The Landscape of Fitness (Part 2)
This is the second part in our 2 part series helping you understand what style of fitness experience is the best for you and your goals.
Check out part 1 here.
4) Large group fitness
Pros
Relatively inexpensive, often comparable to luxury gym membership
Strong community
Can be fun, motivating
Cons
Non-personalized
Generally ineffective - easy to plateau
Little structure - if all you do is one specific type of group fitness tend to develop overuse injuries
Limited coaching, limited feedback
Limited accountability
Best for
Those on a budget, who still want some supervision
Those who thrive on the energy of training with a lot of other people
Group fitness has exploded over the last 15 years, and for good reason. It is a cost effective way to train with an instructor, and thrive off of the energy of working out with other people. It’s great for those who don’t necessarily want to invest a ton of money into their fitness, but want to stay active. The problems with group fitness lie in the workouts themselves. Many group fitness concepts aren’t really designed to be done two or three times a week, and after a period of time the repetitiveness can lead to burnout or overuse injuries. Recognizing this, many people combine a number of different concepts within their exercise routine, but without any organizing structure or accountability most people inevitably fall off. None of the programs are personalized, which means they have just as good a chance of working for you and your specific goals as not, and getting effective feedback in the moment when you’re training in a large group with only one coach is almost impossible. For all these downsides, I don’t generally recommend group fitness, unless, of course, you love it. Enjoying your workouts is far more important over the long run than any other variable on this list.
5) Small group fitness
Pros
Smaller group size means more coaching, more regular feedback
Better structure, program varied enough to prevent overuse injuries
Strongest community
Better accountability
Generally more effective programs
Cons
More expensive
Program is not personalized
Not adaptable
Not specific to your goals
Best for
Those who have a bigger budget for training, and want more hands on coaching
Those who love training alongside other people, and doing the same program feels motivating
Small group fitness has really emerged in the last 5 years or so, and often has classes as small as 4 or 6, compared to 12 plus of large group models. Small group fitness comes with a higher price tag, and in return you are generally getting better programming and more attentive coaching. Many small and large group gyms have amazing communities, which can be extremely motivating and can help hold you accountable. Workouts often get quite competitive, which can be both a blessing and a curse depending on the individual. Where small group training falls short is in its lack of personalized programming. When you don’t have a coach writing your program specifically for you, you cannot depend on it being the most effective for you and your goals, nor can it adapt based on your feedback. While I would recommend small group training over large group for most people, it ultimately falls short in several key areas compared to semi-private personal training and one on one training.
6) Semi-private personal training
Pros
Strong community
Personalized program ensures its adaptable, specific and effective
Best accountability
Instant feedback from coach
Cons
More expensive
Best for
New to strength training, who want more supervision
Those who want to take their fitness to the next level
Those who struggle with staying consistent, and want a higher level of accountability
Those who place a high value on their health and fitness, and value the investment into those areas of their life
Those looking for a community in their fitness endeavors
Semi-private personal training combines many of the best aspects of personal training with the best aspects of group training. First and foremost, every workout you do in a semi private personal training session is completely personalized to you, which ensures that you are getting the most effective program for your specific goals. A smaller session size promotes a strong community, and the accountability from your coach plus your community makes staying on track so much easier. The size of the group also ensures that everyone is getting enough personal attention, which makes it a good option for beginners. Semi-private personal training is the best option for almost anyone and everyone who is willing to prioritize the money to be able to do it with a highly qualified coach.
7) One on one personal training
Pros
Personalized program ensures its adaptable, specific, and effective
Strong accountability
Best feedback
Cons
Most expensive
Community lacking
Best for
Absolute beginners who want the most supervision
Those who have very specific ambitious goals
Those dealing with injuries in a post-rehabilitative setting
Those with a large budget, and a desire to invest in their health and fitness
Those who need struggle with consistency, and need accountability from their coach
One on one personal training will always be the most expensive, but has some strong positives on top of the other options. Working with a personal trainer one on one ensures that you get the absolute most out of every single minute and every single rep you perform in the gym. Your program is personalized for you, and extremely adaptable, meaning that your coach has the opportunity to make changes to your program on a minute by minute level. Personal training is the gold standard for those who have incredibly specific and ambitious goals, or who are willing to prioritize their health and fitness to the highest level possible. Personal training can also be a bit isolating at times when it is just you and your coach, and you don’t get to feed off of the energy of those working out alongside yourself. But for those who can afford it, personal training always has, and always will be, the gold standard for ensuring you get the best results possible.
So which option is right for you? That will depend a lot on your budget as well as your specific needs and goals. I generally recommend everyone work with a coach if they can afford it, whether that is online or in person. A personalized coaching experience is an investment that pays for itself many times over, especially if you are someone who struggles with consistency. I find that a lot of people are hesitant to make what may seem like a large investment in their health at first, but that once they do they have a hard time letting it go.
