The distinction of a Personal Trainer

Shopping around for a personal trainer can be a confusing business. In today’s blog, I’m going to run through a few distinctions between types of personal trainers. 

Disclaimer: I’m an independent PT. I’ve also worked in national chains as a PT also. So I’ve got a good understanding of the industry. I’ll try to be as impartial as I can. 

The on-the-books PT

Some personal trainers working out of big company gyms - think national chains - are employed directly for that company. 

The specialist

Some personal trainers working out of big company gyms are self-employed, meaning they rent space to operate out of that facility, but apart from that, they’re independent. 

The local

Other personal trainers work out of independent gyms, so smaller operations, but not affiliated to chains. 

The maverick

Other personal trainers, like myself, run independent personal training studios. 

The Aristotelian

And some personal trainers are mobile, meaning they come to your door. 

I won’t go into online PT’s here. 

Opinion

PT’s employed by big companies tend to be hit and miss in terms of quality (in my honest opinion). Some are very good however (the best I’ve ever worked with). But some are completely useless. 

Working for a big company lends the reputation of that company, and the impression of quality, to that PT. They wear the company uniform. They’ve been vetted by the company, trained by the company, and their ongoing employment suggests that a minimum standard of coaching is in the offering. That’s the impression. Sadly, this isn’t always the case. Blinded by the corporate reputation, clients can be left out of pocket for a substandard program of training. 

The employed PT can fall back on the reputation of the company for business. They can rely on a gym full of people to garner new clients. And if things don’t go well, they can fall back on their employment status to scrape by. 

Not all employed PT’s are bad. As I say, some of the best PT’s I’ve ever worked with fall into this category. But they’re usually the more ambitious people. Some PT’s or fitness coaches are happy to scrape by, collecting their paychecks for minimum work and performance. And I know some of these too. It’s no insult. They’d tell you as much themselves. 

This is down to the moral hazard of employment. There really is no disincentive for poor performance. The company will rarely have it’s reputation tarnished by a rogue PT. 

Self employed PT’s for a big company are a different breed altogether. They make use of the gym’s facilities, and have access (at varying levels) to the membership base of that gym too. They lend some of the reputation from the company but inside the gym, are seen as independent. 

They lack the moral hazard of employment, because if they are bad, they don’t get paid. These PT’s therefore are usually of a higher quality than the employed. 

They have usually been employed by the company at one stage, but at some point broke away to go it alone. 

Personal Trainers working out of small independent gyms are a different class too. The smaller facility has less residual reputation that the big companies have, so the PT’s here have extra incentive to work hard and be better PT’s. One bad review could really impact their business. 

Plus in this case, the independent gym has a more fragile reputation that the big national company. So the gym owner and PT are in it together. 

Therefore these PT’s have more to lose, in terms of reputation, and so do the business owners too. 

Independent gyms in general have less quality control over the people they employ as trainers. Quite often the PT’s there are friends, relatives, and associates. In general. Some are not. 

Independent Personal Trainers, like myself, have no reputation of anyone else to rely on. I work with people on a one to one basis, and that is the only business that I offer. It is solely down to me and the service I provide to develop a good reputation. 

I don’t have a body of gym members to garner clients from. I have to get there on my own, and because of that, I feel the pressure to deliver exceptional service, and without doubt, this pressure is the greatest now that it has been in any other employment status so far. 

A note. These are general statements on the subject as part of the wider discussion about the industry. There are exceptions in all cases. Not all independent PT’s are good. Not all employed PT’s are bad. 

But who to go to?

If you’re a member of a gym and want an extra push in your workouts, your gym’s PT’s are probably the right choice for you. 

If you want better, more in depth knowledge of training in the gym you attend, I advise seeking out a self-employed PT in your gym. 

If you’re tired of the corporate feel, then get out there and try an independent gym. PT’s here can be amazing motivators. 

If you want a more personal, private service, then seek out the independent studio PT, although some gyms offer PT without gym membership.