If you want to get in the best shape of your life then it’s wise to reach out and hire an expert. There’s no doubt about it that hiring a top quality personal trainer will help you achieve much faster results than completing your journey alone. 

Don’t get me wrong you can do it by yourself – there’s lots of free advice on the internet, but lots of junk advice too (in fact more junk than quality!) and it can be hard to know who to trust and where to turn.

If you’re serious and want amazing results then you are far better off hiring a qualified personal trainer to help guide you along your journey – it could be the best investment you ever make!

In this day and age of the Internet you can hire a personal trainer either in person or online – whatever suits you.

In this post I’m going to share the pros and cons of each so that you can make up your own mind as to whats best for you…

One to one Personal Training vs Online Personal Training…

One to one personal training 

The advantages of this are pretty obvious, the main one being face-to-face interaction. Seeing your personal trainer in the flesh each week is hugely beneficial. It’s much easier to connect with your coach in person compared to hiring an online PT. Despite Skype, FaceTime and the amazingly clear video technology that’s available nothing will compare to seeing your coach in real life. 

Seeing your personal trainer in the flesh each week will be far more motivating than communicating via a video call or e-mail (which is how a lot of online personal trainers operate!).  

Another advantage of one to one personal training is the specific attention you’ll get during each session. Your PT will show you how to do exercises correctly and be able to give you pointers that are not always easy to get across online.

Typically speaking 1-1 personal training is more expensive than online personal training. For a 1-1 personal training session in the North of England, you’d be looking at between £40-80 per session (depending on the coach) and for the South of England £40-£100 (depending on the area). 

It’s definitely not cheap, but you’ve got to see it as an investment. You may have to spend 2-3k (completing 50-100 sessions) but that investment could set you up for life – think of the knowledge and skill you’ll acquire with that amount of coaching? 

Although 2-3k is a lot of money for many people…

Look at what this type of investment could bring to your life…

#1 Visible results (weight loss, improved body shape, increased level fitness)

#2 Healthier (better quality of life, longer life expectancy) 

#3 Happier (more personal confidence and the psychological benefits of exercises – endorphins)

When you look at things this way I’d say that’s an amazing return on your investment wouldn’t you? 

Online personal training…

Online personal training has become hugely popular thanks to the internet…

You can connect with people at any time of the day via e-mail or jump on a video call. It means that despite living in the UK, you could hire a personal trainer in Australia! That’s pretty cool right? 

There are lots of personal trainers who do online coaching as well as face to face personal training. 

My advice is that online personal training is ideal for those of you out there who already have the discipline to follow a plan of action. Online personal training requires clients to be more independent and it’s therefore important that you have a good level of self discipline and can be trusted to follow the plan. For example if you are already into the routine of going to the gym, and have good training experience – then online personal training could be a great platform for you. BUT if you are very unmotivated and struggle to stick to a plan by yourself then I’d recommend starting with one to one personal training.

Before hiring an online personal trainer make-sure to do your research, look for online client testimonials, and look around the web at different coaches before parting with you hard earned cash. I would always recommend setting up a consultation first before investing – make-sure that you are a good fit. You need to be able to get along with your coach and understand what’s involved during the online coaching process. Some coaches only offer e-mail support i.e. weekly check ins – check what you’re investing in and that it suits your needs.  

Online personal training is often cheaper (not always!) because it requires less time for the coach – meaning that the rates charged are usually less. For example for a good online coach you could be looking at anything from £100-£300 per month (depending on the coach) – either way you look at it it’s much cheaper than one to personal training… 

Let’s say you want to train face to face with a coach 3x per week and it costs £40 per session – that’s £120 x 4 weeks (£480 per month) compared to Online personal training where it may only cost you £100 per month – it can therefore be a much more viable option if you’re looking to spend less. 

Thanks for reading, make-sure to check out my other health and fitness blogs – there are over 800 FREE articles on my site!

Nick 🙂

Sheffield Personal Trainer – Nick Screeton

Nick Screeton is the owner and founder of LEP Fitness – a personal training company located in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. Nick has completed over 10,000 x 1-1 personal training sessions and has a wealth of experience training clients of all ages, and fitness levels. What makes Nick unique as a personal trainer is that he not only focuses on improving the body but also the mind, giving clients greater confidence and helping to instil self belief – so that members can reach their full potential and lead a healthier, happier and better quality of life.