Is personal training worth it? This can be a difficult question to answer from a consumer’s standpoint, because when you purchase personal training, you essentially purchase a promise. You buy personal training with the hope that it will ultimately get you to your goals. Personal training often comes with a high cost and time commitment, so is the risk really worth the reward? I am admittedly biased in writing this article as a personal trainer myself, and I would like to be completely upfront about this bias. With that said, I know that personal training is effective from my own experience of working with clients, and I wouldn’t be as committed to my work as I am if I didn’t believe in its ability to positively change people’s lives.
There is actual research to back the efficacy of personal training. UCLA conducted a study in which 34 men exercised three times per week for 12 weeks, with half of the participants working out alone and half working out with a personal trainer. After 12 weeks, the men working out alone on their own program were able to increase the weight of their chest press by 19% and their leg press by 23%. The participants working out with a trainer saw significantly greater strength gains, increasing their chest press by an average of 42% and their leg press by 35%. The personal training group also saw an improvement in cardiovascular conditioning by 7%, whereas the lone group saw no significant improvement. Even more interestingly, the personal training group trained LESS than the lone subjects by an average of 22 minutes per week.
The results of this study elude several conclusions. One conclusion is that exercise is a science; those that understand proper programming and progression such as qualified personal trainers are able to maximize results in a shorter amount of time than someone who does not. This amount of learning takes years of commitment, which thankfully the everyday person doesn’t need to tackle themselves if they are willing to seek professional help. These results also showcase the power of accountability and motivation; you are considerably less likely to slack off when you have someone there with you that you don’t want to disappoint. In an ideal world, we would all be intrinsically motivated enough to put the work in by ourselves for ourselves, but that is unfortunately unrealistic for someone who is just starting out on their fitness journey.
Obviously, for personal training to be optimally effective and reflect the results of this research, the personal trainer themselves has to be highly qualified. Like most professions, for every good trainer out there, there are just about 10 bad ones. Here are a few tips on how to find a personal trainer you can be confident is worth it:
Find a well educated trainer. Becoming a certified personal trainer from just any organization is easy. Look for trainers with at least a Bachelor’s degree in exercise science or a related field, as well as a certification from a well renowned organization such as NASM or ACSM.
Find a trainer with at least a few years of experience. A good way of sensing if a trainer has been in the business for awhile is by looking at the additional number of specialty certifications they hold. Trainers have to complete continuing education to keep their primary certification up to date, and will often take classes and complete specialty certifications to complete the continuing ed requirements.
Test the waters. Most good trainers allot a free hour of time for a consultation to get to know you, your goals, and your current fitness level. You can take this time to see if your personalities match or clash, and if you both share the same vision of where you want to go and how.
If you are considering personal training, first be upfront with yourself on your own level of commitment to your goals. No amount of money spent on personal training is going to get you the results you want if you are not willing to put the work in and follow your trainers advice both in and out of the session. With that said, if you are truly dedicated to fulfilling your goals, personal training can safely give you the structure, knowledge base, and accountability to do so.