I’m a personal trainer, but I’m also cynical. Sometimes I wonder what the true value is of what I do for a living. You may expect this article to be a glowing endorsement for trainers but that certainly won’t be the case. What better source of information for this question than someone on the inside. So is a personal trainer actually worth it?
A personal trainer can provide accountability, knowledge, and improve your health. As the saying goes, you can’t put a price on your health. However, due to the low barrier of entry, most trainers are incredibly unqualified.
PROS
Accountability
You work a little harder when the boss is creeping over your shoulder. That’s just the way it is. It’s a bit less stressful when all you’re doing is working out but the concept is the same. Not only is someone watching you, but now you’re responsible for that person’s livelihood in a way. If you’re late to work, it’s not that big a deal. If you cancel a session, it directly affects another person.
Whether it’s right or wrong, the way you look is a reflection of the trainer him/herself. I’m not saying it’s fair, but it is what it is. Think about it, we’ve all seen that person that’s been with a trainer forever and looks no different than the day they started. It’s inevitable that you think ‘damn, that trainer must suck.’
If I were to estimate, I would say 80% of my clients hire me for accountability purposes. This is especially true for nutrition clients, since nutrition is a 24/7 thing compared to a one hour workout a few times per week. They know what to do, but having a person to report to ensures that they stay on track. In the long run, this leads to more success.
Exercise Knowledge
The other 20% are with me for two polar opposite reasons within the same framework (if that makes even a shred of sense). One is that they are completely clueless about working out. Even the worst personal trainers can still teach the fundamentals of basic exercise technique. Two is that they are at such an advanced stage that they don’t know what the next step is. Typically these are people that play a sport and want to take their game to the next level with proper strength and conditioning. In either case the missing piece is knowledge.
When it comes to knowledge with respect to beginners, my goal is actually to work with them only in the short term. I don’t want them to rely on me. I want them to learn and then go out on their own unless accountability is a factor. In that case they usually stick around. If you’re a novice trainee and a trainer tries to make it seem like you need them or that they have the recipe for success, it should be an immediate red flag. A beginner will almost always have success with consistency, good form, and enough weight/resistance. This is the newbie gains phenomenon a.k.a the law of diminishing returns; you will make proportionally higher gains with a new skill in the beginning because you’re working with a blank slate.
Health Improvements
Oh by the way, a personal trainer is going to get you in shape. If you’re in shape, you’ll be in great health. If you’re in great health, you’ll live a long and fulfilling life.
Exercise is the one prescription that works 100% of the time. No pharmaceutical drug can come close to that number. I won’t bore you with the PubMed references, but I guarantee I could cite hundred of research studies showing the benefits of exercise.
This is clearly the greatest benefit of personal training, especially if you’ll never reach a point where you work out on your own. Nothing is more important than your health, yet training is treated as a luxury rather than a utility like electricity or water. Once your health goes forget about it, your standard of life takes a massive dip. You become reliant on others, reliant on medicine, and can’t fend for yourself in certain situations.
It is estimated that 70-90% of disease is preventable by making the right lifestyle choices. The main two are moderate physical activity and not smoking. No one is asking you to look like Georges St. Pierre, “moderate” physical activity is certainly achievable for everyone. If you could prevent 90% of disease by exercising three days per week, why wouldn’t you do it?
CONS
Low Barrier to Entry
Buy the book, take the test, pass the test. That is the path to becoming a personal trainer. Yes, that is literally all you have to do. There is no formal education or real world practice before they send you that piece of paper in the mail. As a result, anyone that can pass a multiple choice exam is “qualified” to be your trainer. Sort of a scary thought when you consider that this person is supposed to be your guide to navigating all of the machines, cables, and weights in the gym.
I can only speak for myself, but I would estimate that 95% of the principles and techniques that I implement with clients came from my own experience and research. The personal training textbook doesn’t really provide much. Most of the book is biology and anatomy, which I guess is important, but rarely is relevant when it comes to practical application in a personal training session.
Because of this low barrier to entry, the pay for most trainers is pretty bad. And since the pay is bad, motivation can be low. Trainers at a gym typically aren’t in it for the long haul because of the bad pay. When I trained at a corporate gym, my pay didn’t cover my living expenses. I was simply doing it for the experience before I started working independently. Unless you’re going to a really upscale gym that pays more, I would imagine the turnover rate for trainers is astronomically high. Aside from the passion for your craft, there’s almost no incentive (from a financial perspective) to go above the call of duty.
Price
Having a personal trainer is expensive. Typically a one hour session will cost anywhere from $50-100 depending on where you go. And to make significant progress you have to train at minimum three times per week (whether it’s with someone or on your own). Over time this really adds up if you don’t have the disposable income. If you’re right on the cusp of being able to afford training this can be very frustrating. Sometimes you can afford it and sometimes you can’t. As a result, you can’t be as consistent as you want and it can be debilitating.
I’ve had clients come and go and come and go for this reason. I feel for them because I know they want it but just can’t afford it in the long run. Like I said you have to be working out at least three days per week to reap the health benefits. It’s honestly not worth it to dip your toe in the pool and only train once or twice, it’s just not enough of a stimulus to see results. I would rather have someone not train, take the time to save their money, and then go all in rather than be half committed.
Conclusion/Advice
If I didn’t think there was value in a personal trainer, I wouldn’t do it as a profession. There are enough worthless occupations out there that don’t provide anything to anyone. It’s rewarding to me when a client is excited about their weight loss, how great they feel, or how they added 50 yards to their drive on the golf course.
The key is to find a trainer who is knowledgeable, passionate, and communicates well. Some trainers have all the knowledge in the world, but don’t have the ability to motivate. Some trainers are passionate about the gig but are just… weird. This is beginning to sound a bit like dating advice but you get my point, you have to find a trainer with all the right attributes for it to be worth your money.
An important thing to do is not chase the avatar, meaning immediately go after the guy or girl with the amazing physique. Some people are in great shape IN SPITE of themselves. They have incredible genetics yet do tons of things to hold themselves back. But on the surface they have this incredible body which leads people to believe they must know what they’re doing. It’s not always the case.
With that being said, I would still go for someone who is in at least reasonable shape. Years ago I wrote an article called ‘Should You Hire a Fat Trainer.’ The premise was basically this: having a great body doesn’t necessarily make you a great trainer but at the very least they have firsthand experience on what it’s like to go through grueling workout. Having a fat trainer would be like having a Navy Seal Commander who never went through BUDS. Call it unfair, call it fat shaming, but it’s what I believe.
If you’re hiring a trainer through a corporate gym, it’s going to be tough. These people make about $10 per session, and that’s not even an exaggeration. You may have to cross your fingers and hope you find someone who is really into their craft. If you’re hiring someone who works independently it’s a bit different. You can look to see if they have a website or YouTube page to get an idea to see if the two of you would have chemistry. You can also look for reviews or referrals.
Being a personal trainer myself you may have thought initially that this would be a puff piece endorsing trainers. The pros and cons are about even, you could argue that I spent a little more time discussing the negatives. In the end, since physical activity is so vital to health I would still lean on the pro side for most people when it comes to the value of hiring a trainer.