Personal Trainer VS Self Training—How to Know Which is Best

Are you a personal trainer helping clients navigate whether they want to hire you or workout on their own?

The truth is not everyone needs a personal trainer! However, almost everyone can benefit from working with a personal trainer – even the pros. It’s not uncommon for fitness experts and personal trainers to hire their own personal trainers. 

Follow along as we explore why! And we provide a few talking points for potential clients trying to decide whether or not to hire a personal trainer.

Benefits of Personal Trainer VS Self Training

If your potential clients are on the fence about which route to take (personal training or self-training), the following list includes a few benefits of working with a fitness trainer. You can discuss the value of each of them to help determine whether or not a personal trainer is a good fit for their workout routine.

1. Push Clients Beyond Their Limits

One of the best things about working out with a personal trainer is they’ll push most individuals harder than the individual pushes themselves. Most people tend to stop a few repetitions (reps) too short of failure, quit a few seconds too soon, choose a lighter weight than they should, or alter their form to complete a set. Personal trainers know the body is going to change when it’s pushed beyond its current capabilities (overload principle). For potential clients, those extra reps, seconds, and additional weight might just be the key to the results they’re not getting on their own. 

2. Teach and Educate 

Personal trainers can be a wealth of fitness knowledge. They understand the human body, how it moves, and how it uses energy. They know where the muscles attach and which exercises activate different muscles. Many personal trainers are also life-long learners. So, they stay on top of new trends, research, and exercise techniques. They can help clients unravel confusing fitness information, identify sketchy diets, and share tips and tricks that support a healthier lifestyle. 

3. Ensure Proper Form

Good personal trainers understand biomechanics and make proper form a priority. It’s an essential component of their training. They can modify an exercise because of a client’s movement limitations, address problematic form that might contribute to pain or injury, and cue changes in the body position to ensure the correct muscles are firing. 

Even if an individual (without a personal trainer) knows what proper form looks like, it’s not always easy for them to identify improper form when performing the exercise. For example, the neck and spine should remain in a neutral position while executing a plank. Lifting and twisting the head to watch the body in the mirror isn’t ideal. 

4. Accountability

Daily or weekly check-ins are an important element of a client’s personal training program! Many clients tend to increase their commitment to the plan when they know someone will be evaluating their progress. 

Trainers only spend a short time with their clients in the gym, but they know habits outside the gym are the key to success. So, trainers stay connected to help keep clients on track with their goals, provide support and encouragement, and ensure clients know they have someone rooting for their success. 

5. Prepare for a Race/Competition

It’s common for newbies, fitness fanatics, and advanced athletes to take on new fitness challenges (run a marathon, compete in a bodybuilding show, finish a Tough Mudder race, etc.). Regardless of whether or not the client has solid base training, if they are taking on a new physical challenge, it’s valuable to have a fitness coach with specialized training and experience to help the client properly prepare and know what to expect. 

6. Help Build a Plan for Fitness Goals

Many clients know what they want to accomplish (weight loss, increase lean body mass, improve muscle strength, etc.). However, they often need help making their fitness goal specific and understanding what to do each week to get there. 

If writing goals isn’t a client’s strength, a personal trainer can help them create a S.M.A.R.T. goal. This will ensure the goal has a timeframe, is realistic, etc. Then, they will help clients break that goal down into bite-size pieces. This provides smaller successes to strive for and a consistent gauge of whether or not the client is on track with the end goal.

7. Switch up a Boring Workout Routine

If an individual’s workout starts to become monotonous, they’ll likely plateau, or worse, they’ll discontinue working out. Hiring a trainer is a great way to keep workouts interesting and continue to challenge the body. Personal trainers often have a plethora of knowledge, special skill sets, and unique equipment that can transform an exercise routine. A few yoga postures, a kickboxing workout, some corrective exercise, or a HIIT sandbag workout may be just what clients need to get out of a slump. 

8. Get Comfortable at the Gym

Personal trainers can be a great resource for clients that aren’t used to exercise equipment. It’s common for gym members and new clients to feel uncomfortable trying to figure out how to use an exercise machine or asking others how to use it - so, they avoid it. A fitness professional can help an individual understand which machines are best for their goals, how to properly adjust the weight and fit, and how to stay safe with each piece of equipment. 

3 Tips for Finding the Right Personal Trainer

If a potential client has determined working with a personal trainer is the right route for them, it’s important they understand not every trainer is the same. Here are a few tips to help them find the right exercise professional:

1. Credible Certification

A personal training certification, by itself, doesn’t necessarily make the trainer, but a personal trainer should have a credible personal training certification (CPT). Not all personal training certifications are made equal, so, their CPT should be from a reputable organization with updated and accurate science-based content, like ISSA’s Personal Trainer Certification. 

2. Specialty Training 

A trainer with several credentials can be an indication the trainer is invested in learning and has knowledge and skillsets other trainers don’t have. More importantly, if a client has unique personal training needs, it’s important to seek out a trainer with those skill sets (Example: seniors should work with trainers that have the education and skills to work with an older population).

3. Attend a Free Personal Training Session

Many personal trainers offer a free personal training session. This is a great time for a potential client to see if the trainer is the right fit for them. Does the trainer listen? Do they communicate effectively? Are they professional? Do personalities mesh or clash? Is training adjusted to the appropriate fitness level? These are all important questions to help a client make the right decision.

Are you interested in becoming a Certified Personal Trainer? Check out these top signs you would be a great personal trainer!

Ready to get certified? The International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) has been educating trainers all around the world for over 30 years. Our Personal Trainer Certification course is a comprehensive program that is one of the most well-respected personal training courses in the industry. Become an ISSA Personal Trainer today!