This is a commonly asked question by prospects and it’s a very tough one to answer as everything is based on context. The answer will vary depends on a number of influencing factors such as demographic, location, type of service, facility and quality of trainer. This article will explore these factors in more detail along with why they matter when it comes to purchasing decision from the customer.
How should I pay for a Personal Trainer?
In the UK, personal training sessions can vary from £20 to £150 per hour and as you can see, this is a very large variance. This disparity will range from some parts of the north of England and Scotland through to the high end areas of central London. I have worked with clients at both ends of the spectrum and have experiences the difference in expectation of service and results.
Still, a £130 variance is massive when we think about it. This is why it cannot purely be on one or two factors alone. Demographic play a part and this refers to age, gender, marital status, income level and the general structure of a population group. Disposable income is a huge factor but when you get to the higher echelons of working with VIP personnel then you can charge higher rates. The problem with this is that most trainers will never get access to that population group as it’s very difficult to reach them through traditional marketing and those clients are difficult to keep once they get there.
The average price of a personal training session in Manchester, England will be £35 per session whereas in London, it will be £50-60 and this is partly due to the perceived or actual pay differences in the average job. In recent years, personal training has evolved and business owners have become savvier by offering more bespoke and better value packages. It no longer is just about the session in this case and is about the holistic service that a trainer can provide. This means that trainers are no longer charging by the hour but are charging for the package or the result.
This is a much more appealing way to showcase value and packages can include things like health MOT’s, nutrition support and planning, life coaching and access to a multi-disciplinary teams, where physiotherapists, osteopaths and other practitioners may be part of the service. This may mean that a service is packaged as a 12 week program as opposed to x amount per hour and this is useful because trainers who are worth their salt will go beyond what is delivered in a session.
Type of facility also plays a part in pricing. Boutique gyms have seen a rise in prevalence in recent years and often command a higher fee for memberships and sessions due to the luxury experience they provide whereas budget gyms are on the other end of the spectrum and are more about lower quality service but ease of access and providing a reasonable amount of equipment to members but these gyms are far from the five star experience you would get in a boutique gym or a high end hotel.
Price points from at least an ethical standpoint should be reflective of fair value for the service being provided that’s in line with the norms of the demographic of type of clientele you are working with. Training sessions can be perceived as too cheap or too expensive, no matter who we work with and this is why it’s important to get our pricing strategy right as trainers. If a client is looking for specialist in a niche area then this should be factored into pricing as does any additional benefits that come with the sessions. Trainers who work in terms of “peripheral” personal training can rightly charge more than someone who just turns up and delivers sessions.
Although the aforementioned will determine a starting point for what a trainer should charge/what we should be paying as a client, what ultimately matters is whether you feel comfortable paying what you are paying for what you get in return. Sadly, price points are often similar for new trainers with basic qualifications as well as experienced ones who have a wealth of knowledge and experience. It’s hard for prospects to differentiate between what a good trainer is and isn’t until they have experienced both ends of the spectrum. This is where price points can be a minefield for someone who wants a personal trainer but has never had one before. What we can probably all agree on though is that we shouldn’t keep paying for something that we don’t see value from consistently.
A lot of trainers who are more business savvy will also change the way they price their services if you commit to more regular sessions. This is where sliding scale price points are useful e.g. one session per week = £50 per week but three sessions per week = £120 per week or £40 per session. It’s not the length of the session that matters but what we get back from the session that will influence if we feel something is worth it or not. You may also get discounts from some trainers by buying sessions in bulk so it’s worth negotiating on price if you are looking for longer term commitment from sessions. Ultimately, we want to feel that we are getting value for money instead of feeling buyer’s remorse.
Regional Personal Trainer Costs
Based on my own experience and insight into the industry through various management positions, here is a range of prices that PT sessions will be in different regions of the UK. As with anything, there will be exceptions to the rule however this gives us a starting point when it comes to one to one sessions.
As you can see that these figures do not equate for the higher end of the scale as these clients are few and far between or are not usually accessible through traditional commercial gyms. When it comes to London it is also very difficult to not use a generalisation as the influencing factors vary greatly from borough to borough depending on the clientele involved. One final things that I haven’t mentioned when it comes to influencing price point is the amount of rent a trainer has to pay in a given month as this often means that the gyms themselves dictate what trainers can and can’t charge. Rent can range from £300 per month in the north of England to £1200 per month in the capital. Generally speaking the higher the rent, the higher the perceived affluence in an area but this isn’t always the case.
How should I pay for a Personal Trainer - Conclusion
As a general rule, you should weigh up what you are paying for a trainer against your results, the connection you have with them as well as what people are paying around you. If you are paying significantly more for a trainer, just make sure they can justify what they charge so you aren’t being robbed blind but the right trainer at the right price can also be worth their weight in gold and can end up being a very good investment into your health and wellbeing that can improve the quality of your life tenfold.
My names Christian Roach.
I’m the Education Director at Redefining Fitness. We deliver internationally accredited fitness qualifications for aspiring personal trainers across the UK. Our internationally experienced team of tutors help students to go from enrolment to graduation to successful business in as little as six to twelve months.
We’re known for delivering exceptionally high service and for producing industry ready fitness professionals, leaving our students feeling inspired to be the best version of themselves.
