why is personal training so expensive?

“Personal training is way too expensive.”

“Why do personal trainers charge so much?!”

“I can’t justify spending that much just to work out for an hour.”

These are just a few of the most common objections I hear after the initial sticker shock of the cost of personal training. There is a common misconception that personal trainers get paid just to watch you work out and that belief is what leads people to question the cost of personal training. As a certified personal trainer who’s worked with close to 100 women in the last year and a half, I can assure you that my job is not simply to watch you work out. There is so much more that goes into personal training and I thought it would be helpful to share some of the factors trainers consider when setting our prices and what you are actually paying for behind the scenes.

Here are some factors that a trainer considers when setting his/her rates:

• Time

When working with a 1:1 personal trainer, you are reserving a specific block of time during which you are receiving undivided attention. Not only are you paying for the 1:1 attention during the session, but you are also paying for a reserved time block. When a trainer is working with you, that is an hour that they are not working with someone else, thus increasing demand as a trainer’s client roster grows. The next point will vary from trainer to trainer, but I am available to my clients 24/6. For 6 out of 7 days of the week, clients have access to my personal contact information and they can text me at any time for support. As a result, I am never really “off” because I am constantly communicating with clients outside of their training sessions.

• Customized Programming

  A personal trainer offers individualized training programs that are tailored to you, your abilities, your lifestyle, your goals, etc. In order to properly customize a program that is effective for a client, a trainer has to be constantly paying attention to you, your progress, your biofeedback (body’s signals in response to changes), your goals, and so much more. This attention to detail is actually very demanding and time intensive, as your trainer is, or at least should be, constantly monitoring your nutrition, your workouts, your biofeedback, etc. and considering all angles of your programming to optimize training and maximize results. Essentially, you get what you pay for when it comes to personal training vs. a group class or cookie cutter workout plan. You’re going to pay more for a personalized training experience that is curated specifically for you than you will for a group fitness class, an app, or some other sort of downloadable workout plan.

• Education, Certifications, and other Credentials

  If your trainer has obtained the proper education and/or certifications to be qualified, he/she has likely invested thousands of dollars in order to obtain the necessary credentials. I have a degree in Kinesiology from the University of Virginia as well as several certifications through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, credentials that are all quite costly to obtain. In order to maintain certifications, trainers are required to take continuing education courses every 1-2 years (these courses usually start around $500 and can cost as much as several thousand dollars). In addition to continuing education, a good trainer is going to want to further their education and obtain new skills and/or certifications that will make them a better trainer. Additional certification courses and seminars are a worthwhile investment for us so that we can continue to offer quality services to our clients, but they are quite costly.

• Business Expenses

  If a trainer runs his/her own business, as I do, there are business expenses you don’t see that are very necessary to running a smooth business. A trainer is not just going to advertise all of his/her expenses, which is why I wrote this blog post — to give you a good idea of what it costs to run a personal training business.

  • Insurance to protect ourselves and our business (prices vary)

  • Legal Fees: ~$200-$300/year

  • Software:

    • Training app used by my clients: ~$75/month

    • Website creation/maintenance: ~$150-$200/year

    • Financial and accounting services (prices vary)

  • Equipment (training equipment, workwear, various devices, etc.): ~$500-$1000/year

    • I am lucky to not have this expense, but many trainers also pay monthly overhead costs to training facilities/gyms in which they train clients

  • Gas and mileage (if a trainer is coming to you)

  • Taxes

• We Gotta Live Too!!

  Just like you, personal trainers are people with expenses and bills to pay, families to support, and lives to live! Only after covering all of the operating expenses listed above do we get paid. The idea that personal trainers make a lot of money with minimal work involved is actually very false. I can promise you that we are in the business of personal training because we truly love it, not for the money. We love the relationships we build with clients, we love the physical and mental progress that we have the privilege of witnessing, and we are dedicated to educating and serving others.

Being a personal trainer is a grind — of course, I can only speak from personal experience but I work anywhere from 50-60 hours per week. Some days start at 4:30am and some days I work until 8 or 9pm at night. If you’re a personal trainer AND a business owner, the responsibilities and expenses multiply exponentially. I hope this offered a deeper look into the day to day life of a personal trainer and insight into what you’re actually paying for, because I promise it’s not just for me to watch you work out;)

Personal training is expensive — there’s no doubt about it, but encourage you to look at it as an investment in your health, your physical fitness, your confidence, your overall quality of life, and so much more. That mindset, coupled with the insight that there is so much that goes on behind the scenes will hopefully help with that initial sticker shock you might get when hiring a personal trainer. Do your homework, find a qualified trainer that aligns well with your goals, values, personality, etc., do what is asked of you, and it will be the best money you’ve ever spent!