What deters people from hiring a Personal Trainer? I am intrigued to find out!

I would to understand more about why people do not take up Personal Training...Is it the cost involved or maybe the lack of motivation. I have had clients who want to do it but something holds them back...can not put my finger on what it could be.....
Asked by KKFitness

8 answers

Top answer
Anuyoo
Cost and time are the biggest factors - people have a preconception that personal training is extortionate and a luxury afforded only by the well off. Time is also a common problem. Busy lifestyles, work commitments, family etc.
Motivation is probably the 3rd big consideration, but as a PT this is where we need to kick in - educating clients on the benefits of improved fitness/nutrition and making sessions fun.
4th perhaps is Education - people don't know enough about it. People think they're automatically going to be shouted at and run into the ground. If they knew training can be customised to their goals and eased in gradually, they'd be more inclined to give it a go.
Hope this helps =)
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Danpersonaltrainer
There are many answers to your question why dont more people take up personal training? Some of which are glarringly obvious and some a little more subtle. So lets have a look at them.
1. Personal Trainers themselves- go to a few different gyms and take a look at what the personal trainers there dress like and what they do with thier clients. You will see alot of trainers dressed as if they are going out for a night out or are scruffy, unshaven or in dirty clothes. This is alot more common than you might think. When you watch a little closer 6 out of 10 personal trainers will stand with thier arms crossed or hands in pockets while the client is sweating looking at themselves in the mirror and/ or watching the backside of some bird across the gym instead of paying attension to what the client is doing. Ask yourself this simple question would you pay 30-50 pounds an hour for a trainer that fits this description, I know i certainly wouldnt. Nor would i pay for a trainer to stand and watch me on the treadmill i can get my wife to do that for free. Nor would i pay for someone to count to ten for an hour.
2 The Cost, well that is what they will say but again the vast majority of personal trainers devalue the service with poor proffessional standards and behaviour and unfortunateley we get tarred with the same brush. To get around this you will need the client to see the value in what you can give them in short terms you need to be not only a high quality trainer but also a sales man, to get them on board.
3. Variety and Intensity Here is another reason why more people dont take up pt again it is because of personal trainers. Alot of personal trainers do exactly the same thing people are looking for variety in thier training if they are going to paying for it, they are not in the most cases going to pay you to do exactly what they are doing on there own already. If you want to check the validity of this statement get into a conversation about pt at a gym where people dont know you are a pt and you may be shocked at what you are told. Or maybe not if you have read and understood what is written here. As for intensity people who take up pt will be wanting to get the most value for money in each session irrespective of cost, all to often i see supposed trainers chatting away to clients wasting the clients time and lowering the intensity of the workout. They come to you to work and not for a social.
4 Walking the Walk- this is another shocker i have found and something that should put people off- Alot of trainers talk the talk but cant walk the walk in that they may well look great in a sleeveles t-shirt but are really not that fit or strong. To illustrate i overheard a group young personal trainers at a gym i once trained at, they were discussing an up comming 10k race they had organised amongst themselves. One of them said he was a bit worried about one of the other trainers as he was dead fit and will run the 10k in 58 mins. I had to saysomething..........58 minutes what is he on a zimmer frame.
This is why when i set myself up i made sure that i didnt fall into the lazy trainer catagory. Also i am selective about who i take on only thoses who i think that are committed and want to make a change and want to put the work in.
For real Training From a Real Trainer you can contact me on 07814683245 or by email at info@dosctraining.co.uk
If anyone has any comments or questions about this or any other matter please feel free to ring me and we can have a chat about it.
Rhian
I tried personal training about a year ago. I did it for about 5 months and started to really enjoy it. However, I have a recurring back injury which the trainer did know about. Once i got into the training, she tried to push me harder which led to a back injury. So, what puts me off now is that typical gym personal trainers' have a real lack of proper knowlegde around injuries. I prefer to use physio's who also do training now.
scott39
yes it can be price to me at £132ph not many have the money but because i what do as in lab test and deep assessment i need to make sure this some think they like to if they are in pan they do i have more work now my rate is more then £50 i get better clients that know if they don.t do the work they need to get there body in shape they still have to pay me and i just dont take any one on just get there money i take a deep look see if they are right for me and me for them
scott39
yes it can be price to me at £132ph not many have the money but because i what do as in lab test and deep assessment i need to make sure this some think they like to if they are in pan they do i have more work now my rate is more then £50 i get better clients that know if they don.t do the work they need to get there body in shape they still have to pay me and i just dont take any one on just get there money i take a deep look see if they are right for me and me for them

Comments

Danpersonaltrainer
Well said Scott
Tinaa
some told me it's the cost..
scott39
you have some client that would like to heal but dont know what to do and are just close when it come there body and health and then you have the one that would love to do it but can see them selves doing it so we only need to look for the one that would like to heal and that know they need it
Fitinfitness
there are level of motivation, kick the action that make people move into
you want to do it but can not get activated your action by enough motivation or inspration,
they need some more time to think about it, you need to find some weak point and remind them why personal training importtant ,
you need to know people and act his or her way ... people like to do personal trainer with someone look like them ...
Murat Gecmen
Pt
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