Circuits… Yes or No? Part 2

In part one I explained why I am not in favour of circuit training and detailed my reasons for this. In the second part of this blog I am going to look into the first of the other options available to you.

First off. What are the other options?

1. Personal training

2. Small group training

3. Large group training

Personal training:

The most expensive of the three but also the one that is completely focused on your individual needs.

Sessions will vary depending on your demographic and quality of the trainer but for Belfast/Lisburn (where I live) expect anything from £10 right up to £60/70 a session. There is a huge difference in pricing but as I will explain later, going cheap is not always the best idea. An experienced, knowledgeable trainer will assess you, find out where you currently are sitting in regards to strength, movement and fitness. They can then structure your training around your needs and goals. If you have no idea where you are going, then any road can take you there. The trainers job is to help you decide where it is you want to go then design a program get you there. There is a saying in the PT world.

An average trainer will give you what you want

A good trainer will give you what you need

A great trainer will give you both.

Pay peanuts, get monkeys:

With personal training, it’s better to pay for the best you can afford and you need to shop around. There is usually a reason why the top guys charge what they do. Nowadays anyone can become a PT in a couple of weeks but this doesn’t mean they know their stuff and going to a PT because “your mate said he is sweet and does a really good deal on 6 week transformations” is probably not the smartest idea. It takes years of experience to understand what does and doesn’t work and how to apply everything. Personally I have INVESTED close to £10,000 over the last few years on my education, from certifications and workshops to 1:1 and online coaching not to mention books. By doing this I know that although I charge a much higher rate, my clients get quality coaching that will help them reach their goals faster and safer.

Ask questions:

Before you make a commitment to train with this person make sure you ask questions. Remember YOU are the customer, You are paying your hard earned money to this person for their knowledge so you want to be sure you will get what you want. How long have they been training people? How long have they been training? What qualifications have they got? What do they specialise in? If they are experienced they should be able to answer these easily without taking offence.

Honesty is the best policy:

A personal trainer can become more than someone who gets you fit, you can end up building a close relationship with them and it is not uncommon for a trainer to end up as your part time councillor. I have some very good friends who started out as clients but in order for a relationship to start there needs to be an element of trust. You are showing your trust in them by paying them the money for each session and they are trusting that you will show up on time and put the work in. Remember, this is their job and you are the advertisement.

Before you commit to these sessions be honest with yourself and upfront with them. What you are prepared to commit to in regards to time as well as financially? If you can only afford one a week/bi weekly/monthly tell them this. Sessions you book and don’t turn up for could have been offered to another potential client (even though you will probably still be charged for a late cancelation, this type of thing can cause fractures in the relationship). Do not waste their time and have them going to the effort of building a program for you if you aren’t going to stick it out, these things take time, time they could have spent building their business or on another client.

If affordability is the issue, discuss other options such as paying for a program that you can follow in your own time and look into the possibility of booking in for a weekly/monthly PT session as a way to access and tweak the program, as well as a chance to ask questions and correct any faults in techniques.

The next blog focuses on Small Group Training. In my opinion this offers the perfect balance between PT quality coaching and affordability.

Thanks for reading

Pól