $600 because I do not feel safe coming back at any time, even when I am rehabilitated.
Bottom line: I do not recommend this personal trainer. Please don't waste your money like I did. I have had several other trainers who are much more professional and experts in their field who I felt safe with. If you do come here I implore you to only purchase a few sessions until you know what the sessions are like, but I am telling you, this is nothing compared to what you can get with a real pro.