How Much Does a Personal Trainer Cost In 2023?
So, you want a personal trainer.
You have a goal in mind.
You know that having someone with expert knowledge is probably going to be the best thing for you.
Having someone to hold you accountable for your actions is likely to address a major reason why you don't accomplish your goals.
Another common factor building your curiosity for personal trainer sessions is the social element. Your "mate" used a personal trainer in the past and saw great results with the pt sessions they had. You know it’s the right thing to do, but you’re not sure on your budget or what a personal trainer costs.
In this article I break it all down so you can understand what personal training sessions are available, how a personal training session varies and what kind of prices you can expect to pay.
What is a personal trainer?
Before I go into details on what costing may look like I think its relevant to explain exactly what a personal trainer is. In my book a personal trainer is a coach that will look after your fitness goals.
Be that body measurements or body composition, performance, holistic/injury prevention or just for general exercise. Your personal trainer should listen to your goals, understand the contributing factors as to why that's a goal, assess the relevant markers and develop a tailored training program that progresses as you do.
Personal trainers in the UK are Level 3 qualified and insured as a minimum requirement. This is something that you should check prior to starting with your trainer to see they’re legit.
Many trainers will have extra qualifications and so it’s worth checking to see if some of their specialities meet the needs of your specific goals.
Where to find a personal trainer
Generally personal trainers will be found in gyms or private training studios, and some will travel to your home or train you outside at local parks. Generally, the choice is dependent on your preference.
Personal trainers in the UK should be Level 3 qualified and insured as a minimum requirement. This is something that you should check prior to starting with your trainer to see they’re legit. Many trainers will have extra qualifications and so it’s worth checking what they have and to see if some of their specialities meet the needs of your specific goals.
Online Personal Training
You can also work with online personal trainers either through video streaming software like Zoom or Facetime or by them providing you with training plans that you do by yourself through their apps or with live tracking documents such as google sheets.
These online services usually come with scheduled check-ins with your coach and have added benefits of being able to work with your coach anywhere in the world.
You might even have the option to take part in group exercise classes & pt sessions. There are even hybrid options available now like our FitClub service.
Is Getting a Personal Trainer Worth It?
This is the golden question and so I thought it would be useful for me to table some of the benefits below:
Results
At the end of the day, you hire a personal trainer to get the results you’re after. A good personal trainer will hold this as a priority for their work. Getting results will be a priority for them and they will map out and the work towards it systematically whilst simultaneously delivering you a tailored coaching service.
Assessments
Personal trainers usually provide some initial and ongoing assessments. These may be body composition, health, biomechanics or nutrition based. Conducting these assessments can provide clarity on what needs to be executed to achieve your goals. They can also serve as a motivational tool when seeing the results improving.
Management of your training regime
Ultimately, your personal trainer will offer you guidance on how to do things correctly relative to your goal. Be that exercise technique & execution, the loading parameters of your workout or structured rest periods. Having a personal trainer will enable you to do things in a structured way rather than just winging it!
Accountability
We all have days when we simply can’t be arsed however having a trainer there to depend upon reduces those days. Personal trainers will likely give you daily accountability tasks such as step count or water intake or be in communication with you away from your sessions. This is to ensure you stay on track with your daily behaviours. Remember you spend more time without them than you do with them and so this aspect becomes very important in keeping you on the straight and narrow.
Experience
A lot of the time the personal trainer you chose has been through your training goal. This experience is super valuable. Someone who has been through the process themselves and or has worked with similar people like you over time could be the key in aiding your success. They will know when to push or scale you back and when to press the relevant buttons to get the desired outcome.
Nutrition
Many personal trainers will help you with your nutrition guidance in accordance with your goal. This is a big part of you seeing your results, particularly true if body composition or performance is your goal.
Fun Factor
Personal trainers have likely trained for a while and so they will have a lot more training methods in their toolbox than you. This is useful in them helping you find exercises that you enjoy doing. Remember they’re many ways to string a cat and having a coach can be a useful way to find your most enjoyable style of training. After all it should be enjoyable as well as tough and challenging.
What’s Involved in A Typical Personal Training Package?
This will vary depending on the type of workout plans you want. Some clients find having a purely online personal trainer fits their lifestyle. For some, working directly with experienced personal trainers in a one to one session, motivates them more than an online package. Your fitness journey is the most important factor. Finding the right personal trainer to guide you and build your confidence is what counts.
Most personal trainers will offer an initial free consultation that usually lasts for around 30 minutes. This is to get a feel for what you as the consumer are looking for and to establish the right package.
From there you will likely have to choose a frequency of session you’d like to commit to. On average people tend to select between 1-3 sessions a week (meaning 4-12 per month). Some packages are paid in blocks whilst others will be paid through monthly subscriptions.
Most personal trainers will conduct some initial assessments then write up your training program. Your trainer will then take you through these each session before progressing on as you adapt. The more you see your personal trainer the less responsibility you need to take doing sessions away from them. Conversely the less you see them the more you’ll need to train on your own using their plans. Ultimately that decision comes through you and your personal needs.
Personal trainers will likely correlate nutritional guidance alongside this and format the whole thing through their apps, live sheets or simple documents. You may also find trainers will conduct some monthly assessments around the time they update your training plans. This is to show your progress and to help manipulate their plans in an effective way. As with every industry there are cowboys and so it’s important you understand the fitness industry is no different.
Be diligent and see who your trainer has worked with in the past, check their reviews, website and see if they understand your needs. For me this is a very important aspect in you choosing the right person. Being recommended by someone is a great way of finding a good personal trainer. This is especially true if comes from someone you know using them for a similar goal to yours.
The 90 Day Transformation Package
This kind of package is something that has become very popular throughout the personal training industry.
It is especially useful for individuals who have a very driven goal usually centred around body composition.
A 90-day plan is totally driven by achieving results in tangible timeframes, and normally consists of training 3+ times a week. Customers would usually be required to purchase around 36 sessions upfront and begin work with their trainer.
Some companies offer a parachute payment method that usually costs slightly more overall.
Transformation packages tend to comprise of:
an initial assessment session to get some baseline measures around body composition
3 phases of result driven progressive programs
nutrition guidance and monthly check ins to track progress.
Quite often you’ll have progress photos taken before and after to capture the result.
Be prepared to be pushed to your limits in this kind of package as these results driven programs are designed to fast track your results.
Take a look at our 12-week programme as an example of a body transformation package.
How Much Should A Personal Trainer Cost?
Personal training can vary in price however there are some useful things to understand before deciding on if something is overpriced or not. Personal training usually ranges from £30 right through to £100+ per hour and there are many reasons to why.
Usually, location plays a big part in how expensive services are alongside the experience level or the demand for that service provider. For example, a personal trainer in London is usually a little pricier than a personal trainer from Liverpool, this is largely down to the fact the cost of living is more expensive.
If a trainer is in high demand and is producing a conveyer belt of results, then it is also likely that this person will also be charging higher amounts. Another thing to understand is that personal trainers will often package up their services to make things affordable or less affordable based on the services you get. Below is a breakdown of what this may look like:
Affordable PT Cost
£30-40 p/h
This may only include your personal training sessions week on week and some level of programming
May benefit someone who wants regular training but isn’t stressed about the defined result. Someone who enjoys having a regular slot of training each week and loves the mental health benefits exercise brings along with the social.
Mid-Range PT Cost
£40-50 p/h
This may include your personal training session, programming and some level of nutritional guidance
May benefit someone who wants regular training but can take accountability measures into their own hands. May be great for someone who has other fitness commitments to go alongside personal training.
Premium PT Cost
£50-60+ p/h
This may include assessments, your personal training sessions, programming, correlated nutrition and some level of outside session accountability tracking.
The 60+ is relative to how expert and in demand your coach is.
This will benefit someone who wants everything measured, managed and coached for them. For someone looking for a result and to learn a lot about the whole process.
We've put together this handy infographic to help.
How Much Should You Spend on Personal Trainers?
Eventually the price you choose to pay will come down to 4 factors.
What can you afford?
What are your needs?
Do you see value in the service provider?
How much does your problem mean to you & does the provider offer the solution?
Once you've answered these questions, you can make a decision on the level of service you need. There are many personal trainers on the market, so do your homework before committing. Just remember consensus is a useful tool in understanding if the provider is worth their fees.
Look at their reviews
Check out previous client results
On top of this, have your free consultation and see if your personalities match.
At the end of the day, you'll have to develop a good relationship with your trainer, so it's really important to check this out before committing to the service.
How Do You Get a Personal Trainer?
There are a few ways to get hold of a personal trainer. The most common being to contact them through their website. Another way is to go to your local commercial gym and ask the reception to put you in contact with the gym’s personal trainers.
Most trainers have social media, so doing a quick search around the local area will likely pull up those trainers' profiles. This can often be a good way to have a look at what the trainer posts and get a feel for their personality.
Google Maps can also offer you the chance to see what personal trainers are local to you. Be sure to check out their Google reviews too for an insight into what their clients say about them.
Lastly getting recommendations from friends and family can be a nice way to become introduced to the right trainer for you.
Summary
In summary, personal training is a service that looks after your fitness goals. You should select a trainer that meets those needs and select carefully based on their results, customers and reviews. You should also understand that pricing reflects location, demand and expertise as well as the level of packaged service you require.
It’s recommended that you go and visit personal trainers to see if your personality types will work. Having a good relationship with your coach is fundamental and finding out more about their skill set is pivotal in selecting the right person for you.
The biggest aspect for me however, is understanding that your personal trainer caters for the results that you are looking for. At the end of the day, you’re eyeing a return on your investment and so this is an important part of your selection process.
We work 1-1 and online with clients from Guildford, Surrey, London & all around the UK. Book a free consultation call if you want to get to know us and how we can help you achieve your goals.
