The Lost Art of Personal Training

As personal training continues to respond to market forces, qualified Personal Trainers have two choices…

We can either join the crowd and mitigate costs with ‘group training’ – or we can stick with the original blueprint: the commitment to highly personalised, one on one fitness training.

For everyone out there however, the differences are not always clear. So let me explain:

Group Training

Group training, that is, exercise groups of 6 or more, offers the benefit of reduced costs and (it must be said) the added pleasure of social interaction – collectively, the gymnasiums, beach, park or foreshore venues now on offer. The trade-off is that (whilst your personal trainer may be qualified and experienced) he or she is focused on the fitness level of the group as a whole. As a business model, it works admirably. It fills a social need, but it is geared towards a median, cost effective, one size fits all approach.

Personal Training

Personal training on the other hand, involves 2 people – YOU, and your TRAINER. In this way, your individual goals, motivations, fitness level, age, gender, personality, lifestyle, medical history etc. inform and predict the training program. At its core, it is a bond of trust between you and trainer – he or she has taken the time to get to know you as an individual and tailor an achievable and sustainable program.

No Comparison

There’s no denying that GROUP TRAINING has been successfully marketed. That said, THERE IS NO COMPARISON between the two. Because whilst groups have in common the desire to pursue fitness; individual characteristics, lifestyle, age, health and fitness level et al rarely if ever coincide with 6 or more strangers. You are lost in the crowd. In the end, group training directly affects the efficacy and effort you put into your own wellness.

A Personal Trainer’s Obligation

The PRIME OBLIGATION of personal trainers is the requisite to explain what it is a particular and individual client needs to do – why they need to do that and (importantly), when. That, in simple terms, is the one on one relationship that delivers results. It cannot be fudged.