We live in a time where there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of free workouts available online (I mean, I even have a number of free workouts and challenges myself). So, why on earth would you need to pay for a personal trainer when you can access so much for free?

Because… whilst, yes, you can access blogs, videos, and books for free, knowledge and experience are still things that take time to develop. If we had all the time in the world, we could potentially become experts at everything in the world… but that’s not how it works. Time is a limited resource that we each have restricted access to (and we don’t know how long for).

A personal trainer is a professional in the fitness realm. They understand the principles of exercise, what it actually takes to reach your desired goals, and how to structure and adapt a programme to your unique life and body (because life happens, and you can’t always stick to the rigidness of a YouTube video). A personal trainer is tailored to you. They have experience working with dozens, hundreds, thousands of people; they have years, decades of personal experience in the sport and/or fitness industry and understand the mental and physical nuances that take place. They can answer your specific unique questions and provide the road map and reassurances you need because they’ve been that way multiple times before.

Can a YouTube video do that for you? Not really... And especially not unless you’ve got hundreds of hours to trial and error for yourself.

So, whilst some will be successful taking the solo / free route, here are 5 types of people that I believe need a personal trainer:

1) The person that’s not seeing results

There are a number of reasons a person may not be seeing results despite months of training towards their goal. Hiring a personal trainer will give you a fresh perspective and perhaps highlight some of your blind spots. It’s possible that you haven’t been working hard enough or implementing some of the fundamental training principles such as OVERLOAD and PROGRESSION. You might know what these things are, but it’s the HOW that you need, and a personal trainer can give you that.

2) The person with injuries, a history of injuries or a condition.

Again, a personal trainer will be able to give you feedback that you’ve previously been unable to see. Perhaps it’s your form or technique that’s causing consistent injuries, or perhaps the problem lies in the way you’ve structured your programme. Getting a professional perspective will help you to overcome these hurdles and actually move forward in ways you haven’t been able to before. If you have a condition and have previously had fears, doubts or even placed limitations on yourself, a personal trainer will be able to show you what’s possible. They’re likely to know/have worked with someone in your position before. What might have seemed impossible for you because of your limited knowledge or experience, can become an exciting and realistic possibility with a personal trainer.

3) The person who lacks confidence, wants to learn or needs support.

Many people want to get fit, but the reality is that it takes a certain type of mindset to start, and a certain type to remain and be consistent. A personal trainer can help you with this. The gym can be intimidating for a newbie, a personal trainer can be a friendly face and support system in your journey. Not knowing what to do can be overwhelming (especially with so much information out there). A personal trainer can simplify the whole process, educate you “on the job” and help you set specific and realistic goals for you. Knowledge is power, even in fitness, and growing in this alongside achieving your goals will boost your confidence and motivate you to keep moving forward.

4) The person who’s bored with their training routine and needs variety/motivation

It’s easy to get stuck in a rut. You may have seen results at one point in your journey, but similarly to the first point that I made in this blog post, if you don’t keep progressing your training, you will plateau. Perhaps your knowledge took you this far, and that’s amazing, but now you might need that expert input to reach the next level or to go to another phase of your fitness journey. Perhaps you’ve been doing the same type of training for years now and you need a change. A personal trainer can help you with that. Their experience with exercise and fitness is most likely vaster than yours so they can draw on a variety of exercises and types of exercises which can spice up your training again.

5) The person who needs accountability or a training partner (to aid with consistency)

Let’s keep it real, some people just will not work out if they don’t have a personal trainer (and if that’s you, it’s ok to admit that). However, if you really want to incorporate exercise into your healthier lifestyle then you have to realise that a personal trainer is a fantastic SOLUTION to overcome this barrier. If you’re the type of person that will honour having a set meeting time and place each week but you know you’re likely to make excuses without the financial investment or person on the other end, then personal training is a great way for you to be consistent. In the same way that some people hire a nanny, or cleaner, or have groceries delivered to their house to enable them to support the lifestyle they want to live, a personal trainer can be the solution for you if you’re the person who really values their health and fitness but needs the consistency and accountability to make it work.

So, what are your thoughts? Are you any of these types of people? Perhaps, even a combination of a few? Let me know in the comments below.

And if personal training sounds like the solution you’re ready to take NOW, check out my coaching services HERE.

About The Author: Torema Thompson is a 100m sprinter, qualified level 3 personal trainer, licensed UKA speed athletics coach (& nutrition coach in training). She is passionate about helping athletes and fitness enthusiasts go from newbies to masters in their athletics and/or fitness.

Connect with Torema on YouTube and Instagram, or subscribe to her email list.

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