The Difference Between a PT Studio and a Gym… Pros and Cons

Many of us have had changed circumstances over the past few months, and will be reassessing our spending and what we do with our time. Perhaps some of you are wondering why you’d pay a personal trainer between $100 – $500 a session (hour) when you could spend $30/week for gym membership (up to $60 if you include a creche and/or childminding)? What are the pros and cons? and while we are at it, we’ll take a look at “classes” vs “small group PT’ too!

The Gym

Pros:

• Space: this is huge, because there’s often room to run, stretch, and move in ways that are impossible in a studio.
• Variety: in machines and classes
• Your cheapest option

Cons:

• Any instruction on how to use the space or classes
• Attention or self-care
• No-one notices if you don’t make it or miss a day
• If you’re doing something “incorrectly” you’re more likely to be video’d any uploaded to YouTube than you are to be corrected, OR there’s a risk you’ll be “corrected” by someone unqualified to provide the advice (like a fellow gym-goer).
• Depending on who you are, the sheer number of people might be intimidating
• Depending on who you are, the volume of people touching surfaces might make you nervous
• Options like a creche, nutrition coach, or PT are “ad-on’s” and the starting price may be deceiving.

Personal Training in a Studio or Online

Pros:

• Another persons’s undivided attention
• A workout designed specifically for your body and your needs
• Accountability: someone knows and cares when you’re sick or indisposed.
• It’s generally more effective because it’s more targeted, no wandering around a gym and experimenting!
• Get the right trainer in the right studio, and you’ll be able to train despite your physical limitations (like disability or pelvic floor dysfunction)
• In the IntoYou studio, one-on-one brings not just tailored movement prescription, but nutrition guidance, styling advice, meditation, self esteem and mental health coaching, massage, facials, and spiritual healing too!
• Smaller, and less intimidating than a gym
• Smaller, with a lower volume of customers coming in and touching the equipment
• Easier to clean and stay COVID safe
• The relationship – whether you’re training in the studio or online – that person is 100% yours for the duration of the session. Don’t underestimate the value of this!
• The trainer’s brain – they’ve got life experience, not just from their own life, but from the hundreds of people they’ve trained. Trainers who have defied the 2yr average that most PT’s are in business are often wise, and can draw on the experiences from all their clients as well as their own. This includes nutrition guidance (but make sure they’re a qualified nutrition coach or nutritionist if you’re going to get a meal plan)
• Childcare is taken care of – bring them!

Cons:

• Often have fewer pieces of equipment or space (not that you need so much, if your PT is an evil genius!)
• You’ll pay more, and even more than more, depending on the trainer’s experience and what they’re offering. Expect to pay up to $600/session for the top trainers in Australia.

A Personal Trainer in a Gym

Pros:

• You get the space, variety of equipment, and the targeted approach
• There’s a larger variety of trainer and experience, therefor you can pay less for a more inexperienced trainer but still get the “pro’s” above without the hefty price tag of an experienced trainer.

Cons:

• It’s easy for the trainer to be lazy and rely on the equipment to provide the feelings of a workout, without actually thinking of your needs (i’m not saying this always happens, but it is easy!)
• If you don’t ask the right questions, it’s easier to end up with an inexperienced trainer that doesn’t suit your needs.
• It’s still hard to keep the equipment clean.
• Nutrition, creche, etc is an “add-on” and may not be a cheap as you expect.

ClassesPros:

• These are FUN, and full of people which brings a fantastic social aspect.
• Fantastic for general, all-round fitness
• Music is great for losing yourself and connecting to your inner tribal warrior!
• Cheap
• There’ll usually be one or more other class-goer’s that you connect with and enjoy meeting week to week.

Cons:

• They’re generic, un-targeted, and un-focussed
• The repetitive nature of the movements increases your risk of injury, especially if you’re prone to knee/hip/back problems
• Once again, the environment can be intimidating, especially if it’s an activity you’ve never done before.
• Once again, it’s hard to keep the equipment clean because of the volume of class participants.
• Creche, nutrition, etc are all “add-on’s”; the “cheapness” can be deceiving.

Small Group PT sessions

Pros:

• More targeted than classes, the trainer can see you and tweak even the most generic session to your needs.
• Cheaper than one-on-one PT, and an acceptable “mid-way” option between a class and one-on-one PT
• Whether its one-on-one or small group PT, you’ll develop a close relationship with the trainer and the team you exercise with.

Cons:

• One on one PT will bring nutrition guidance, mid week follow ups, and tailored physical movement, but small group PT brings only half of all these things (for half the price).

Questions to ask when deciding:

• Do i have any “special needs” like disability, anxiety, or deep core dysfunction, that would benefit from a targeted approach?
• Is this trainer qualified to prescribe exercise for my circumstances?
• Is this trainer insured to train me (many aren’t insured for post natal populations  – which means they’re in questionable territory when they’re training mum’s)
• Am i qualified/experienced enough to train by myself in a gym? Do i know how to structure a balanced workout for my needs?
• Is this trainer going to enhance your life, bring something positive to your life experience, or punish you when you don’t complete their workout or diet?

One final note… While we believe in one-on-one training at IntoYou, we don’t believe there’s a huge difference between the studio and online, providing it’s face to face. The key points of a PT are the appointment, the relationship, and that particular PT’s brain (their IP); which you can get in both forums. We encourage you to have a look around and find the right trainer, with the right skill set for your circumstances. There are trainers all over the world specializing in everything from Cancer rehab, to Cerebral Palsy, to mum’s, training kids, and heart disease. There’s every level of experience available for each of these sub-categories. Find the fit that matches your budget and you’re good to go!

Got something to add to our list above? Tell us what we missed by commenting below!