Today we’ll chat about whether personal trainers can help move us to the next level. Most people when talking about personal trainers want to know if they’re worth it. The honest answer to this question is, it depends. What is your goal? What is your budget? How do you prefer working out? Then the big one of you decide personal training is the way to go, is the trainer you choose any good?
What is your goal?
If your goal is to lose a set amount of weight, put on a certain amount of muscle or learn a new movement, then the chances are working with a personal trainer will get you to your goal faster than any other way. They should tailor every session towards your goal, taking into account your fitness, any injuries, how you’ve slept and any of the other factors that impact your training session. More than that, they keep you 100% accountable.
However it’s certainly not the only way to do it. Classes, individual programming, commitment and will power can all get to you where you want to go.
Lots of people also join a gym for the social element. If this is you, then personal training isn’t the route for you.
What is your budget?
If your budget is £50 a month, then I wouldn’t advise you to have one session a month and nothing else. You’d be far better off joining a Pure Gym and buying a generic programme online. This coupled with a good amount of will power can certainly get results.
If your budget is a few hundred pound, then personal training may well be the answer, or a combination of class membership and personal training.
How do you like to workout?
If you like to have 1 to 1 attention, and want all of the thinking done for you, then PTing will give you what you need. If you love the social element at the gym, training in a group and sharing the energy in a class with others, then personal training isn’t going to give you the same buzz.
Is the PT any good?
Once you’ve decided to go for personal training, you need to make sure the PT is good. The best way to do this is go with a personal recommendation. Speak to family and friends, and see if any of them have had success working with a trainer. If not, ask for some testimonials and see if any of them speak to you. You also want to make sure that you get on well with the trainer. If you like some banter and joking around while working out, then don’t go with a disciplinarian. Try a PT and make sure you feel happy with them. Also make sure that the programme is specific for you. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, and dig in to why you are doing certain things. The obvious one is, make sure you are steadily progressing towards your goal.
For me and my current circumstances, personal training works. I train with Jamie in Hammersmith once a week. I’ve got a first class honours in Sport & Exercise Science, I’ve worked as a personal trainer for coming up on 2 decades, a CrossFit coach for almost 10 years and a gym owner for 6. Does Jamie tell me anything in a session that I don’t already know? No. Does he come up with some incredible exercise that I’ve never done before? No. What he does is keep me accountable, listens to my excuses and makes me do the work anyway with a smile on his face. If I’ve arranged to see him at 9am on Wednesday, then that’s what I do. I don’t let the excuse of having too much work on, or not enough sleep, or any other reason stop me as I’ve made a commitment.
I also have a great time when I’m there. When setting up the gym I fell in love with a quote from Pat Sherwood:
“The goal is just to get fit, make it the best hour of your day, stay safe, turn up the music, high five some people, and blow off some steam. So remember that. Relax. Have fun.”
This sums up my sessions with Jamie to perfection. When I used to do classes, they had the exact same effect.
Decide what works for you, as there will be a different answer for each of us. If you’re unsure, book in for a chat with one of our coaches and let them help you.
Check out some of our PT clients stories here.
Book your free intro here.