What About Group Personal Training?

An increasing trend of in the world of fitness is individuals using personal training and group personal training services to help them achieve their health and fitness goals. Personal training is probably already familiar to many exercisers; it involves working with an experienced fitness professional who ensures that you’re using proper form and challenging yourself throughout the course of your selected workout.

Image via WikipediaGroup personal training, on the other hand, takes the core concept of individual personal training – an instructor who focuses on the individual participants and adapts where necessary, rather than leading a group and focusing on pre-choreographed moves and exercises – and extends it to a small group of participants. As you consider whether group personal training is right for you, keep in mind the following pros and cons.

Pro: Atmosphere.
The atmosphere of a group personal training session is much more supportive than a typical group exercise class. Because the groups are small, and the focus is on interaction with the instructor, there’s a greater connection to the instructor and the other participants, which some exercisers find to be much more enjoyable.

Pro: Accountability.
When you have a greater connection to your group personal trainer (and even your fellow classmates) you’ll feel more accountable to show up to the sessions you’ve scheduled. This is a common – and effective – motivational technique for sticking to an exercise program; making yourself accountable to others can help you reach your goals.

Pro: Affordability.
Unfortunately, one-on-one personal training is simply too expensive for some individuals to afford. Group personal training sessions are much more affordable, and most exercisers will be able to afford making them a regular part of their workout routine.

Con: The Class Progresses as a Whole.
Even though the group may be small, it’s still a group. So even though the participants may develop and improve at different rates, the class will move forward as a group. If your level of comfort or fitness is significantly higher or lower than the other participants, then group personal training might not be a good fit for you.

Image via WikipediaCon: You May Not Get the Attention you Need.
Whereas one-on-one personal training allows the instructor to focus exclusively on the form and movement of their single client, group personal training requires that the instructor to divide their time amongst all participants. Even in a group personal training class you might not get the attention you need.

Con: The Competition Effect.
Even though the idea behind group personal training is to provide all the participants with an opportunity to grow and improve, there might occasionally be someone in your group who wants to turn every class into a competition. If you’re a competitive type, you might find these situations tough to ignore, and potentially a distraction that could derail your fitness goals. (On the other hand, some personality types will find this motivating.)

The best way to decide whether a group personal training class is right for you is simply to identify the options that are available to you locally, and sign up to participate and try it out for a period of time.