Why are personal trainers so expensive? A personal fitness trainer explains why personal training is worth it.

Introduction

Working with a fitness coach can be a great way to improve your fitness level; however, is it worth it? The cost of training with a coach may put you off.

Some of the factors that contribute to a higher cost are:

• Level of knowledge and skills of the coach
• Experience level
• Personalised service
• Qualification of the trainer

Let’s examine whether one-on-one sessions are a waste of money or a worthwhile investment.

Why Do Personal Trainers Cost So Much?

The cost of personal training is dependent on many things:

• Qualifications of the trainer
• Experience and knowledge of the instructor
• Cost of setting up a studio
• Business expenses

The cost of certification

One reason training with a fitness coach is expensive is that coaches pay a lot to become qualified.

I have a degree in exercise, nutrition and health, which cost me £12,000 over 3 years. When I work out the price I charge for personal training, I have to factor this into the cost.

Studio costs

Some personal trainers set up their private training studio. Setting up a personal training studio involves:

• Finding a premises
• Agreeing the price and length of a lease
• Buying or leasing equipment for the studio
• Installing running water for showers and toilets
• Decorating and branding the facility
• Setting up a website
• Other hidden costs

By the time all this is done, most studio owners find themself £100,000 down by the time they have opened for business.

Business expenses

Marketing a personal training business requires the help of an agency to help with social media, PR and other things, which will add a significant monthly outlay.

It is true, however, that sole trader personal trainers can cut down on marketing expenses by relying on word-of-mouth marketing.

However, even sole traders will use things like:

• Facebook ads
• Linkedin ads
• Google ads
• Using SEO consultants to boost website ranking

Should You Hire A Personal Trainer?

All of the gyms sell memberships based on the fact that they know that less than half of their members will come to the gym. Suppose a gym has 2000 members; on average, only 400 people may use that gym each day.

I know this because of the many gyms I have worked in and the fact that I have been a gym manager.

The reason so few people use the gym after joining ranges from:

• Lack of motivation
• Lack of support
• Not sure how to use the equipment
• Not getting the results they desire
• Intimidated to train in front of other people

Hiring a personal trainer can help with the above problems, and remember, there is no more significant investment than your health. Your health is your wealth.

Working with a personal trainer is one of the fastest ways to attain your health and fitness goals. Good trainers can help you:

• improve your cardiovascular fitness
• Help you set realistic and achievable fitness goals
• Provide strength and conditioning workout plans
• Ensure exercises are performed correctly with proper form and technique
• Help you achieve healthy eating habits
• Provide variation to your training schedule with different types of training
• Provide you with accountability
• Track your progress

Also, you’re not just paying for what that trainer does with you during your personal training session. A good personal trainer will offer you support outside of your sessions.

It may be challenging to adjust to the diet plan given to you, so your trainer should work with you to modify your diet to your individual needs.

You should be able to contact your trainer outside of your sessions with any concerns, and they should be able to pick you up when you are down.

Make Sure To Look At Their Certifications

Many years ago, two organisations called REPS and CIMPSA was set up to regulate the industry to ensure that all personal trainer has the necessary qualifications and insurance. 

To maintain registration, personal trainers must obtain career professional development points (CPD points) to prove they are keeping their qualifications current.

By checking with CIMPSA or REPS, you can ensure that you are getting a qualified personal trainer who is up to date with the latest training techniques.

Is An Expensive Personal Trainer Better?

Sometimes yes and sometimes no, if I am being honest. Years ago, I used to charge £45 per session, and based on my experience and qualifications, I was massively undercharging.

I now charge £75 a session, which makes me an expensive personal trainer. How I justify that fee is the fact that I have a track record of over 15 years.

The reason why I say a cheaper personal trainer can sometimes be as good as a more expensive personal trainer is that there was nothing that separated me from an expensive personal trainer back when I was charging £45 a session.

If you are prepared to dig, you may find an excellent personal trainer for the price I used to charge. However, you may not get the desired results, and you may need to know what to look for in a personal trainer.

I have had clients come to me and tell me that they worked with a personal trainer who provided no support outside of the hour that they trained with them. As a result, they didn’t receive:

• Nutritional support
• A daily plan to work outside of their sessions
• They weren’t held accountable for not sticking to the agreed schedule, as there was no plan.

My client got a lot fitter, which I think is good, but if you are having problems losing weight, it gives you so much confidence if you have a personal trainer that goes deeper to uncover what might be wrong,

Here is what I offer my clients outside of our sessions:

• Goal setting session
• Daily action plan
• Weekly accountability messages
• Monthly review of progress
• Nutritional plan and support
• Monthly coaching session
• Tracking of body measurements (waist, hips, arms, chest)

This way, it is easy to see what is going well and what needs to be changed to keep you motivated. A good personal trainer will offer support beyond the sessions you do with them. 

The Two Big Reasons Personal Fitness Trainers Are So Expensive

Gym charges

One of the primary reasons personal training sessions are so expensive is that the gym wants a cut of the trainer’s earnings. Most gyms charge personal trainers over £1000 a month to rent their facility.

Some gyms split the profit 50/50 with personal trainers, so if the cost is £50 per session, the trainer will only receive £25.

However, not every personal trainer uses a gym. Some personal trainers, including myself, see their clients online or in person at their house.

Travel time

I charge £75 for a personal training session, but in some cases, it can take up to 45 minutes to travel to my next session, so I have to factor in travel time with my costs.

If I do an eight-hour day, but I have spent 3 hours travelling and have done 5 sessions, I have earned £350 for the day, an hourly rate of £43.75.

Suppose I was to charge £40 per session instead of £75. Using the example above, I would earn £200 a day and make an hourly rate of £20.

If I earned £200 a day working 5 days a week, I would earn £48,000 a year before expenses, which isn’t much for living in London.

Unravelling the Costs: Why Personal Trainers are Valuable Investments

A personal trainer will get to know the WHY behind your WHY.

Do you have a clear vision for your fitness goal, and why do you want it?

One of the biggest reasons that a personal trainer is a valuable investment is because they will help you understand your WHY.

If you understand the WHY behind your goal, the WHAT and the HOW will fall into place as you will have the desire to overcome all obstacles.

I tell my clients that they should attach a deep-rooted emotion to their goal for greater clarity and purpose. Whether that is:

• Feeling more desirable
• Feeling confident in the things you wear
• Having more energy to play with the children
• Improving energy levels
• Decreasing the risk of getting type 2 diabetes

Your WHY will drive you forward when things get tough, so the more robust your WHY, the more determined you will be to stay the course.

A WHY like, “I want to lose the weight I put on over the last two years, so I look like how I used to look”, is not enough to drive you on.

You’re going to need something personal and meaningful to you that connects to the pain that you are feeling about the weight. 

To get to something more profound and meaningful, I would ask my client, “Why is that important to you?”

The type of response I would end up with could sound like this:

“Since putting on weight, I don’t feel I look as good as I can do. I feel old and unattractive, and I don’t think my wife looks at me the same as she used to when I was in better shape.”

The reason I like to explore your why is to understand precisely what it is you want so that I can discover:

• what has held you back from achieving your goals in the past
• Analyse your current lifestyle to set realistic goals around your work, family and social commitments.
• pre-empt any problems you may face in the future
• Break your goal down into bite-size, manageable pieces
• Design an action plan that takes everything into account so that you can achieve your goal

A personal trainer will plan around your specific needs and be flexible

Suppose you are super busy with work and have no time to eat during the day. There would be no point in designing a diet for you that requires you to eat 3 big meals and 2 small snacks every day.

Although eating 5 small meals a day is said to be the fastest way to lose body fat, if it isn’t going to work for your lifestyle, it’s useless.

Let’s say that during our consultation, it emerges that you have no time in the morning to eat. If you have a flexible trainer, they will suggest something easy that you can do, which may include:

• Drink a protein shake in the morning (300 calories)
• Drink a smoothie in the morning (300 calories)
• Eat two slices of toast with peanut butter (200 calories)

Another example is that if you can’t make it to the gym, you don’t have to. As a personal trainer, I go to my client’s home or offer virtual sessions so that you can train in the comfort of your home.

I aim to make it as easy as possible to achieve your goals.

Group Training VS Personal Training: Which One Is Better?

If you are worried about working with a personal trainer, you can reduce the price with group training.

Group training gives more outstanding social support, and because there are more of you working towards the same goal, each person will pay less compared to one-on-one training.

For group training to be effective, you all need to have the same goal, which will help you because you know that everyone is in the same boat as you. It is less intimidating because you are with regular people just like you.

There are two types of group training:

Small sizes group training

Group training

Typically, group training can be up to 30 people in a class, and you’re part of a community where everyone supports one another. Small-sized group training is for 3-6 people to offer more individualised service. 

In both classes, your instructor will:

• Check your form
• Demonstrate the exercises
• Design your workouts
• Encourage during the workouts
• Provide you with coaching

Overall, the results can be outstanding, and you can form good relationships with people in your local community.

Personal training costs FAQs.

How much are personal trainers on average?

The price is anywhere from £30-£250 for a session in London.

How much is too much for a personal trainer?

I read an article in the paper about a personal trainer who trained millionaires and celebrities, charging them £1000 per session.

Is personal training worth the money?

Yes, If you get an excellent personal trainer who can get you the desired results and you are willing to work hard to make adjustments.

It’s not like waving a magic wand and everything falls into place; you need to commit to the process too.

What about cost and attention in Small-Group Personal training

The cost is a lot lower than one-on-one training, and you do get personalised attention. You will get less attention than you will one-on-one, but you do have group support and the expertise of your coach.

Book your free online personal training session with me, your freindly personal trainer.

I am here to help you live a better, healthier life. When you hire me as your trainer, you will be bringing someone into your life who is invested in your well-being and truly cares for you.

You will get a free nutrition consultation and a free session to get clear on your goal and for us to get to know each other better.

To get started, book your taster session now.