A back of the envelope estimate says that I have spent over fifteen thousand dollars on trainers in the last two years (figure $75 bucks a pop, twice a week for two years). I'm a busy guy and my thinking was that by spending the money I would "force" myself to stay/get in shape. It kind of worked too, but workouts felt like a chore and any improvement to my health or appearance would be lost with work travel, the holidays or even a short vacation.
I also struggled to fit these training sessions in with my hectic work schedule. The biggest problem is that all of us who use trainers want to train at the exact same times: early morning or early evening. This was a real pain and became ridiculous -- why should I reschedule important meetings that make my company money to make it to a workout right?
Then I was introduced to Crossfit. They use a small class format and offer classes exactly when I need them. Now I can show up at times that are convenient for me, get an AMAZING workout (that I actually look forward to doing), and still have all the personalized attention I need from the staff at Lalanne Fitness. I have been taking one-hour classes there two or three times a week for four months and have lost nearly 20lbs (and kept it off thru a vacation). Did I mention that the classes cost less than half of what I was paying for a personal trainer at SportsClubLA? I strongly recommend Lalanne Fitness and Crossfit. -Marcus