Benefits of a Personal Trainer & How To Find One

With personal training becoming more and more popular with both fitness newbies and professionals, you may have wondered, should I get a personal trainer? 

This article will cover:

• What Does A Personal Trainer Do?
• What Are The Benefits Of A Personal Trainer?
• Things To Consider When Getting A Personal Trainer
• What To Expect From A Personal Training Session
• FAQs

If you’re already certain of the benefits why not become a personal trainer yourself? Through the completion of a Personal Training Diploma, you'll be helping like-minded clients experience the many benefits of a tailored workout programme.

Download our free course prospectus to find out more!

What Does A Personal Trainer Do?

Before we get into the benefits of having a personal trainer, let’s first establish what exactly a personal trainer does and what their role involves.

A personal trainer is simply a certified fitness professional who works on a 1-to-1 basis with a client to help them achieve their fitness goals.

One of the main roles and responsibilities of a personal trainer is to create and deliver a tailored fitness programme for a client. This is predominantly done through sessions in which the PT guides the client through a series of exercises.

A personal trainer should essentially be a role model for a client and their aim should always be to motivate their client to reach their goals!

They may also offer advice on nutrition and lifestyle, and can specialise in particular areas of fitness. You can check out our guide to the different types of personal trianers here!

These are just some of the advantages of a personal trainer, which we will explore in more detail next.

If this sounds like the job for you, it’s easy to become a qualified personal trainer with OriGym. We offer a Personal Training Diploma which gives you all the qualifications you need to become a PT in as little as 4 weeks!

What Are The Benefits Of A Personal Trainer?

So, now you know exactly what a PT does, you may have gathered that there are huge benefits of working with a personal trainer. From giving you motivation to reducing the risk of injury, let’s see why personal training is so popular!

#1- They will help you set clear goals

A major benefit of having a personal trainer is that they will help you set clear and achievable fitness goals.

You may say that you go to the gym to ‘be healthy’, but have you ever stopped to think about exactly how and why you want to be healthy? And how will you know when you have achieved this? This lack of direction is what can lead to demotivation and an apathetic attitude towards fitness. 

But this is where a personal trainer comes in! A major benefit of having a personal trainer is that they will help you set a clear ‘end goal’ to work towards.

Some common fitness goals include: weight loss, muscle gain, injury rehabilitation, training for a sports event such as a race, or even for the mental health benefits of exercise. 

Goal setting is often done in the first session with your personal trainer. They will ask you questions about why you have sought out a personal trainer and what you want to achieve.

This is usually done by creating SMART fitness goals. Standing for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-Bound, this criteria is often used by personal trainers when setting their client’s goals.

For example, instead of just saying that you want to ‘lose weight’, a personal trainer will help you specify exactly how much weight you want to lose, a date you want to have lost it by, and how you will measure your progress towards that weight.

Establishing your goals at the start of your program helps your PT ensure that each session counts towards achieving it!

Seeing a client achieve their goals is one of the most rewarding aspects of being a personal trainer. If this sounds appealing, it could be the career for you! Check out our step-by-step guide on how to become a personal trainer to see how to launch your career in fitness!

#2- They will create a program tailored to your individual needs

One of the main benefits of one on one personal training is that they will create an exercise program that is tailored to your specific needs, goals and ability.

Once you have determined your goals with your personal trainer, this will then dictate the nature of your training sessions. 

As well as making sure that you reach your goals, they will also tailor the program to you by taking into account any physical or mental factors that may affect your training. 

For example, if you have an injury, your PT will adapt exercises to accommodate for it. This is one of the major benefits of using a personal trainer over generic fitness programs, as each exercise will be specifically adapted for your body.

In fact, many personal trainers will have extra qualifications to help clients with specific health problems. For example, OriGym offers a specialist course in Lower Back Pain Management, which qualifies personal trainers to train clients who are suffering with back conditions or trying to rehabilitate from a back injury. 

If you are already a qualified personal trainer, taking an additional specialist course with OriGym will help you to create a more tailored program for clients in your niche and increase your chances of client retention. 

Some other further qualifications that could benefit your career include a Level 4 Diabetes Control and Weight Management Certificate or a specialist Nutritionist course.

#3- Improve your form

An important yet often overlooked benefit of working out with a personal trainer is that they will help you perform an exercise with the correct form. 

Even if you’ve been going to the gym for a while or consider yourself a fitness expert, you can easily get into bad habits when it comes to form without even realising. A good personal trainer will only take one look at your form and be able to tell if you have been performing a certain exercise incorrectly for years!

But why is using the correct form so important? 

Using correct form essentially ensures that you are engaging the right muscles during an exercise. Not only does this help you make progress in the right areas of the body, but it also helps you avoid injury. This is because bad form can lead to overcompensation, putting strain on your joints, tendons and ligaments. 

For example, using the correct form when performing squats is particularly important. This is because failing to engage the glutes, quads and core puts pressure on the spine and lower back muscles instead, leading to lower back problems over time.

Injuries from bad form can therefore be avoided by learning the correct technique from a personal trainer. 

#4- Help you train safely

Not only does a personal trainer help you reduce the risk of injury by teaching you proper form, but also by teaching you to use gym equipment safely. 

You may not have thought it, but a gym can be a very dangerous environment if used incorrectly. In fact, a study found that 41% of gym users have injured themselves whilst working out. One of the biggest causes of this is that people try to use equipment that they don’t know how to use! 

One of the best benefits of working out with a personal trainer is that they will ‘spot’ you. In strength training, spotting is simply when someone supports you during an exercise in order to help you to safely lift or push more than you usually would. This is done by tracking the weight you are lifting so that they can intervene in the event that you need to drop the weight. 

Having a personal trainer to spot you therefore not only helps you perform an exercise safely, but also helps you push yourself to reach your full potential. So if you’re still wondering, ‘are personal trainers worth it?’, they most definitely are if you want to train safely and reach your goals! 

Here at OriGym, we know that as a client, you want peace of mind when working out. That’s why any PT who has taken one of our CIMSPA-accredited personal trainer courses will have learned the highest standard of health and safety procedures to keep their clients safe. 

#5- Holds you accountable 

When working out by yourself, there is no one to hold you accountable. We’re all familiar with that feeling of putting a workout off all week, or snoozing your alarm instead of heading to an early morning gym session, but this kind of attitude can drastically hinder your progress! 

However, you are much more likely to do that morning workout if you have a session booked in with your PT. A great benefit of having a personal trainer is therefore that they ensure that you stick to your plan and reach your goals. 

This is because if you don’t turn up to your session, you are letting someone else down, as well as yourself. Plus, if it is a pre-paid session, you’ll also not want to waste the money you have already spent!

This extra element of accountability is what will really motivate you to stick to the training program and ultimately help you achieve your goals, more so than if you were training alone. 

If you’re a PT yourself, check out these ways to motivate your clients for some ideas on how to hold your clients accountable. 

#6- Help you track your progress

As for holding you accountable, a benefit of a personal trainer is that they will help you track your progress throughout the program. 

One of the main things that deters people from carrying on with an exercise program is that they feel like they aren’t seeing results, causing them to lose motivation. 

But with a PT, they will constantly track your progress and show you that your hard work is paying off! This is one of the major advantages of personal training over training alone. 

For example, they will be able to take accurate body measurements that you may not have been able to do yourself, such as muscle mass.

They may also do things like take videos of you performing exercises. This not only helps you check that your form is correct, but they are also good to look back on later in the program, to see how far you’ve come! 

Using a fitness journal is a good way to keep track of your progress. You can record your workouts, logging things such as how much weight you lifted. 

But as well as quantifiable things, a personal trainer may also encourage you to record how you feel after each workout. After all, the mental health benefits of using a personal trainer are just as important as any physical progress you make! 

#7- Can provide nutrition advice 

Another potential benefit of having a personal trainer is that they can give you nutritional advice as well as exercises. 

All personal trainers will learn about nutrition in their Level 3 qualification, but only those who have taken an advanced sports nutrition course are qualified to give you a meal plan that is tailored to your individual goals, needs, and training plan. 

If you’re wondering, ‘should I get a personal trainer with a nutrition qualification?’, the short answer is that it really depends on your goals. If you feel that you need guidance on your diet, then it is of course worth choosing a PT who is qualified to help you with this. 

As we will discuss later in this article, getting a personal trainer with this specialist qualification will give you peace of mind that you are receiving accurate nutritional advice. 

Just as a PT can give you an exercise program tailored to your needs, they can also give you a nutrition plan which is completely unique to you. Unlike a generic meal plan you may find online, a personal trainer would be able to give you nutritional advice that helps you reach your specific goals, as well as taking into account any dietary requirements.

#8- Help you start healthy long term habits

A personal trainer can not only help you achieve your short term fitness goals, but also help you establish healthy habits for life. 

One of the major benefits of working with a personal trainer is that they can help change your view of health and fitness. Whereas you may have previously seen exercise as a chore, a good PT will help you see that it doesn’t have to be! 

For example, if your goal was to lose a certain amount of weight, a personal trainer will indeed help you achieve that short term goal. But they will also give you tips to maintain your weight loss, so that you can keep up your progress even after you finish working with them. 

The gym can be an intimidating place if you are unfamiliar with it. However, a great personal trainer advantage is that they can help build up your confidence in performing certain exercises, using equipment and generally navigating a fitness environment. This will help you develop the confidence to continue working out yourself without your trainer.

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Before we carry on, check out these articles to see how YOU can become a personal trainer:

• How To Find A Personal Trainer
• 21 Signs Of A Bad Personal Trainer
• The Different Types Of Personal Trainer

#9 - Gives you accurate and reliable information 

The world of fitness can seem confusing and even intimidating. With so many different workouts, fad diets and fitness regimes out there, it can be hard to know where to start!

A great advantage of personal training over training alone is that they can help give you clarity on these things. 

Most importantly, since they are qualified fitness professionals, you can be sure that this information is accurate and relevant to you, unlike generic information you may find online.

Social media in particular is full of fitness accounts that give out fitness advice or even try to sell exercise and diet plans. You should be wary of this, as many of these people are not qualified to do so! 

However, with a personal trainer, you can be sure that you are receiving reliable, accurate and tailored advice. 

#10- Personal trainer benefits your mental health 

Most people may think of personal trainers as helping you achieve physical or aesthetic results, such as weight loss or muscle toning. But in fact, personal training benefits your mental health too! 

There are countless proven mental health benefits of exercise, such as boosting your mood, promoting sleep and improving concentration. 

A good personal trainer is not only a fitness coach, but also a positive role model who will encourage and motivate you. This is a huge benefit of personal training that can also act as a positive and supportive role model, which will all help boost your mood and improve your self-confidence!

Personal training can also help those who are stuck in a rut or lacking structure in their lives. The regularity of sessions can help you form a routine, which can be extremely beneficial for your mental health. 

Things To Consider When Getting A Personal Trainer

Now that you know the benefits of having a personal trainer, we bet that you’re eager to get going! But before you jump into anything, here are some things you should look out for when choosing a personal trainer.

#1- Baseline qualifications

Perhaps the most important thing to check when choosing a personal trainer is their qualifications. In order for someone to work as a PT, they must have the following qualifications as a minimum:

Level 2 Gym Instructing Course: This is an entry level qualification that shows that qualifies them to work as a fitness instructor in a gym.

Level 3 Personal Trainer Course: Without this, they cannot call themselves a personal trainer! This is what gives them the skills, experience and knowledge to train clients one-on-one and work as a PT either for a gym or freelance. 

Their qualifications should be listed in their personal trainer bio, which is usually found on their website, social media or on a gym advertisement board. 

Once you have found someone with these qualifications, it is just as important to check whether their course is awarded from a reputable course provider. The key thing to look for is that their course has been accredited by CIMSPA and endorsed by Ofqual. 

But what are the benefits of hiring a personal trainer with these credentials? Being endorsed by these organisations means that the qualification meets and surpasses industry-standards. This not only shows that you will be receiving the highest quality of personal training, but also gives you peace of mind that you are in good hands. 

Some PTs may have taken a free personal training course. These courses will not have the required accreditation and regulation to give you an official Level 3 qualification, so you may be given a ‘personal trainer certificate’ which pretty much anyone could make! You should therefore be wary of a personal trainer who has taken a free course. 

To find out more about why qualifications matter, check out our comparison of the best personal training courses here.

#2- Look for any additional qualifications

As well as the minimum requirements for being a personal trainer, they can then take further qualifications to specialise in a particular area of fitness.

The main benefit of having a personal trainer with a specialist qualification is that they can give you a more specialised and higher standard of training. This is particularly beneficial if you have a specific goal for personal training, or have a particular health condition to take into account. 

Here at OriGym, we know how important these extra qualifications are in helping personal trainers attract more clients. That’s why we offer an extensive range of CPD courses, in everything from kettlebell courses to body weight training. 

Ultimately, the more qualifications a personal trainer has, the more experience they have in the industry and the better their services will be. It also shows that they are dedicated and committed, as they have taken the time to further their knowledge. All of these things will ultimately benefit you as a client! 

#3- Cost 

Finding your dream personal trainer is all well and good, but you need to be able to afford to pay for your sessions! It is therefore important to find a PT within your budget if you want to experience the full benefits of one on one personal training.

Before you start your hunt for a PT, it is worth setting yourself a budget. That way, you can narrow down your search and make sure that you don’t jump into something that you can’t afford. 

A lot of personal trainers may offer a free initial consultation session, which is always worth taking advantage of before you commit. 

Most personal trainers will also offer a discount for buying a block of several sessions in advance. This is a great way to save money in the long run!

Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer to how much a personal trainer costs; you can expect to pay anything from £25-45 per session. But this price depends on a variety of factors, such as their location, experience and specialisms. 

#4- Insurance 

It may seem boring, but one of the most important things you should look out for when getting a personal trainer is insurance. 

As we have discussed, one of the advantages of personal training is that they can help you train safely. As well as teaching you how to use equipment correctly and supervising you, having a PT with insurance means that you are protected in the event of an accident whilst you are training. 

If a personal trainer is hired by a gym, it is likely that they will fall under the gym’s insurance policy. However, if you choose a freelance personal trainer, they should have their own insurance policy.  

#5- Personality and teaching style

As we have discussed, a great benefit of using a personal trainer is that they will motivate and inspire you. But this can only happen if they have a personality and teaching style that you get on with! 

Everyone’s preferences are different; some clients want the kind of PT who shouts at them to get through the last set! But others respond better to positive reinforcement and a gentler approach. 

Since personality is so subjective, it may take a while to find a personal trainer that you really ‘click’ with. It is therefore wise to meet with a potential personal trainer face-to-face and ask about their teaching style, before you commit to anything.

Even before meeting them in-person, a good way to see if you will get on with a personal trainer is to check out their social media. A quick scroll through their Instagram will usually give you a good indication of their brand, values and teaching style. 

What To Expect From A Personal Training Session

If reading about the many personal training benefits has inspired you to get one, you may now be wondering what to expect from a PT session. 

Once you have signed up for a personal trainer, your first session will involve some initial tasks such as a postural assessment and an initial fitness assessment. This will involve things such as taking body composition measurements and assessing your current fitness level. They will also discuss your goals and expectations for the program. 

This initial session is important, as the more information they can get at this stage, the more tailored a program they can create! After all, having a program completely tailored to you is a major advantage of personal training. 

After this initial assessment, a typical PT program will consist of a series of sessions over a period of weeks, months or a year. 

Personal trainer sessions typically take place in a gym or fitness centre, but can also take place online, or in your own home if you opt for a mobile personal trainer. 

The nature of your personal training sessions will depend entirely on the type of program your PT has made for you. But a typical session will involve a mixture of cardio, strength training and even flexibility and mobility exercises too. 

During the session, your personal trainer will be instructing you and supervising each exercise. They will demonstrate exercises, check your form, teach you how to use equipment and look out for your safety at all times. These are all things that you wouldn’t have if you were training alone! 

A good personal trainer will also give you stretches to warm-up before and cool down after your workout, in order to aid muscle recovery and prevent injury. 

A typical PT session typically lasts anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. 

You’ll then use the time at the end of your PT session to arrange your next session, review anything of importance from your recent workout, and discuss anything that you should be doing before the next session. 

As you progress through your program, you should find that each session pushes you further towards your goal. 

FAQs

How many personal trainer sessions should I have a week? 

You may now be wondering, how many sessions should I have a week in order to feel the full benefits of a personal trainer? 

In short, there is no definite answer. It depends on several factors, such as your goals and time schedule. Ultimately, how often you train depends on how much time you are willing and able to dedicate to it! 

This will be discussed in your first session with a personal trainer, and they will then determine a timeframe and how many sessions you should be having a week. In fact, one of the best advantages of personal training is that they will decide these things for you! 

That said, most clients typically have an average of 1 to 2 sessions per week. Most people will also do individual workouts in between those sessions too to keep up their progress. 

How long should I train with a PT? 

This is another question that doesn’t have a definitive answer! 

It depends on a number of factors, such as the nature of your goals. For example, if you are getting personal training to prepare for a certain event such as a race, then this can help determine the length of your personal training program. 

However, if you are getting a personal trainer for a more long term goal or just to generally improve your fitness levels, then you could train with a PT for anything from 3 to 6 months, or even a year. 

Ultimately, how long you spend with a PT is however long you feel that you need in order to fully reap the benefits of a personal trainer. 

For more information, check out our article which answers all you need to know about how long to have a personal trainer for.  

Before You Go!

If you have what it takes to be a personal trainer yourself, remember you can take your first steps towards this career with OriGym's industry-leading Personal Training Diploma!

Find out more by downloading our course prospectus and enquire today.