How Much is a personal trainer?
How much is a personal trainer? It’s an obvious question to ask yourself when you’re exploring hiring a PT.
There’s no doubt there’s going to be a financial investment involved. Which is healthy because it puts some “blood in the game” and commits you to the process.
But there are a few pitfalls you need to watch out for when weighing up the cost of 1-1 personal training.
Pitfall 1: The Race To The Bottom
Personal training is a highly competitive industry with a low barrier to entry. Personal Trainers are often young, inexperienced and desperate for clients at any price.
So you have to ask yourself – “Am I happy putting my body in this person’s hands?”
Would you be happy going to a cheap, under qualified back street doctor or dentist?
Almost certainly not!
And yet there doesn’t seem to be the same caution when hiring a personal trainer.
It might look like you’re getting a bargain but not so fast!
Read on to find out why racing to the bottom can be a false economy…
Pitfall 2: No results
Results. Tangible results you can see and feel.
That is what you’re hiring a personal trainer for – to educate and lead you to where you want to be.
Safely. Effectively. And Sustainably.
It takes investing your Time + Effort + Money
PLUS
Your personal trainer’s Care + Expertise + Experience
To get the results you want.
So if your trainer lacks any of these 3 criteria or if you’re not willing to engage in the process and put the required effort in – don’t waste your time and and throw your money at it – thinking “I have a PT” will help.
It won’t.
Going off on a bit of a tangent from asking how much is a personal trainer – if you decide to go ahead and hire one – after a few months, don’t get caught saying
“My PT is really great and such a nice person”
I’ve heard that so many times. Whilst it’s a nice sentiment – it means nothing.
If you’re not getting the results you want inside and out despite your best efforts – it’s time to say cheerio.
Pitfall 3: “Results” at too great a cost
Temporary, superficial results are not worth it if they come at the cost of
1 – Irreparable, long term damage to what’s called your passive structures – your bones, joints, tendons and ligaments – by getting your body smashed in the gym 7 days per week.
2 – Damaging your relationship with food. Anyone can put you on a restrictive diet but what happens when the diet ends or you snap?
3 – Making your life miserable by missing out on fun in your social life. You can’t live in a bubble – real life goes on around you – so you need to learn how to weave your health and fitness efforts in with your other responsibilities.
If your personal trainer can’t help teach you how to fuse all these areas together and you can’t keep doing whatever you did to get the “results” you achieve – is it really worth the money in the long run?
So when you’re asking how much is a personal trainer? There’s a few things you can do to avoid these pitfalls and get the most out of the money you spend…
Consideration 1: Who are you paying for?
Someone Who Cares
I know it’s a nerve wracking thing to sit down in front of a complete stranger and start telling them why you are so unhappy with your body and health.
So from your initial meeting, you need your potential personal trainer to put you at ease.
Leaving you feeling comfortable to explain the issues you are facing and why the journey you are starting is so important to you.
The biggest thing they can do then is listen and empathise.
Do you feel alone with how you are feeling? Trust me, you aren’t.
I’ve have seen it countless times over and understand what you are going through – often better than you know yourself!
So they have to meet you where you are at and not impose their agenda or biases on you.
Someone with Expertise
Unbelievably I think, I can count on one hand how many times I’ve been asked what qualifications I have.
I think this needs to change so people can make a more informed choice but for the time being you really need to ask about your personal trainer’s educational background.
Someone with experience
No matter how caring and how much of an expert they claim to be – your personal trainer needs to be able to show that they have helped people like you reach the same goals you have.
Not a jack of all trades or “sports specific specialist” but real results directly specific to your goals.
Consideration 2: What are you paying for?
A lot of trainers sell one block of 10 sessions after another, with no end in sight and no agreed target to aim for.
What’s more, they’ll see you for say 2 workouts a week and then you won’t hear from them until you see them for your next session.
But when you’re only spending a few hours a week IN the gym, there is way more time spent OUTSIDE the gym when you’ll need support and guidance about how to eat, live and recover between sessions.
This is the difference when you choose to work with me –
You get way more than individual exercise sessions.
You get a clear, proven thought process and action plan outlining how we’re going to get you to where you want to be.
And we review monthly to make sure you’re progressing and your investment is still in line with your needs rather than just keep taking your money forever!
Whether you work with me 1-1 or Online, you get access to my Online Academy which helps keep you on track with daily support, accountability and custom tools and resources.
You also get access to my Members WhatsApp group for added motivation and encouragement.
If you do choose to work with me 1-1, my personal training studio in Glasgow is like having your own private, custom built gym.
Consideration 3: Affordability
Whilst who and what you’re paying for are crucial, when it comes down to it and you’re asking how much is a personal trainer?
You need to ask yourself how much you can truly afford for at least a few months regardless of how badly you need the changes for your body and health.
Any personal trainer worth their salt should be aiming to get you as self sufficient as possible.
Which usually requires a more concentrated period of work to begin with and then reducing the time spend working together when you learn what to do.
Meaning the cost should go down over time.
By that time you will all being well have gained the confidence to manage your own health and fitness with support from arm’s length.
My goal is to help as many people as I can re-gain control of their bodies and health. So I want to make professional personal training as affordable as possible.
Conclusion
I know I’m one of the more expensive personal trainers around but I make no bones about it – it’s expensive because I make sure it’s worth every penny and I’m pleased to say that the people I’ve worked with over the years agree!
If you’re interested in personal training but still hesitant, you can read more about 10 unexpected benefits of personal training here.
And if you’re still thinking you can’t afford it, ask yourself if you can afford not to?
Wishing you health & happiness
