Personal Training vs Group Training
As a gym that focuses on group training, at Coachman Training Systems, we do offer a ton of personal training. Personal training is how most personal trainers start their career. Starting with personal training allows us to figure out how to develop programs and allows us to learn on the job about the body and also how to hold others accountable. We learn to be servant. We want to keep you heading towards goals that YOU set. We also know that for SOME people, group training works and you enjoy the social aspect of working out with others. But, you also miss that individualized approach that comes with personal training. We always recommend check ins with a coach of some sort, to hold you to your goals. We want what is best for you and typically personal training gets people to their goals faster.
(If you are new to working out, check out this article from last year about being in shape enough to work with a trainer.)
At Coachman we run big challenges all the time and that works for some, but it lacks that individualized approach. Our coaches do a great job at connecting with our members and staying in a small gym feel. Our classes rarely get above 10 in a class and we WANT it that way. We want to know you and be able to correct you when you might be messing up. But, ultimately if you are constantly struggling in a group, personal training is the number one approach. That personalized approach more times than not, gets you to your goals a lot faster (hence the reason it is more expensive).
Having trained 1,000's of people in my career, the one thing that I will always tell people is that if you have a one on one focus, you will ALWAYS hit goals faster. Having a trainer that is focused on YOU is the goal here. They make sure showing up each session is going to happen, they make sure you are giving everything you have in each session, and the trainer is staying in contact with you outside your session to create more accountability. Therefore a surefire program that will help you get to your promised land faster. Personal training is option 1A, for those that are starting out or those that have severe movement issues and group training is option 1B.
Key Takeaways of Personal Training:
1) Individualized Program, based on your movement quality, goals and schedule/budget.
2) Non stop accountability.
3) Non stop communication with your coach.
4) Nutrition pieces that can help you reach goals faster.
5) Constant progression, no plateaus.
6) Getting pushed to your limit!
7) Hardly any social interaction, besides with your coach.
Now, there are benefits to group training, as well. I personally love working out with a group. I like the social interaction, the competitiveness within the group and also the continual push to keep going from others. When working individually, it is up to your motivation and the push from the trainer to keep going (which is great, too). Problem in a group, though, is not every rep is watched and you can snake out of reps. I have seen it in the past where people get tired and either skip reps or do have the range of motion necessary, because they are tired. There is no skimping out when personal training.
Key Takeaways of Group Training:
1) Group Atmosphere.
2) Group Interaction.
3) Group Competition.
4) Lack of accountability to show up.
5) Don't always have coaches eyes on you.
6) No constant accountability from a coach.
7) Cookie cutter programs that don't truly push you to your limit.
So, what do I recommend? I recommend sitting down with a coach and figuring out your best path.
Sometimes we recommend a mixture of the two training styles. If you have a specific goal in mind and you know you can't get there by yourself, then hire a coach (we have a jump start training deal going on right now, 3-30 minute sessions for $99 by the way). Click that link if you need it. We have a lot of people that truly struggle with movement and group training WILL NOT solve that issue. We will do our best, but if you can't squat, hinge, push, pull, etc, we feel an individualized program will get you there faster. Simply going to a class that is designed for the average person, might nudge you forward, if the coach is AWESOME, but ultimately it isn't designed for you in mind.
If you want the fun atmosphere and group interaction, then go the group route. We have a good mix of all people at Coachman. Ultimately, we see benefits of both, but the main thing is, if you AREN'T seeing results in your current program, you NEED to change it up. Typically it is diet related that gets results, which we can help with, as well!
If you are interested in what we can do for you, individually or in a group, we would love to chat with you about it. We always offer a free evaluation session, if you want to go over your goals and see what we might prescribe for you. You can start by emailing info@coachmantrainingsystems.com, getting with a coach at the gym or simply clicking the jump start training program, for $99, link above and getting started.
