If you’re on a mission to achieve your health and fitness goals, whether that’s to get fit, lose weight or build muscle – then hiring a personal trainer is a great way to help you reach your goals faster compared to going it alone.

There is so much conflicting health advice online – it’s like trying to walk through the most complex maze, a maze full of different opinions, and for the average person it’s just a minefield of confusion!

You need an expert and that’s why it’s good to hire a personal trainer, somebody who knows how to get you the results you are looking for. Also a person to make you accountable to sessions and somebody who you trust and enriches your life.

There are a couple of options when it comes to hiring a coach, you could do online personal training – where the coach designs you a gym and nutritional plan – this is great for those of you who are already experienced in the gym and have the discipline to train alone. The other option(s) are to either hire a personal trainer on a 1-1 basis or sign up to group personal training. 

In this post that’s what we’re going to focus on….

Personal training vs group personal training

Although similar in terms of you hire a coach to get you results, both 1-1 personal training and group personal training have their advantages and disadvantages. If you’re unsure of what’s best then here are some things to consider…

Price 

The cost of 1-1 personal training compared group PT does differ, usually the more people in a session the less it costs. For example in Sheffield you may pay £40 for a 1-1 personal training session, but for group PT it’s £50 for two people (meaning it’s only £25 each).

If cost is a factor then it’s worth considering group personal training. The more of you that train together the more cost effective it will be. Try and keep your group number small (4 or less) you still want personal guidance, and if there’s more than 4 people… it becomes more of a generic fitness class. 

Fun 

Both 1-1 and group personal training can be fun to do! Group PT can be really enjoyable if you train with your friends, you can have a laugh and get fit together, just make-sure you don’t spend too much time chatting! lol! You are investing your hard earned cash to get results. 

Social 

If it’s the social aspect that you like then group personal training could be a good option. If you’re the type of person who likes to do fitness classes but wants a little more specific attention i.e. to make-sure you are doing the exercises correctly then group personal training session(s) could really benefit you and compliment your classes – you’ll be better at the exercises next time you go to a fitness class.

The social aspect can also make you accountable, because you are either going to be training with friends, or your partner and you don’t want to let them down. 

Specific 

If you want 100% undivided attention and somebody to tailor the session to your needs then you need a one to one personal trainer. No two people are the same, we all come in different shapes, and sizes, individual strength, different personalities (introvert/extrovert), height, weight, genetics, the list goes on! That means the more people who are in the class the harder it is to be specific. That’s not to say it can’t be done, and done very well – there are lots of great coaches who can teach groups extremely well. BUT that said noting will compare to 1-1 private tuition. 

Conclusion…

There’s no right and wrong, both 1-1 and group PT can help you achieve amazing results. With a great coach, solid plan of action and hard work from your end… anything is possible.

So now you’ve read this fitness blog what choice are you leaning towards? Is it 1-1 personal training or group PT? comment below…

Thanks for reading,

Nick 🙂

About Nick

Nick is a personal trainer based in Sheffield. He offers 1-1 personal training, group personal training and online coaching (for those who live further a field). Nick is a master at his craft, having completed over 10,000 x 1-1 coaching sessions. He has the coaching skills and experience to help you get amazing results, providing you follow the plan of action which he creates. For proof of Nicks work check out his testimonials here