You get what you pay for; quality and luxury will always cost more. 

This especially applies to personal training and personal trainers. A formally educated personal trainer will ALWAYS be a better investment than a weekend certified trainer and, unfortunately, more expensive. However, consider when hiring a formally educated personal trainer that you are not just paying for that 1-hour service; you also are paying for their years of experience, formal education, certification and continuing fitness education that helps create high-quality, high-value sessions.

A formally educated certified personal trainer typically has a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of exercise science, anatomy, physiology, and other fields. They usually hold a degree in exercise science, kinesiology, or a related discipline, which requires several years of study and hands-on experience. As a result, they are typically better equipped to create individualized training programs based on a client’s specific needs and goals, considering any pre-existing medical conditions or injuries. They also tend to have better problem-solving skills and a more nuanced understanding of adjusting exercises and programming to accommodate different types of clients.

In contrast, a weekend certified trainer has only completed a short course or workshop covering very basic personal training topics. As a result, has a different depth of knowledge or experience than a formally educated personal trainer. A formally educated personal trainer will cost more because they invest in more comprehensive education and continuing education. 

Think of hiring a certified personal trainer as an investment. Ideally, you want to put your money into an investment with a great return over time. What does that return entail? You should learn proper training techniques and programming, experience physical improvements, and feel supported and heard in every session. We expect you to leave the nest eventually, and we want you to do so confidently. Our job is to teach you how to train correctly and effectively on your own. You should feel empowered to walk into any gym and know what to do and how to do it safely and effectively.

We have been in the personal training business for 15 years and have had clients leave to try a more budget-friendly trainer and return because they did not get the return on investment. They wasted their time and money with a trainer needing the knowledge, expertise or experience that our certified personal trainers have. Better quality equals a better return on investment. If you hire a $30 per hour, weekend certified personal trainer, you will get a $30 per hour weekend certified quality of training and experience. 

While we understand that being able to afford a personal trainer is not in everyone’s budget, it is one of those investments that, if you spend wisely, you will have significant long-term returns. The better the investment, the better the returns; crappy investments have crappy returns. There is nothing more frustrating than wasting money and time.

We do understand that having a certified personal trainer 3-5x a week isn’t an option financially for many people, which is why we have created many opportunities for our clients to give them accessibility to high-quality personal training, including:

• Partner Personal Training – you and a friend, spouse, or family member share a trainer’s cost while doing your own customized training program

• Semi-Private Personal Training – you and 2-3 others share a personal trainer while doing your own customized training program

• Homework – when you purchase a private or partner personal training package, you get homework to do on days you don’t see us, so even if you don’t see us, you can still be assured your programming is safe and effective, and you are continuing to progress to your fitness goals

• Small Group Classes – we offer small group classes of up to 10 people maximum for you to work on conditioning and mobility outside of your personal training sessions, so you can be assured you are still progressing toward your fitness goals;  classes are specifically programmed to compliment the private sessions with your trainer.

We also have many clients come and see us for 6-8 sessions, learn a new custom training program, then do it on their own for a few months and return for a new program once they have mastered that program. This is a great way to keep fitness and training progressing while knowing you are training safely and effectively. 

Whatever your fitness goals, and if you are a beginner or an advanced trainee, you are worth the quality investment into your health, fitness and longevity. You get one body in life, and your body and health can dictate your quality of life, so invest in your body and health wisely.   

Shara Vigeant, BA, NSCA-CPT, CFSC