Personal Training vs. Group Fitness – What’s right for you?

What’s right for you? Deciding between Personal Training sessions and Group Fitness classes

Are you looking to reach your fitness goals or find renewed workout motivation?  Or perhaps your treadmill sessions aren’t providing the results you’d like?  Does the thought of joining a big gym with dozens of people and intimidating equipment makes you cringe?

You may have considered working with a personal trainer to help you reach your fitness goals.  Personal training is just that – personal. The one-on-one attention in a private session allows you and trainer to customize and track your workouts, focusing on your individual goals and any necessary modifications. You will be encouraged to work hard while a close eye is kept on maintaining proper form.  The down side to private training sessions is that they are often costly.

I find solution that suits the greatest numbers of clients that I have worked with across the nation, are studios and gyms that offer small group classes.

These gyms and fitness studios frequently offer a number of options such as barre, HITT, TRX, kettlebells, pilates, and yoga classes.  Often these classes are capped to a small number of clients to allow the instructor the ability to closely watch each person’s form and give personalized modifications when necessary.

Another bonus to small group fitness is camaraderie!  Meeting people who have the same health and fitness goals as you, often leads to new friendships.  In the years that I’ve been teaching and taking small group classes in my own studio – Pilates In Motion Fitness Studio in NY – or across the nation as I travel to teach the BeyondBarre Fitness Method – I’ve found that overall small group training classes are filled with friendly, humble, and encouraging people. It’s the least intimidating and usually most cost-effective option for achieving an effective long-term fitness plan.

Team Spirit!

At Pilates In Motion NY, my instructors and I pay attention to the details, create class options and modifications that suit our client base and build classes that focus on building strength, heart pumping stamina, and tone targeting body areas – for a fraction of the cost of personal training.  We do offer private training as an option for those clients who prefer it and/or who are unable to attend during scheduled group class times.

Another benefit to small group training classes is that they are FUN!  It’s inevitable that there is a bit of light banter during an hour long class – whether it’s a comment on the exercise, the upbeat music playing, or perhaps a humorous comment on current events! It keeps the time during a tough workout moving more quickly and helps build a bit of “team spirit” as everyone tackles the same challenging exercises.

During classes I’ve taught and attended across the country, I’ve noticed that clients often workout harder and challenge themselves further in a small class setting. An increased willingness to push yourself and do the best you can do when working out next to others is natural!

Fitness Choices

So you have options to contemplate when thinking about how to better motivate yourself and reach your fitness goals. Consider a personal fitness trainer option where you can be one-on-one with a trainer and have the workout focused 100% on you. It’s worth the extra cost if that is what motivates you best and allows you to fit it into your day.  I find small group fitness classes to be my pick.  Whether in a boutique fitness studio or a large fitness facility, small group classes motivate and challenge me to work hard and push myself.  I truly enjoy the camaraderie and friendship of my BeyondBarre group classes where an hour-long workout is always fun and the time flies by!

Want to try a BeyondBarre Class in your area? Take a look here to find a studio near you.

Cheers to having fitness choices,

Colleen Ketchum
Founder of the BeyondBarre Fitness Method and
Owner of Pilates In Motion Fitness Studio in Warwick, NY