I have heard many complaints about how “expensive” it is to hire a personal trainer.

Getting professional help with anything is expensive.

But being healthy is equally or more expensive. Unhealthy lifestyles and choices cost the United States tons of money.

For example, Obesity costs around $190.2 billion a year in America and the future medical costs will most likely be much pricier than joining a gym or paying for a trainer to help you revamp your lifestyle. If you’re having trouble with making exercise a habit, check out our blog post on how to fix that here.

So Why Hire a Personal Trainer Anyway?

The fact is most people have no clue what they are doing and they are :

a) Too proud to ask for help.

b) Too cheap to pay for help.

c) Their health isn’t a priority

d) Lazy and full of excuses to make a change in their life because it’s too hard.

Hiring a trainer is an investment in your health.

Just think about it… Don’t you think when you start looking and feeling better it might impact other areas of your life? Wasn’t it worth paying the 300-400 a month to have someone with knowledge and experience help you reach those goals because now you’ll probably have the confidence to ask for that raise or run that race?

The knock-on effects of physical improvement are so wide-spread, from improved self-esteem to better quality relationships, better concentration on studies/work and clearer focus on life goals.

8 Reasons Why Your Personal Trainer Is Expensive

1. Your trainer is human

So just like most people they have rent to pay, medical insurance, transportation, education, health insurance, food etc.

2. Your trainer has invested money and time to have credentials

Trainer education isn’t free. He/she most likely went to college and also has a certification (which depending on how good it is could cost up to 1k). In addition, it is legally required for us to hold a valid CPR/AED certification (so we can save your life). Moreover, if your trainer rents a space they also have to pay for trainer insurance which ranges from $200-300 a year. All of this just to be certified and run a business.

Time is money for trainers, the same as for anyone else. Just like with anything, if you want a service (e.g. to have someone fix your car) you have to pay for it.

Cost Breakdown:

Certification $1000 (and that’s if you only have one)

Re-certification $200-$300 per annum.

Additional certifications $300-$600 per annum

Trainer Insurance $200-$400? (Depends on company and type of insurance)

Total: $2500

3. We invest the time and money into continuing education

Once we get our certification it doesn’t stop there (if you actually have one). Some people train people without having a certification at all. Why are you trusting them with your body again?

Not only do we have to hear clients complain about pricing and how they hate a specific exercise, but we have to sit through 8-hour seminars on a SATURDAY. Each certifying organization requires continuing education from each trainer which you have to submit every time you want to renew your certification. So the trainer has to pay for the continuing education (have you looked up how much these fitness seminars are?) and pay the renewal fee.

Here are some money-saving tips so you can make fitness a priority:

Get rid of your Starbucks addiction can save you about $500/ month
Start walking places instead of taking Uber… You wouldn’t be complaining about the results if you did 😉 Its a good place to start. You’re consuming less sugar and upping your physical activity.

4. Fitness Clothes (and Equipment) Aren’t cheap

A good pair of yoga pants are NOT cheap!

Lululemon pants +top+Nike shoes+lululemon bag+lululemon jacket=$90+$50+$100+$100+$90=$430 for one outfit (not everyone spends this kind of money)

Yes it’s expensive and you’ll probably judge us for spending good money on it, but products that not only look good (since you know we are professional) but also of good quality, is worth the price tag. The discount is pretty motivating too.

We wear this stuff every day and have to workout in it. You shouldn’t re-wear a pair of yoga pants again (gross) and we burn through training shoes. It’s our uniform. If you have an office job you probably wear some type of professional outfit that you’ve invested money into. If you haven’t that’s your choice. Of course, you can go the cheap route and get gym tops that cost like 12 dollars, that smell after you workout, don’t wash well, don’t have a warranty, look like shit and that you have to replace after wearing it a few times.

Nope, I’m good.

Total: $400-500/month

5. We have Bills

Space rental (if you don’t work at a corporate gym): 20-30 per hour (whether you show up or not) That’s why we charge you for cancellations. If you don’t show up you’re costing the trainer money. I paid 2,000k a month for my gym space

Actual rent because unlike popular belief I don’t live at the gym. $700-1500 month

Groceries if you eat healthy : $100 dollars/week (adjusted if you have a family) $400/month

Eating out because sometimes we forget our lunch or don’t have time to meal prep $50 a week. If you are a coffee drinker add $30 dollars. If you drink pressed juice every day add $30

Transportation: Monthly public transport pass $80 a month, car insurance $100, Gas $120-300/month, parking $20/a day if you park in a lot, meter 2.25 an hour (some trainers commute so include Toll, Bart etc.)

Student Loans/Credit Cards $500

Phone Bill $100

Medical Insurance $100-$300 month

Medical Bills (physical therapy, chiropractor, acupuncture, doctor visits) $200-300/month

We have a Life so we go out to eat, bars, clubs, concerts, take late night Ubers $200-400

6. Business Expenses

Insurance
Online Scheduling Program (I paid $50 a year for Mindbody’s basic platform)
Merchant Processing Services It costs us money to run your credit card. We pay a monthly fee plus the company takes a percentage of each transaction $200-$300
Apparel for clients: I spent $1500 on apparel for my clients that I just gave to them
Website Management if you’re using a platform like Wix it can cost you $90 a year
Website Domain $10 a year
Taxes – varies

Total: 10K+

May I add that just because it’s a business expense, doesn’t make it an “expense”. Yea I know we can write it off but we still have to pay for it and not everything fits into write-offs.

7. We workout too

We get to meet other cool trainers, make friends and have our own fitness goals.

Personal Trainer $200 (we get discounts)
Class Pass $120
Gym Membership $60
Fitness Classes $100-200
Water and Smoothies $50

Total: $630+

lifting-workshop

8. We have to deal with other people’s problems, baggage, complaints, excuses, abuse etc.

I’ll just leave that one there.

Ok so let’s do the Math…

Lets say a trainer works 30 hours a week and charges $90 dollars an hour

$129,600 -24,000 (Space Rental)=105,600
-$2500 (credentials and insurance)
-$4000/year business expenses ( some people pay more)
-$8,000 (workouts)
-$48000 (Bills to Live if you don’t own a house or have a car note)
-$5000 (Uniform)

$38,100 is how much they bring home Before Taxes

So what does this all Mean?

This is why trainers work tons of hours, teach multiple group classes and deal with client bs. Did we mention we gladly do it too? I’m not saying that every trainer deserves to be paid around 100 dollars, because a lot of them don’t, especially if they’re new and have little experience, or just suck.

This is also why a lot of gyms change the pay scale for trainers depending on how much education and experience that trainer has, and why I adjust my prices every year. The more experience (and client results) the more I’m going to charge and should charge. Testimonials here.

I do realize that there are a lot of free resources out there in terms of fitness apps, websites, Ig trainers selling you teas and three-hundred dollar plans they mass produce, but have you ever met anyone who learned how to properly workout (correct form and all) from Bro on YouTube. Yea you can watch a video and follow a workout with a trainer but is that trainer correcting your form?

Is the trainer in your cheap gym’s group workout class worried about your form? Some aren’t allowed to check your form at all. Why should you care? Because you may have an arch in your upper back, knees that go over your toes when you squat, a weak lumbo-pelvic-hip complex, heels that come off the ground etc. So then you spend years doing a foundational exercise incorrectly.

So what I’m really trying to say is..

If you have no clue what you’re doing at the gym –please seek professional advice. It will save you from: Being judged, the embarrassment of consistently making errors (which cause you INJURY and longer-term damage,) and not seeing the results you want. You’ll also save valuable time, money on medical bills (less injuries) etc.

An important note: Do your research on trainers and property vet them out. Not every trainer is for you, just like successful trainers don’t take on just any Client. (Naturally some people just don’t click.) Word-of-mouth is often the way to go for seeking out your new trainer (as with professionals in other industries.)

Have more questions? Sign up for a Personal Workout Plan

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I’m a California girl living in London

Fitness, Lifestyle,Traveling and Living Abroad.

I’m sprinkling sincerity on it.

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Why Your Personal Trainer is So Expensive