My Gold's gives a 1 hour freebie with a trainer. They actually want you to sign a contract with one, but I seriously don't have the $. Anyway, in that 1 hour I learned lots and had a good time.

Here's what I experienced:

1. Switch up cardio. I have been doing running and/or elliptical for way too long, and she had to ask, skeptically "Have you hit a plateau yet?" My answer was, "Yes!" (But then again I haven't been as careful on my eating). She had me get my heart rate up with bikes and my knees will probably burn later. I didn't think the bike would do a thing-- let alone a burn after 5 minutes. How did I neglect the bike?
I told her, "I've been doing elliptical because it burns the most calories and running because it's endurance."
Her words, "If you aren't sore, then you have to do something to change it or your body gets used to burning that same amount that you have on the elliptical everyday". I burn about 500-700 on the elliptical everyday.... I do NOT want my body taking that for granted. Do I believe her? Well, I haven't been sore at any rate....and I trust my soreness.

2. Doing weighted lunges back and forth across the gym and as many push-ups as I can CAN keep my heart rate high enough to be into circuit training.

3. She corrected my form on the dead-lift. I have been wondering what I was doing wrong on those. Now I'll get a good burn out of it.

Well, I sure got a lot out of it. It's true that I don't know what all I am doing on the machines (I just look at the pictures). And I could benefit from a plan. Was I able to sign a contract with her? I wanted to, but it will not fit into my budget. If and when it does, I would definitely go back to her.

In the mean time, I think I could save up for one of Jillian Micheal's DVD sets, and it would probably give me the variation I need with the benefit that I can do it at home on weekends along with my time weekday time at the gym.
What do you Jillian fans say? And what ones should I get?