Is personal training the right thing for you?

You might think I’m going to say “yes” coz I want you to hire me, and then spend the rest of this article convincing you of why you should get a personal trainer. Well, the fact of the matter is that whether or not personal training is the right thing for you really depends.

That’s the short answer.

The long answer has to to with your needs and what you’re really looking to get out of your training.

In this article we’ll go deeper into this topic, explain what personal training is all about. I also explore various options as well as how they stack against each other. My hope is by the end you’ll be able to determine for yourself if you need a personal trainer in your life. If not, perhaps something else is more appropriate for you.

 

So many choices!

When it comes, to fitness, there are so many choices out there that it boggles the mind! Fitness apps, online training, classes at the gym, personal training! And amongst each one of these categories, more choices need to considered. Do I want to do yoga, or do I want to go to a spin class? It’s enough to make someone give up before they’ve even started.

Let me begin our exploratory journey by saying personal training is not for everyone. Just like a 2 seater sports car is not for everyone! Making the decision to hire a personal trainer depends on your needs (and wants!) and even your stage in life. Once you understand this, you can start to consider the various options from a different perspective. You’ll also be able to discern which options make sense for you.

 

What personal training is and what it’s not

First, let’s talk about what it’s not. Personal training IS NOT showing up for one hour to watch you do a random workout, stand there and count your reps. If that’s what your current trainer is doing – run!

Here’s what personal training really is:

When you are hiring a personal trainer, you’re hiring a professional. Personal training, as the name implies, is all about personalization and relationship building. It’s about getting to know you as a person. Getting to know what you like and what you don’t like and investing a lot of effort into you specifically. It’s about keeping you accountable; building workouts for you and only you; modifying and changing things as needed; as well as constantly searching for ways to keep you motivated. It’s about going out of my way if it means you will achieve your goals. Ans also keeping myself educated so that I can be all of these things for you.

This is how I, as a personal trainer and professional in this field, see what I do. Personal training is all of the things described above, and it comes as a full package. This is how it was designed to be, otherwise it’s not going to work. Using the car analogy, if you buy a car with only 2 wheels, chances are you’re not going to get very far. It’s the same with PT.

 

What other fitness options can offer you

Now that you understand what personal training is all about, let’s look at some of the other options out there and what they can offer you.

To make it easier, I looked at 4 of the most common options people consider: the regular gym, joining a fitness class, small group training (such as bootcamp) and personal training. The table below provides a good summary:

As you can see, personal training offers much more than any of the other options. But here’s the catch: just because it offers all these things, doesn’t mean you necessarily NEED them. If you don’t need to keep yourself accountable and you’re perfectly content to hit the gym on your own, awesome, no need for PT! If you’re tight on budget, enjoy being part of a group setting because you like that energy and you don’t really care to learn much about fitness, then awesome again! There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Just different things meant to suit the needs of different people.

You might also find that your needs change and may need to be revisited from time to time. Now your kids are grown up, you have a little bit of extra money and find out that yeah, you do want more accountability and a more personalized approach. Awesome reasons to hire a personal trainer!

Or you can mix and match: hire a PT for a few sessions to get you going, then see if you can stick to it on your own!

Related: 8 questions to ask when you hire a personal trainer

 

In summary

Choosing the right fitness option has everything to do with your needs and wants at the particular time when you’re doing your research. Hhopefully the explanations above, as well as the comparison table has helped to shed some light on that. Also remember to re-assess your choice from time to time – as your needs change, so can your fitness option. Finally, don’t be afraid to mix and match – the options above are not mutually exclusive!

 

About me

After being skinny unfit for the majority of my life, I discovered fitness by accident once I became a mom and started working out with my husband. A couple of years later, I started Tone Every Zone out of an overwhelming desire to help other busy individuals and couples juggle a hectic lifestyle while staying active.

My mission is to teach people about fitness and work with them as a team to make long lasting lifestyle changes. My personal values include being professional, honest and transparent in all of my doings but also being funny and silly because that’s what makes life (and your training sessions) fun!

Every day I hear from tons of couples who are dying to get more active but they just need that extra push! Getting people started on a fitness program is what I love to do.  Check out my personal training packages and share your story with me so I can help you reach your fitness goals!