At Home Personal Trainer Rates: The Complete Guide

Whether you’re just getting started working out or a gym enthusiast, exercising at home can be a game-changer. Especially if you have a personal trainer by your side. With so many options on the market, it can be hard to choose the right one.

Here at System2, we have your back. We will discuss everything you need to know about choosing a trainer.

In this guide you will discover:

• Pros and cons of having a trainer
• Types of personal trainers 
• The benefits of online training
• How much personal trainers cost /pricing
• Tips to make the most out of your time with a personal trainer

Now let’s dive deep into what you need to learn so you can choose the perfect trainer. 

Different Options for Personal Training at Home

When looking into working out at home, we have many options on what we can choose from.

We’ll touch on the perks of having a professional come to you, working out virtually, and a gym-based personal trainer.

After that, we will talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly truth to help you choose and what to look for in a personal trainer.

So follow along to understand what you need to consider before you choose the “on-the-go” training option.

“Come to You” Personal Trainers

Having an at-home personal trainer comes with its own advantages and disadvantages. Let’s shine a light on what you will deal with when you consider this option for your personal training needs. 

Pros of using this personal trainer:

• A certified personal trainer is a professional: Trainers can have many types of certifications, the more the better.,
• You get specialized workouts: They can create a routine for you that caters to the strengths and weaknesses of your body. For example, if you have wrist problems, they will give you exercises that help you avoid it while still getting stronger. 
• They give you motivation: On days that you feel sluggish, personal trainers often will give you the motivation to workout at home and push through the workouts. 
• Knowing exactly what to eat: You’ll receive tips on proper foods your body needs to run at its best. They’ll adapt your meal plan to your allergies, and dietary preferences so you can easily meet your goals.
• They are perfect accountability partners: If you make an appointment and put money down, you are more likely to follow through with a training session. 

These are some of the basic standards we expect from our personal trainers but aren’t always guaranteed. Now let’s look at the common downsides.

Cons:

• They can be expensive: Not everyone can afford the required amount of training sessions with a personal trainer to see long-term results. The average personal trainer rates are $60 per hour/per session on the low end.
• They lack teaching skills: Not every fitness professional or personal trainer can be a good teacher or communicate properly.
• Your workouts can feel rushed: If schedule conflicts happen and a personal trainer needs to get to their next appointment 5 minutes after your session ends. It can make the workout feel rushed, which can lead to injuries. 
• Your personal trainer isn’t walking the walk: If they can’t stay fit themselves, then they can’t help you with your fitness plans.
• They have location based limitations: Most personal trainers will have a distance limit they are willing to travel. Also, if you go on vacation, you won’t be able to workout without the proper guidance until you get home.

The good news is, you aren’t forced to stick to something that doesn’t work. But the interview process can be exhausting and leave you right where you started.

In the next section, we will talk about the real cost of hiring a gym-based trainer.

How Much Does Personal Training Cost?

In the new world of COVID, many fitness centers have closed, and small studios have gone out of business. It’s becoming harder to choose gym training, especially when there are better options on the market.

The average gym personal trainer at a gym like 24-hour Fitness, will charge about $40-$60 per hour or per session. Personal training rates can also vary depending on the location, certifications, the gym’s policies, and how many times a week you see the personal trainer. 30-minute training sessions are the most common with the rate of $25-$35. Don’t forget, on top of the cost for a personal trainer, you have to think about the monthly membership and gas money. Then you get to deal with the loud environment. They never mention that part when you sign up for a fitness center membership.

The positive side is, it’s a genuine one-on-one experience and you get direct feedback on your form and ways to improve. The downside is having to schedule extra time from and to your studio’s location, dealing with traffic, the stress of making your training session on time, and paying for the nasty gym environment (which for me it’s a personal huge deal breaker).

The value of gym training sessions used to provide isn’t really worth what it used to. It ends up being more stress and work just to get to your fitness center than the personal trainer alone doesn’t make it worth the cost.

In a moment we will go over why an online personal trainer may be a better option for you. Not to mention you can still wear your old sweat pants, free of judgment. 

Virtual At-Home Personal Training

Having a personal trainer is full of benefits, but what happens when you’re out of town, or when you have to travel for work? You can’t properly workout and you lose all the progress that you have worked so hard to get. The determination goes away and you go back to your old bad habits.

As a great gym alternative, many prefer to use an online personal trainer because it offers more flexibility.

With an online trainer, you get one-on-one attention, without needing to step into a gym… unless it’s to cancel your membership.

Finding an app or a service that helps you find your groove is key.

Follow along, to discover tips on how to get the most value from your trainer, may it be online or in-person.

Easy Tips to Get the Most Value From Your Personal Trainer

Trainers are not meant to be a lifelong commitment, they are there to provide the tools you need so that one day you can succeed on your own.

If you’re paying an average of $60 per hour for a trainer or a online monthly membership, we expect probably want to get a real value from your personal training sessions. 

Follow these tips to get your money’s worth when hiring a trainer:

• Write down all the advice, exercise and form tips they give you by keeping a pen and notebook with you during training sessions. 
• Ask questions: Make them explain what they mean. Guessing can lead to bad form and cause injuries.
• Journal your good health days and your bad ones. Patterns will develop, it’s important to write them down so when you see certain behavior or situations you can respond better. For example: If at birthday parties you notice you overeat, eat before going out next time.
• Talk to your trainer about personal mental blocks or why you keep falling into old habits. They’ve seen it all and know how to help you overcome those hurdles. 

These tips will help you be independent from your trainer and be able to thrive on your own. 

In the next part, we’ll talk about the importance of goals and how they will help you cross the finish line.

Choosing a Trainer Based on Your Goals 

Before you even decide what type of trainer you want, the most important thing is setting some personal objectives.

This will help you choose the right trainer and lead you down the right path.

Your goals come first and your trainer should specialize in the field so they can truly help you.

For example: If you want to lose weight, you’re not going to choose a trainer that is certified mainly in body building.

Same if you want to bulk up for the fall, you wouldn’t give your business to a senior exercise specialist.

Many personal trainers will accept any client that comes knocking. When in reality they should only choose ones they can add truly add value to their life and help in the long term.

With the specialized help, you’ll be living your lifetime goal in no time…

Some people want to tone their body at home without looking too lanky or bulky. Your goals might be the same or completely different, but you get what I’m saying. Wanting to do the best for our body and being able to achieve it is a great feeling. 

That’s why working with a personal trainer is very important.

So lastly, let’s answer the question you’ve been thinking about this whole time…

Is Paying for a Personal Trainer Worth it?

Investing in a proper personal trainer is hands down one of the best gifts you can give yourself. But, it can get expensive, which makes it tempting to cut corners. The good news is you don’t have to penny-pinch to save money on personal training.

An online personal trainer will give you the motivation to keep you on track, AI technology tools, video workouts, and access to your personal trainer 24 hours a day. All this for less than any gym personal trainer rates.

So you don’t have to join a fancy gym or even buy a bunch of exercise equipment to reach your goals.

Feeling good in your own skin is possible.

Achieving your fitness goals is up to you.

Written by: Jackie Pena