There are many types of personal training, and knowing which type is right for you is critical to making sure you reach your exercise and health goals safely and efficiently.
At Muscle Activation Schaumburg, we have our specialties of personal training, but there are many other types that we don’t do, and for good reason.
Which is right for you? Let’s dive in to see…
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One-On-One Personal Training
One-on-one personal training is what is traditionally thought of as personal training. It is personal. It is specific. It is individualized.
This type of personal training is often referred to as private training, as well. It is one trainer and one client for the entire workout.
The pros to this type of training is that everything that be 100% customized to meet the client’s needs, wants, and likes. At Muscle Activation Schaumburg, this is our primary type of personal training. Everything is custom-built for the client – even the music that is played switches from one client to the next.
The benefits of having everything completely suited to you are that there is a much higher likelihood of reaching the results you want and being consistent with your workouts without experiencing issues like pain, soreness, or injury.
As a general rule, the further away a training session is from strictly one-on-one, the greater chances there are for injuries and issues because the exercise selection and the guidance provided cannot be as customized on a moment-by-moment basis. This is the primary reason why we only offer one-on-one personal training at Muscle Activation Schaumburg.
The other great thing about one-on-one training is you are less likely to have to be in a crowded space around other people that you may not particularly like. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to have a good workout but constantly being disrupted because other people are using the equipment, crowding your personal space, and sweating all over you.
For some people, that may be exciting, but for our clients here at Muscle Activation Schaumburg, we prefer to offer a much more private environment where each client almost feels as if they have the entire gym to themselves.
Small Group Personal Training
Small group personal training, or semi-private training, is a popular offering in the fitness industry because it can keep the cost per client down while still offering a feel that is more personal than a giant group class. It is typically done with three to five clients per one personal trainer or coach.
In the right environment and with the right trainers and clients, this can certainly be a fun and effective way to workout. The biggest drawback to this type of training is even though the session feels more private than a large group class, because it isn’t strictly one-on-one, there are details that get lost in the execution of the exercises.
While it may not be a big deal in the short term, over a long enough period of time, those lost details add up and can lead to not only worse results, but a much higher risk of injury, as well.
But, many people enjoy the camaraderie of a small group, so that aspect can help to keep people coming back.
Kind of like with playing sports or doing large group fitness classes, doing small group training is a fine option so long you aren’t ONLY doing small group training. Make sure you are also adding in some personal one-on-one training to give your body exactly what it needs and keep it feeling strong and fit enough to continue to do the small group training.
Large Group Training
Large group training is all the rage at both the small studios and large gyms alike because it can keep the cost per client way down while driving large numbers of people to show up and workout at the same time. These classes often have ten to fifty people or more in them for the one instructor leading them.
While these classes thrive on the group mentality and atmosphere to keep people coming back, they are also the biggest driver of injuries and issues within the fitness industry. Kind of like salt where a little can be good but a lot can be bad, these classes can add a fun alternative to working out on your own or with a handful of people.
Bootcamps, H.I.I.T. classes, popular franchise classes like F45 and Orangetheory, as well as barre, yoga, cardio kickboxing and more are all examples of large group training.
As always, beware of the appeal of “cheap fitness” and understand that cheap information often equates to bad information and the type of information that leads to injuries and issues.
One style of personal training that has grown significantly since 2020 has been virtual classes, both live and pre-recorded. While this presents a whole other set of issues in terms of injury risk, at Muscle Activation Schaumburg, we have figured out an extremely unique and reliable way to completely counteract these risks.
Through teaching the participants of our live and virtual classes how to exercise correctly for their body utilizing our four Exercise For Life Principles, not only are our members able to exercise from the comfort of their home, they are also consistently building their strength, fitness, and health without any of the typical issues that come up from working out like sore muscles or achy joints.
If you would like to join us for any of these workouts, you can get two weeks of full access for free by signing up here.
And, if you would like to do one-on-one personal training or Muscle Activation Techniques® with us here in Schaumburg, you can book your initial consultation and assessment with us here.
There are many types of personal training on the market today. While each offers its own unique pros and cons, at the end of the day, it is about finding a way to exercise that feels good for your body and is sustainable for your life. We hope to see you in our personal training studio or online membership soon to show you how we can help you do exactly that.
Here’s to health,
Julie & Charlie