Which Is More Beneficial? Group Fitness Classes VS Personal Training?
Any time we decide to step out of our comfort zone and embrace something, or at least give it a shot, we may be able to reference our friend’s recommendations, a magazine article, or whatever the almighty Google has decided is in our best interests. When people decide to undertake a bit of a fitness lifestyle, they too don’t usually know where to start. Should I just join a gym? There’s also places that have personal training, group classes, yoga, etc. There’s a lot to choose from, and while one obviously can’t possibly compare every fitness option at once, since there are a plethora of considerations and mitigating factors as to what constitutes an appropriate regimen for you personally, but we can examine a very common dilemma. Group fitness classes vs personal training.
When we examine group fitness classes vs personal training, we have to acknowledge the obvious. If you have an experienced and qualified personal trainer that excels in his or her field, you are going to get the most bang for your buck, so to speak, when it comes to individualized attention, form, communication, and so on. That’s something you simply can’t get in a class. A class has a a minimum of several participants and it goes without saying that any instructor cannot be focused on everything and everybody at once. This is why there is really no comparison between group fitness classes versus personal training. It’s apples versus oranges. More often than not, the people that lead up these classes are entry-level personal trainers if even that. This is not to say they are bad at their jobs, but they don’t have the experience to say to someone in the back row who has an impingement of their infraspinatus, that they should not be doing a kettle bell swing like the rest of the class. This is where you can run into trouble with a group fitness class. If everybody does the same exercises, there’s going to be fall out. Not everybody should be doing the same thing, obviously. This is not to say that a bad personal trainer, which there are plenty of, wouldn’t do with their clientele. I’ve heard many stories of everybody getting a piece of paper that has the same workout as well as the same nutrition plan on it, no matter who they are, and what their goals are.
Ultimately, if you’re comparing group fitness classes vs personal training, and you recognize the many differences between the approaches, you simply must do whatever is right for you. If the cost associated with a personal trainer is an obstacle, then group fitness classes may be your best option, so long as you can protect yourself from exacerbating your imbalances, as mentioned earlier. If you think you want to try personal training, don’t look towards a big box gym as they hire young and inexperienced trainers for the most part. They also have formulaic approaches and sales quotas to meet. None of this is going to help you. Instead, look for someone with whom you feel comfortable, and who has a good amount of experience. I’ve been a personal trainer in Austin over 20 years, and I can honestly say that it takes time to master your craft, and you never truly stop learning. Perhaps that explains why I have the clientele that I do. A personal trainer shouldn’t be selected because they offer free sessions or look good flexing their tanned muscles in their 1 size too small clothing. Find someone with whom you’re compatible that can recognize your imbalances, weaknesses, etc, and guide you to your goals safely, while enjoyably at the same time.
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Andy
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