Is Personal Training REALLY WORTH THE MONEY??? (THE REAL TEA)

So on this month's blog, I am going to give you the straight up HONEST TEA. We are going to break down the costs and find out if PT is really something you should invest in...

           Now I know what you are all probably thinking... I'm kind of biased. Being that I AM a personal trainer, I know you think I'm going in a certain direction with this blog. But I think you're going to be surprised at my opinion here, so just give it a chance before you jump to conclusions! 
           Before I ever became a Personal Trainer, I was a long-time gym customer and always utilized Personal Training. Honestly I didn't know much about it (in terms of the whole science aspect behind it) but I liked the idea of having someone to push me through my workouts instead of doing them alone. I can tell you from experience, the trainers I connected the most with REALLY KNEW THEIR STUFF. I may not have been certified or as knowledgable back then, but I could always tell when the trainer I was working with was experienced or just trying to make some money off of me. I have honestly been working with a coach and/or personal trainer for 8 years now, despite the fact that i do have the knowledge to do it on my own. So from a general consumer's standpoint, I want to tell you about the pros & cons:
PROS: A trainer will provide you with accountability, motivation, encouragement, guidance, and make you feel more comfortable in the gym setting. It will also ensure that you have a good workout for the hour that you are at the gym, and you have much less risk of "slacking off".
CONS: Can be "expensive" (I will go into the pricing next), can be intimidating at first or at times, or you could get an inexperienced trainer or one that does not mesh with you and your needs.

Okay, so so those are the PROS & CONS I could think of as someone who has purchased PT before, or is in the market for a trainer. Now let's get into my opinion on IF PERSONAL TRAINING IS OVERPRICED - from a trainer's standpoint. This answer will probably shock you; but the majority of trainers I see training in corporate or box gyms are actually not worth your money. Most of them have gotten some type of certification off the internet and have no real clue how to train someone using science based knowledge. (I SAID MOST) Then there's the trainers that think they can train people just because they know how to work out themselves, so they put their customers through the exact same workouts and movements that they do. Lastly, theres the super "motivational" gym-coach style trainers that shuffle all of their clients through the same drills (jumping jacks, burpees, ONE MORE SQUAT!) day after day and just have a way of talking that makes them seem like they know what they are talking about. Every single trainer listed above is NOT WORTH THE PRICE OF PERSONAL TRAINING. Please don't take this as me putting down everyone that works in my industry- I am not. Instead, I am trying to define and STRESS the difference between simply training and PERSONALIZED training. 

Why does it matter and WHAT is the difference?
It matters because these simple differences make training an invaluable resource that I would pay an insane amount of money for and never regret it. When it comes to your health and quality of life, i think anything that can actually IMPROVE that is 100% worth investing in... don't you?
What's the difference? Okay, here's what a PERSONAL TRAINER should do for you... ready to be floored? The trainer should meet you and talk to you for a looming time to learn all about your past, medical history, goals, exercise history, injuries, ETC. (This should honestly take up the majority of your first session together, because if a trainer doesn't KNOW you... how is it PERSONAL?) Then the trainer should take measurements for you (body fat, BMI, weight, tape measurements) so that they have a way of tracking your progress- obviously this is somewhat dependent on your goals but part of our job IS to track progress and numbers. Next comes the assessment, perhaps the MOST important and yet most neglected part of proper training. The trainer should take you through a movement assessment of their choice to find out what imbalances, weaknesses, and movement patterns you have so they can then take that information and design a program. You see, chances are if you haven't been to the gym in awhile or sit all day for work, you have a lot of issues happening that you aren't even aware of. Maybe your lower back hurts, maybe your knees.. either way; these issues can actually be FIXED through a proper corrective program, not just "worked around". This assessment and the goal-setting/talking should be all that really happens during your first session or fitness orientation. Taking you right into a workout with movements that could worsen any of your imbalances will only lead to injury. (This is unfortunately what I see the majority of the time at health clubs.) Finally, the trainer should go home and design a corrective and progressive program just for YOU that will not only help you meet your personal fitness goals, but help you move better on a daily basis and function better on a mechanical level. This is the kind of training we need to DEMAND from anyone becoming a Personal Trainer. This is a safe, effective, and an incredibly personal level of care. AND YES, THIS TYPE OF TRAINING IS SO WORTH YOUR MONEY!!!!!!! 

So what is the take-away from this long winded post?
As a consumer, be educated when shopping for or choosing a Personal Trainer.
Find someone who will talk to you, take the time to learn about YOU and YOUR GOALS, and make the experience amazing for you. I can promise you will never regret investing in a GREAT PT. Please ask questions and be aware of the types of trainers I mentioned above. Test the trainer before buying with them. Ask them what their certifications they have or what experience they have working with clients- don't be shy, you are a potential client ! You are valuable!

If you need ANY help with anything health or fitness related, or have any questions please leave me a comment below or email me - MICHELLEMELZL@YAHOO.COM
Now offering 1-ON-1 custom nutrition and fitness coaching services, as well as digital programs and videos.

MICHELLE ROSE MELZL (CEO MEL Z FIT)

Proudly a full-time NASM CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER, with NASM CORRECTIVE EXERCISE, FITNESS NUTRITION, BEHAVIOR CHANGE, AND PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT SPECIALTIES.

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