Hiring A Personal Trainer In A Private Facility VS A Trainer In A Commercial Or Mainstream Gym...

Modern day gym’s and personal training have evolved to such an extent that clients find themselves uncertain as to which style of training suits them best and/or with which brand to affiliate. Personal training bred & delivered within private or commercial facilities are often marketed as offering different

services, experiences and results. Making a flash judgement as to which type of facility would offer better personal training would be premature and narrow sighted. There are many personal trainers in the industry which offer phenomenal personal training in various forms. It is best advised that clients weigh up the pros & cons prior to training in a private or commercial facility. Doing some research on the various different training styles & modalities on the market, as well as investigating who your trainer is and what the quality of his service delivery might be are pertinent points that should be considered before starting a training program.

Isolated Training Vs Functional Training

Isolated training is more aesthetic centric in nature while functional training is more performance centric in nature. Both training styles offer various benefits and can be found in commercial as well as private gyms.

While training styles are trainer specific as well as client specific, at this current point in time there appears to be a larger demand for isolated training in commercial gyms, as opposed to functional training in private gyms.

Facility structure, equipment availability & training philosophies influence the training approach chosen by a trainer. Goal

determination, prior experience and social media often influence the training approach requested by a client.

Clients should make informed decisions when it comes to training styles. Some questions that should be asked are: Can my trainer adapt his training style based on my goals? What personal training product does my personal trainer offer? Does the gym facility provide for the training style of my choice? Am I aware of the pros & cons of the various styles of training?

1-on-1 Training Vs Group Training

Nowadays both types of facilities offer various training packages to choose from. It appears however that 1-on-1 training is still the predominant choice in commercial gyms while group training has become a more affordable & popular option in private facilities. Regardless of what is most popular each package offers different training atmospheres.

1-on-1 training is more intimate and specific to the individual`s goals

2-on-1 training is ideal for couples and or close friends who aim to achieve a common goal or alternatively use the session to bond and/or engage in team building.

4-on-1 training seems to be the most popular & affordable package in private facilities, as it is a manageable size for the trainer to handle, as well as offers enough personal attention to each individual within the group, without compromising quality of service delivery.

Group Training (4+) is ideal for more experienced trainers who have the ability to conduct large groups of people, ensuring a smooth tempo & an all inclusive approach. This option is often ideal for sports teams or companies seeking corporate packages.

Questions to be asked by the client:

A. which training packages are most cost effective?

B. Which training package will ensure that I stay focused & achieve my goals?

C. Does my schedule allow me to coincide my training schedule with others in a group?

D. Has the gym facility been designed to accommodate training 1on1 or within a group?

E. Is my trainer experienced enough to offer me a quality service within a group?

Equipment Type & Availability

Commercial gyms are often large facilities with an extensive compliment of equipment usually centred on old-school isolation equipment (Machinery – Free Weights & Cables) that can be used by the average Joe. Private facilities on the other hand operate on a broad spectrum, from small compounds with minimalist equipment, (body weight training & calisthenics) to larger premises with a vast array of niche specialized equipment, ranging from Kettlebells – VIPR’s – Barbells – TRX’s – Aerial Silk – Gymnastic Rings – Battle Ropes.

It must be noted that in today’s day & age commercial gyms are adapting to market demand faster and in many instances have incorporated the above mentioned equipment into their arsenal. It does however appear that a greater percentage of trainers and clients choose to work with the more traditional equipment as opposed to trainers & clients in private gyms.

Overall equipment type and availability, the size of the facility as well as the number of live clients at the gym tends to dictate what training philosophy and style the trainers are able to offer the client.

Clients don’t want to have to wait for equipment or feel overwhelmed by exercise complexity to the point where the feel that too much is being asked of their bodies. It is important for the trainer to find a healthy balance between inclusivity, tempo, creativity and self mastery all the while ensuring that the personal training session remains fun & challenging.

Product Delivery & Brand Integrity

Personal trainers that work in commercial gyms tend to operate as individuals delivering their own brand & style of personal training. This has become the case due to the industry being very competitive in nature and clients pursuing only the best. Thus, on the spectrum of product delivery & brand integrity, personal training as a service could differ to a large extent on a macro scale from franchise to franchise, as well as on a micro scale between that of personal trainers within the same franchise. Conveying a unified vision & mission in a large commercial franchise gym often becomes difficult to implement and manage especially when multiple revenue streams are being managed & many differences in approach & opinion are prevalent.

On the other hand private gyms are often smaller franchises and/ or single standing businesses making quality of product delivery & the maintenance of brand integrity easier to manage. Private gyms rely on quality of service to ensure client retention, repeat business and word of mouth referrals to ensure that credibility & brand integrity is upheld. Without the above mentioned points, if personal training is the only revenue stream keeping the business afloat, poor quality service could sink brand integrity ultimately collapsing business.

If you are paying for high quality personal training the session should consist of:

Biomechanical Correction

Periodized Programming

Motivation & Reassurance

Creativity & Variety

Attentive & relevant feedback

While both commercial & private gyms can offer these services, it is best to take the above points into consideration, do some research on your trainer, his qualifications, his experience & ensure that you hold him responsible for delivering the product he advertises.

Individual-Centric Approach Vs Community-Centric Approach

Being treated as an individual is the core principle of personal training.

Commercial & private gyms seem to take 2 types of approaches or a blend thereof:

The Individual-Centric Approach would be personal training centred around 1on1 – 4on1 packages, an atmosphere in which a sense of individuality & speciality can be felt. Programs are specialized and assessments performed regularly. Personal goals are taken into consideration & the clients are able to progress/regress as desired.

The Community-Centric Approach would be training centred around groups or classes in which the trainer or coach engages with larger proportions of people, guiding them through a workout which aims to achieve an overall goal consisting of various fitness components. As to whether personal goals, limitations and or desires to progress/regress are taken into consideration or not, that is up to the experience & knowledge of the personal trainer.

Standard Programs Vs Specialized Programs

The difference in programming taken by that of a personal trainer is related more to his training philosophies & experience than it is to the roof under which he works.

Some trainers find themselves delivering generic personal training programs, which look good on paper and don’t quite work in reality. Alternatively they randomize their training to such an extent that there is no consistency from week to week – month to month, missing the point of achieving the clients goal and instead keeping the client aimlessly busy with a multitude of exercise. The trainers lack focus on the training components integral to a well structured personal training program.

Goal setting should be a carefully measured approach, working backwards from the date upon which you propose to achieve your goals, not a big question mark or surprise come the time you complete your assessment.

A specialized program should consist of a dynamic & periodized blend of the following training components:

Load (weight lifted)

Volume (reps & sets)

Intensity (speed/power/recovery time)

Density (frequency of training)

Type (variety in movement & training modalities/sport specific)

Ultimately, a specialized approach is far superior to a standard approach, no two people are the same, progressing at different paces and having individualized goals. Gym’s aside, I would advise the client to make an informed choice regarding the nature of the program he or she receives.

Static Environment Vs Dynamic Environment

Static Environments are designed to accommodate the general population. This is not to suggest that someone with

special needs or a desire to implement a specialized program cannot be accommodated, however, traditional commercial environments are often blue print determined in nature, machinery laden and hard to adapt to a changing environment. What you see is what you get.

Dynamic Environments are designed to be flexible and mouldable based on the requests and needs of the client. These environments cater for a more specialized approach to personal training, giving the client the most functional & realistic gym experience on the market. It is often in these environments in which the client has the biggest carry over to real life hobbies and activities.

It is of my opinion that private gyms offering niche personal training environments have developed over the years because larger commercial gyms have failed to ensure that the needs of various individuals are extensively catered for.

Sports athletes & those who seek injury rehabilitation will often thrive in a more dynamic environment as opposed to the individual simply seeking a standard fitness improving, weight-loss achieving, hypertrophy enhancing program.

Ultimately, taking cognisance of the various points mentioned in this article there appears to be enough pros and cons on both sides of the personal training spectrum to warrant thorough research & investigation by that of the client.

I find the saying “different strokes for different folks” appropriate in this given scenario. The client should simply find out what he enjoys and then find the personal trainer that will

give him the best possible service delivery.

Justin Swart is a General Manager/Master Trainer/Kettlebell Instructor at 360 Specialized Training. He studied a degree in Sport Science & Psychology at the University of Stellenbosch. He has a personal interest in high performance &

sports specific conditioning working with athletes that range from South African Junior Fencers to Western Province Rugby Players and Marathon Runners. He also trains a wide variety corporate clientele, some Pre & Post Natal Mothers, as well as Cross fitters who enjoy a blend of isolated & functional training. In his spare time he coaches at the Milnerton Surf Lifesaving Club & competes as a Crossfit Athlete.