We’re handling another reader question today from someone interested in whether it’s worth hiring a personal trainer and what the cost is.
If you’ve ever struggled to get results from working out or you’re relatively new to fitness and need guidance, then hiring a personal trainer might already have crossed your mind. But perhaps you’re concerned about the costs and the value.
Contrary to popular perception, personal trainers are not just for the rich and famous.
Across the UK, thousands of people take to Google each month to look for, “personal trainer near me.” Look at the trends:
Take covid out of the equation and the general trend has very much been an uphill one for the past couple of years on the whole. While we often see seasonal dips in the run up to Christmas (September onwards when so many of us just start delaying health and fitness goals to the New Year) we’re seeing year on year increases.
In September 2019, just over 22,000 people made that search. Fast forward a year and just over 27,000 made that search in September 2020.
But how much does a PT cost and what will you get out of it? Let’s take a look.
How Much Does a Personal Trainer Cost?
Costs for a personal trainer vary from around £25 per hour long session to £80 per hour long session based on our research. Or for training 1 to 1 with coaches online with a service like WowFit, you can get sessions for under £20/hour by buying sessions in bulk.
The cheaper sessions tend to be found in the North West and North East while premium pricing is in place in London. No surprises there.
We asked Melanie Gilder, a qualified personal trainer, about what influencers the price of personal training. She told us:
“Lots of things influence the price. Location, of course, is a big one. But sometimes the experience of the PT might influence the price as well. In gyms with more personal trainers, sometimes there’s the option of taking a more junior PT on a lower rate, for example. Freelancers who operate mobile have fewer overheads and costs than those who run their own studio, so you may find they charge less too. My advice to anyone looking for a personal trainer is to focus on what you get for the money rather than on focussing on cost alone.”
Benefits of a Personal Trainer
We asked Melanie to talk us through the main benefits of a personal trainer.
“As a qualified PT myself, of course I’m always going to advocate for having one. But there’s a few things that I think trainers should do.
- They should plan a fitness programme around your goals and any special requirements. For example, if I work with someone who has arthritis in certain joints, I have to tailor the plan. And someone who wants to bulk up will have a much different plan to someone who wants to slim down. It shouldn’t be one size fits all. And a trainer’s job is to build a plan designed specifically for you and your needs.
- They’re there to improve your form. Doing new exercises you might not have done before takes practice. And when you workout alone, you risk poor form which could lead to injuries. So particularly for beginners, a personal trainer can help get your form right which will lead to more effective training in the long term
- They make you go further. We’re human. When something hurts, we stop! I’m a PT myself and even I want to stop when it gets tiring or sore. So even I prefer to train with someone who will push me that bit further. A personal trainer should be there convincing you that you can run the extra minute, that you can do the extra push up, lift that extra kilo and go further than you thought you could. That’s how you make progress
In terms of what to look for when you’re going out finding a PT:
- What are their qualifications? Ask.
- Do they have results to show you and happy clients who are prepared to vouch for them?
- Do they have their own space to work from or will they come to you? You may prefer one over the other
I’d also always advise you to meet your personal trainer before signing up to make sure you get on. You’re going to be spending a lot of time with the trainer, potentially, so it really helps to make sure there’s a rapport there and you’ll feel comfortable in their company.”
