Whilst there are pros and cons for both, it is important to ask yourself what will work best for you. Let's look at the 4 main areas that will affect your results:
Emotions:
Going through exercises alone can get tedious, and most people lack the self-motivation to keep going. One of the roles of a personal trainer is to find out the why behind your goal and give you the support needed to achieve the desired results. A great personal trainer will be on top of your schedule (work, family etc.), and will make training part of your lifestyle, rather than a chore. Personal trainers will pull you back up on your feet and motivate you at times when you feel like giving up. Being surrounded by other clients who are on similar journeys can also create a positive circle of influence which will inspire you.
Education:
Personal trainers will always start with a full health screen to assess if there are any injuries, illnesses/diseases or family history that may affect training, as well as body type and daily activity level. These details are necessary to properly assess what exercises your program will include to achieve your desired results.
If you are suffering from a specific illness or injury that will affect training, your personal trainer can work with your medical consultant/health practitioner to integrate alternative exercises with the workout plan most appropriate for you. Taking on a program without consulting a professional can be risky and hazardous. Personal training is more than just completing your scheduled workout; it involves every aspect of your physical condition.
Having an expert by your side ensures that your program is designed specifically for you, which will ultimately lead to consistency in training, correct technique and better results.
Eating:
Did you know that 70% of results come from nutrition regardless of the goal? Whilst most people have enough general nutrition knowledge, very few will know why the timing of foods, meal frequency and specific macronutrients are crucial to achieving success.
Healthy eating shouldn't be boring, repetitive or inconvenient. A personal trainer can help to educate you on healthy alternatives and inspire you to try new recipes that will not only be healthy & delicious, but also beneficial to training.
Exercise:
The two most stated 'benefits' of a gym membership are cost and flexible training hours. A gym membership only gives you access to an exercise facility full of equipment, many of which you have no idea on how to use and what they are for. Therefore, there isn't a lot of value in the price.
With personal training, every single minute of the time and money you've allotted for your workout will be put into efficient use and your desired goals are effectively met. A personal trainer is able to point you in the right direction, demonstrate correct technique for specific exercises, and will adjust you right away if you are doing anything wrong to help prevent you from acquiring unnecessary injuries.
In regards to the 'flexibility' of training times; 25% of Australians have gym memberships, and only 16% of those people actually attend. So, whilst you might have '24hour access', it is very unlikely that you will be training at odd hours unless you are a shift worker.
Personal trainers are likely to have organised appointment books giving clients consistency in appointments and structured training. Having set appointments each week also allows the trainer to move sessions if required to ensure your training requests are met.
In the end, to truly have an educated decision on whether to have a personal trainer, or just a gym membership, be sure to visit both. You will not be able get all the information needed over a 3-minute phone conversation.
*Disclaimer: Individual results vary based on agreed goals. Click here for details.
