Many people think hiring a personal trainer is the first step toward getting in shape. But without a clear sense of what you want and a supportive community to back you up, it’s often the wrong move. Here’s why you should start with finding the right gym instead of jumping straight to one on one help.
It's a common assumption that hiring a personal trainer is a viable option for people when it comes to making a change towards leading a healthier lifestyle. But in reality, for most people, personal trainers don’t actually solve the real problem at hand. And it’s not because people aren’t trying. It’s because the model is missing two critical components: community and desire.
Think of it like hiring a tutor for a student. If a child is struggling in school, sometimes a tutor can help get them through a tough subject. But no one hires a math tutor because their kid asked them to. It's usually a targeted approach in response to a gap, not a long term solution to a broader problem. Now apply that same thinking to health: why would someone hire a fitness “tutor” to teach them something they’ve never done, in a way they may not enjoy, without knowing whether it actually addresses a long term need specific to the individual?
That’s what hiring a personal trainer often feels like. You’re bringing in outside help for something you haven’t even decided you care about yet. And you’re doing it without the support of a group or a community, people who could show you the ropes, share in the struggle and have some fun with each and every day.
To be clear, this doesn’t mean personal trainers aren't necessary or useful. The right trainer at the right time can even be a game changer. So too can the right mentor in the world of business. But it only works if you know what you're solving for. Getting help from an accountant when your business struggles with sales won't fix anything. Similarly, hiring a personal trainer when your issue is that you’re bored, unmotivated, or unsure of what you'll even enjoy doesn’t make a lot of sense.
You shouldn't feel the need to commit to a particular type of workout before you know what excites you first.
But when you do, and once you’ve found something you actually enjoy, that’s when the idea of personalized help makes sense. In Jiu Jitsu, they’re called privates. In CrossFit, personal training sessions with a coach can help you refine your lifts or scale workouts properly. It’s not random. It's targeted support, just like that math tutor.
Parents don’t just hire random tutors to educate their kids. They find the subject, the challenge, and the best way to address a specific need or fill a particular gap. As adults, we can do the same when it comes to fitness. Only now we get to choose the subject.
We understand that many lives have been changed through the help of personal trainers. But at Gym Force, we also believe that for most people, long term success begins by finding the right kind of gym first. The kind with coaches who care, including supportive communities that will be there with you every step of the way.