One of the most common questions customers have is how often they should see a personal trainer. The answer depends on several different factors. Each person and situation is unique and requires a different frequency of meeting with their personal trainer.
We’ve put together a list of considerations on how often you need to see a personal trainer.
Why Hire a Personal Trainer in the First Place?
There are many reasons people choose to hire a personal trainer, including the following:
1. You’re Working Out for the First Time
When you’re just starting out on a fitness journey, exercising can be challenging and intimidating. How do you determine which exercises are necessary and how often to do them? There’s much to figure out when you’re just starting out.
Sure, you can research information online that may be somewhat helpful; however, they won’t provide the customised information you need.
As a beginner, it’s important never to try to do anything you’re not sure of. Even the wrong grip on a weight or machine can cause a serious injury.
If you aren’t sure where to begin, a personal trainer can be extremely helpful and beneficial to get you started on the right track.
2. You’re Training for Your First Competitive Event
Whether running a marathon or competing in a weightlifting competition, your first competitive event can be difficult. However, a personal trainer can make all the difference between success or failure.
When you’ve figured out how often to see a personal trainer, you can work with them to understand your limits and create a plan that helps you reach your goals.
Before hiring a personal trainer for your event, it’s essential to choose a personal trainer who has the necessary experience and knowledge in this area.
3. You’ve Stopped Seeing Results
Nothing is more frustrating than exercising and not seeing results, even if you’re using good form and putting in the effort. If you find yourself in this position, it’s best to seek out the assistance of a personal trainer. They can assess any areas you may be missing.
The fact is that exercising using the same techniques over and over again can only work so much. Your body can become used to the effort, so you no longer see the results you’re after.
However, a personal trainer can assess your workout routine and make suggestions on how to change it in order to allow you to achieve your fitness goals.
How Often to See a Personal Trainer Based on Skill Level
The frequency of seeing your personal trainer may depend on your current fitness skill level. Not everyone has the same skill level, and the personal trainer will take this into consideration when creating a personal workout plan.
Beginner
As a beginner, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by constantly questioning how often to see your personal trainer. During this time, we recommend seeing your personal trainer as much as possible.
At this stage, you should be meeting with a personal trainer about 2-3 times a week, for 6 weeks. This period allows the trainer to assess your skills and make corrections to basic mistakes you may be making during exercise sessions.
When you’re a beginner, the personal trainer will also give you some homework, so you can exercise on the days you’re not meeting together. While you’re not meeting with your personal trainer, you’ll still have sessions that can help you achieve your fitness goals.
In addition, how often you see a personal trainer can also depend on your goals.
Intermediate
As an intermediate, you have more experience with exercise and fitness routines. It can be a little more challenging to determine when to see a personal trainer. This is due to the fact that you won’t need as much basic training as a beginner; however, you may still require guidance in specific areas in order to achieve your fitness goals.
Sessions with the personal trainer will focus on teaching you new techniques. So, we recommend seeing your personal trainer about 1-2 times a week for 6 weeks.
Fitness Expert
A fitness expert may be a professional athlete or another fitness professional. While they have the basics and intermediate stages down, they can still have sessions with a personal trainer and receive many benefits from working with a personal trainer.
Most professional athletes see their personal trainers as often as possible; some may see their personal trainers 4-5 times a week.
How Often Should You See a Personal Trainer to Achieve Fitness Goals?
It’s not only your skill level that determines how often you need to see a personal trainer. It can also depend on your fitness goals.
For instance, if you have short-term fitness goals, you should see a personal trainer about 2-3 times a week. On the other hand, if you have long-term fitness goals, aim to see a personal trainer 1-2 times a week.
Here are some recommendations for how often to see a personal trainer:
- Training for weight/fat loss: meet with a personal trainer 2-4 times a week
- Gaining lean muscle: may need to see a personal trainer for several months
- Training for an event: depends on your fitness level and how close the event is
Other Factors to Consider
There are also other factors that may determine how often you should see a personal trainer, including the following:
Finances
The amount you can afford to spend on a personal trainer can influence how often you’re able to see them.
Motivation Level
Maybe you’ve been exercising on your own and seeing results. However, you may reach a plateau where nothing changes, no matter what you try. This may be the right time to hire a personal trainer. They can get you over the plateau and back on track to reaching your goals.
Confidence Level
If you’re just starting out at the gym, it can be challenging, and you may feel your confidence ebbing away. In that case, it may be a good idea to see a personal trainer. They can help you become more comfortable at the gym.
Summing It Up
As you can see, there’s no one answer about how often to see a personal trainer. It all depends on various factors that influence your fitness level, skills, and more.
If you’re unsure whether a personal trainer is right for you or you’d like to know how often to see a personal trainer, don’t hesitate to reach out and ask them for advice and guidance. They can get you on track to achieving your fitness goals in no time if you put in the effort!
