"Should I do Group Classes or PT?" a question that comes up often - as it should!
As part of our new member onboarding process, we make sure we learn as much as we can about you in order to give you an accurate answer to that question.
There are a few important points to make;
- It's always YOUR decision, don't do anything you're not comfortable with or don't understand.
- "What" you should do will change as you change, grow as you grow. No decision is permanent and your training should be reviewed periodically as a way of checking in with yourself (that's why we do Goal Reviews!)
With that aside, here are 8 reasons, why Personal Training might be the right fit for you.
Time
"If only class started 30mins earlier/later!"
Don't let a studio's schedule affect your training. If you're finding your life is chaotic as you're running around town trying to find the right classes at the right time with the right instructors. STOP. Take a breath. And look at the time/money/stress you could be saving by training with WHO you want, WHEN you want. Sometimes doing more quality over quantity is the answer. Granted, you might still not be able to get exactly what you want, but usually you'll be able to get a lot more flexibility, particularly if you're happy to train at off-peak times. And with working from home arrangements becoming the norm, now is a great time to start prioritising yourself.
Accountability
Accountability comes in many forms - friends, family, deadlines, teams, coaches. And different people respond differently to different things at different times. Ultimately if you're not sticking to your plans, then your accountability settings right now are not enough. Knowing that your trainer is waiting excitedly to train with you, and that if you don't show you'll be forfeiting your session is usually the strongest strategy we can take before taking a deeper dive into why you might not be sticking to your goals.
Specific Goals
I love X class but I just wish they did more of Y in there! I really want to get good at Y but they just don't spend enough time on it!"
Classes by their nature and definition are general. They are designed (or should be) to give the most benefit to the most people. Sometimes you'll be lucky and you'll find a class that fits like a glove - that's because your goals match the general goals of the class. When that changes though, and your goals become more specific, it's time to change things up. Even introducing one PT session a week where you work specifically on the thing that means the most to you, can have a huge impact, particularly with skill development. There is a force mulitplier at play here, because as your technique improves from PT, the return on the time you spend in your classes also improves.
Budget
There is no way around it, PT is more expensive than group training and when all you've ever done is pay for a gym membership (ie access to a facility) or group classes, the price difference can be jarring. I'm not here to tell you what you can and can't afford, everyone has different budgets they are working with, but sometimes it's actually a question of an allocation of resources. ie Doing two generic strength classes might seem like great value for money, but if the reason you're doing those strength classes is because you want to be able to do a muscle up, then it might be worth cutting those strength classes in favour of doing a 1:1 muscle up session weekly instead.
Don't like training in groups
If you find going to an open gym room intimidating, or always choose the back of the room in group classes, you may think that PT would be even worse ie "I don't want to be the focus!". Give it a try, you might be pleasantly surprised! Working with someone who is tailoring the work to fit you - refining your form and technique, helping you understand what you're doing and why you're doing it etc - is a completely different experience to being in a class.
Health/injuries
If you've got specific health concerns or injuries that you are trying to navigate, having an experienced Trainer/Physiotherapist/Exercise Physiologist can go a long way to building the confidence in how to push your boundaries. Fear can be a paralysing emotion, and having someone to guide you through that process can ease the burden and have a transformative effect.
Experience
Are you brand new? Never done this before? Then do PT - remember it doesn't have to be forever, but it's the best way to make sure you're doing everything correctly, and gives you a great foundation to build on.
Are you really experienced and starting to out grow classes? Do PT. As you grow, your requirements will change. Classes may have got you from there to here, but they may not be what will get you from here to the next there.
Progress has stalled
Have you plateaued? Have you been doing everything "right" but you've lifted your head after 6 months and you're in the same place? Then consider bringing in a coach to shake things up. Give you some perspective. Tighten your focus. Push your boundaries.
Roger Federer is the best tennis player in the world, he makes millions playing tennis, knows everything there is to know about the game. He still pays an old guy to get him out on the court when his motivation might be low, to watch his games and give the outside perspective. Why? Because he's human, and you are too.
So those are a few reasons why we might recommend PT, they aren't binary - these aren't finite, irrefutable laws, these are factors we consider when making a plan.
If you feel like a few of these reasons speak to you, book in an intro if you're new, or a goal review if you're an existing member, and we can help you navigate the decision :)
