Introduction
If you want to achieve your fitness goals and are looking for either a personal trainer or some group classes, then this is the right article you have come across. Both these types of fitness training programs have their pros and cons. Before you choose any one of these programs, you should have a look at them and then assess them according to your personalized requirements.
So let’s have a look at the meaning, advantages, and disadvantages of both personal training session and group classes.
Personal Trainer
As the name itself suggests, training provided to an individual personally is referred to as personal training. Under this type of training, an individual who has the certifications and qualifications of a certain degree of knowledge in general fitness will provide personal training to the clients. Generally, these individuals are involved in exercise prescription and instruction and help to motivate their clients by setting their fitness goals.
Before hiring a personal trainer, you should know his/her caliber of personal training certification based on the location where you live. Make sure your trainer has some of the industry recognized certifications and is ready to give you personalised training by providing you with feedback and accountability.
Now let’s have a look at the advantages and disadvantages of personal training.
Personal Training vs Group Classes
Pros of Personal Training
1. Personal Fitness Instructors Ensure Safety
The major aim of hiring a personal trainer is because they are certified and hence can keep their clients safe. Their professional knowledge in the field of health and fitness ensures that their clients exercise with the correct posture and proper form.
Since a personal trainer will be providing you with one-on-one attention, he or she is more likely to fix their attention on you and help you correct any improper alignment. In simple words, with their undivided attention, personal trainers make sure to correct any anatomical form and hence reduce your risk of injury.
2. Personalized Results
As opposed to group fitness classes, personal training doesn’t use a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. A personal trainer will initially assess your fitness level, strength, and weaknesses and then craft an individualized workout program for you.
Moreover, senior citizens who have different illnesses or conditions can also hire physical fitness trainers. In this case, the instructor will create an individualized workout routine while keeping in mind these conditions.
Hence, the most important advantage of one-on-one personal training is that your fitness goals will be created according to your health history and body type. You can also get your workout routine adapted according to your wish list like your goals or whatever you want from your workout be it weight loss, increasing core strength, weight gain, etc.
3. Quicker Progress
Individuals hiring a personal trainer are more likely to see faster results when compared to those who work in group classes. There are a number of factors contributing to this fact. First of all, since you have an individualized program, you can better achieve your goals.
Secondly, a personal trainer is a qualified professional who has knowledge in this field to help you build fitness according to your body time. He or she can help to track your exercise regimen to ensure that you are maintaining steady progress. Moreover, this instructor will even make sure to improvise your work routine according to your progress so that you are always on the right track.
4. Motivation
Though group classes also help motivate the students with encouragement, entertainment, or upbeat music, The type of motivation you will get in personal training cannot be beaten by it. Your certified professional trainer will give you motivation in a step-by-step manner and encourage you according to your fitness goals, requirements weaknesses and strengths.
This person will keep track of your results, optimize them, and acknowledge your efforts to reinforce positive behavior. He or she will be as interested in your goals as you are yourself. No doubt why positive re-enforcement is a more powerful motivator when compared to the loud music and little words of encouragement of group exercise.
The importance of motivation while adhering to a consistent workout routine cannot be stated enough. Fluctuation of the enthusiasm levels of humans is very common because life gets in the way and we may disrupt our workout routines. But when you have someone who is as invested in your fitness journey as yourself, you know he or she will be providing you the right motivation.
5. Set Realistic Fitness Goals
Just like mentioned above if we do not see any progress or do not achieve goals in a timely manner, then we may get sidetracked from our fitness goals. This usually happens when you are working out in group classes and set unrealistic goals. This is because, without any professional knowledge or certification, you may be overestimating yourself.
However, a fitness instructor who is certified in the field will be able to determine what goals you can realistically achieve in a given time frame. A workout that sounds too good to be true will just last a few weeks and leave you demotivated because of your inability to achieve the goals.
You can avoid the situation when you hire a personal trainer who can set realistic goals while tracking your progress and optimising these goals accordingly from time to time.
6. Nutritional Advice
Since personal trainers are qualified in this field, they generally offer you nutritional advice to complement your workout regimens. In cases when your fitness goal is either weight loss or weight gain then just exercising may not help.
Focusing on a balanced diet is crucial to complement your exercise and workout regimens. Hence your fitness instructor can help to create a personalised balanced diet plan for you to help you achieve your particular goals.
Cons of One-on-One Training
1. More Expensive than a Group Class
The most known drawback of personal training when compared with group exercise is its expenses. This type of training is individualized and personalized according to the particular client. Since your fitness instructor will be focusing just on you, he/she will need the value of money for the efforts given during a given timeframe.
2. Major Focus Is on You
If you are an introvert and become conscious when someone is watching you and guiding you, then instead of being effective, personal training can be uncomfortable for you. This happens when people like to blend in with the crowd and work in a group setting.
In these situations, individuals may prefer group classes as compared to personal training which might pressurize them and reduce their efficiency.
3. Difference in Personality
Since you are going to spend a lot of time with your personal trainer make sure you choose the right one. Many times after you hire a personal trainer, you will notice that your personality classes with him or her. In this case, just one hour with this instructor may feel like 3 to 4 hours.
Working out should never be done just for the sake of it but should also be enjoyed. However, if your personality doesn’t match with your personal trainer, then you are more likely to feel working out as a pressure.
To avoid this disadvantage, make sure you thoroughly enquire about your prospective coach before hiring the person. Prepare a list of detailed questions that can help you know about their personality.
Group Exercise and Group Fitness Instructor
Group classes refer to classes where a particular fitness instructor teaches a group of students. These classes are available for virtually everyone and are quite diverse. They may have students of varied demographics, expertise and age.
So are you considering whether to include group exercise or personal training in your fitness journey? If yes then here are the advantages and disadvantages of group exercise that can help you compare both these training programs and make your decision.
Pros of Group Training
1. Group Energy
In a group class, each member has their own vibe and energy. When working alone with an individual, you will just learn from the coach. However, when you are in a group class, you can experience the group energy and highly active momentum of each individual.
2. More Accountability
When you have a gym membership, you may be tempted to skip your classes just once a week, just twice a week and this figure would rise with a domino effect. You can prevent this effect by joining a group training class with your friend. This will help you to become an accountability buddy for each other.
In this case, skipping your class just once a week will be referred to as betrayal to your friend. This increases your chances of showing up to your group training class.
3. Enhance Your Network
Socializing and increasing your networks is one of the most notable advantages of a group training class. In this era of digitalization, when most individuals are glued to their screens, making new friends and socializing while working out is a great idea. It will help to break your monotonous lifestyle and increase your networks.
Making new friends is not just beneficial for your group classes but will also help you to get some more clients for your work (provided you are working).
4. Affordable Option
Group training classes are way more affordable when compared to personal training classes. So if you are on a tight budget then you can choose group training classes with a blind eye. Moreover, you can get additional discounts if you buy these classes in bulk or pay them in advance.
Paying in advance will also encourage and motivate you to attend these classes because you will want the best return for your bucks.
5. Wide Variety of Classes
Another advantage of group training is the wide variety of classes to choose from. Whatever your fitness goal is, there is always a chance that you will find a class for it. There is a range of classes covering almost all fitness goals like yoga, weight loss or weight gain classes, pilates, boxing, etc.
If you are still not sure about your fitness goal, then you can try different classes and see what suits you best.
5. Less Pressure
Group training is better for introverts who feel pressured when working with a single instructor. As opposed to a one-on-one setting, there will be less attention on you since you are in a group and hence the spotlight won’t be just on you.
You can easily learn your exercise and workout without having the feeling that you are being watched every second. When you are under less pressure, you can also learn from the mistakes of others in the group.
Cons of Group Exercise
1. Less Attention
The major disadvantage of a group exercise is divided attention. Since there is just a single fitness instructor, his or her attention is divided among all participants. It is difficult for a single fitness instructor to correct the alignment and posture of each and every participant and ensure their 100% safety.
Thus, the lack of one-on-one attention from your instructor is impossible in a group setting unless and until there are very few people in the group.
2. Greater Risk of Injury
Though you can save a good amount of money by enrolling in a group class when compared to a personal training class, you can lose the same amount or even higher if you suffer an injury.
Suffering an injury in group classes would not just result in extra expenses but will also cost you your time and your health. It can severely impact all the progress you have made in the past years.
Since there is just a single fitness instructor in group classes, it becomes difficult for the person to correct the alignments and postures of all the individuals. Due to the divided attention, the participants can do exercises with wrong alignments that can result in the risk of injuries.
3. Unhealthy Competition
While the fitness instructor in a group exercise focuses on creating an atmosphere where there is healthy competition, it is human nature that we tend to compare ourselves with others in a group. In the ideal case, you should compete only against your past results.
However, group classes can be intimidating where the participants may compete with each other which could lead to unhealthy competition.
4. Availability Limitations
When you are the only one getting trained by a personal trainer, you have flexibility in the timing and frequency of your sessions. But group classes occur at fixed intervals of time and you do not have a say in the timing or frequency of the sessions.
The timing of these sessions is quite rigid and you have to schedule your activities to accommodate them.
5. Loss of Confidence
This disadvantage is mainly due to the unhealthy competition that might occur in group classes. Sometimes your team members may be unsupportive and jealous of you. Other times, you may always get a feeling of uneasiness to keep up with the best students in the class. In these situations, it is easy to lose your confidence and give up.
Conclusion
Thus, this is all you need to know about personal training and group classes. In the above article, we have delineated in detail the advantages and disadvantages of both these methods of training. You can assess the pros and cons of each training module and see which option weighs better for your fitness goals, budget, and requirements.
Good luck!