With fitness still on the rise in 2024, many people have been asking this question. And as a personal trainer, I wanted to give my thoughts on why and why not. 
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​I have worked with hundreds of people over the past couple of years in various settings. One on one training, group training, classes, and virtual! I have done even MORE fitness consults with a ton of people who never actually chose to work with me. 
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​I love those meetings too because it still gives me a chance to help people in some way. Getting them some kind of rough plan or the first step they should take .
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​But I also learn a lot about why people choose not to work with a personal trainer. And I want to share what the differences are from my personal experience and what normally happens with my clients vs non-clients.

As I mentioned, I have worked with hundreds of people with wildly different goals. Some want to start a healthy new routine. Some want to lose a few pounds or finally see their bicep veins. No matter what the goal is, we usually start by making some kind of roadmap to get there. And then, we put it into action!
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​Almost EVERY single person that followed the plan we set out, started seeing results. Some in as little as a few days. While every persons results were obviously different, those who stuck to the plan hit their goals or got really close and eventually hit them. 
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​I'll share a story of one person I worked with who had suffered a severe shoulder injury and had to undergo surgery. After the surgery and a few weeks of physical therapy, they slowly returned to the gym. I was one of the first faces they saw and we talked all about their goals, what they wanted to do and where they were currently at. In this case, they wanted to lift a TON of weight and be one of the strongest people in the gym! ( I love working with people like that!) But looking at their current situation, I knew that would be a long and difficult road. To build strength while over coming an injury. 
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​Fast forward almost 8 months of working together 3 times a week, we increase all of their main lifts(squat, deadlift, and bench press) to numbers higher than before the injury or surgery! 
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​After hitting that emotional milestone they shared, that if I wouldn't have been there waiting at the same time everyday, they probably would have quit a while ago. 
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​So one HUGE impact a trainer can have is the accountability of actually implementing a plan. How much is that worth?
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​You can go look up online right now "Best workout plan to get lean" or "Best diet to lose weight fast" and I bet you will find hundreds! The problem is actually doing it. Which is where the trainer comes in. They can help implement and make sure the plan is being implemented and working!

Now let's look at some of the people who chose not to work with me. 
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​Some of these people came in and were so advanced in their fitness and health that I would turn them away. They were looking for some secret little "hack" or "Trick" to get another 1% better. But, to the best of my knowledge, those do not exist. So I told them it would probably be a waste of money because they are already doing a great job!
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​On the other hand some people came in completely lost and still decided they would go it alone. The cool part is I could see their progress (or lack of) because they normally still came to the gym, even if they weren't working with me directly. 
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​Most (not all) of these people over the course of a year, saw almost no progress. And I chalk that up to a few different reasons.

While the cost varies quite a lot depending on the actual person you are with or place you are working out at. There seems to be a range from about $30-$150/hr. 
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​That is the $$ cost of the trainer. There is also the cost of NOT hitting your goals or getting healthy. 
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​This is not a fear thing. But a fact that some people will not make progress unless the invest into themselves. And that is why paid plans normally produce better results than free plans across the board. 
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​Some people just want to look good for summer. Others actually have a medical condition or procedure they need to lose weight for and never do because they do not commit. 

If you are the type of person who knows WHAT to do, but never does it. Yes they are worth it. 
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​If you are someone who can hold yourself accountable no matter the circumstance. All you are missing is some knowledge. So it might be worth it for a time. Or you can spend some time researching and getting answers yourself. The internet is awesome for that kind of thing!
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​If you have not hit you goal yet, working with a good trainer at least once might be the thing you are missing. If you want to get started with that, check out our program Spence Strong Training. 
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​Or check out our Facebook™ group, Nutrition and Fitness 101 to start getting some free info on how to hit your goals!