Personal training on a budget

1. They know a majority of customers need the help of a professional to show them what to do.
2. They know the majority of customers who feel successful with their workout goals will stay in a membership longer.
3. They know the majority of customers who aren't getting the help they need will feel unsuccessful and eventually cancel their memberships.

But the problem for many people is, those personal training packages can be costly. Most clubs charge $99-$199 for three to four sessions.

The perfect solution is "small group personal training" -- this is the term you want to look for, and can range in price from $10-$20 per class, depending on the instructor and location. Small group personal training is just that: personal training with a small group of other customers. Not to be mistaken for "group fitness" which is an exercise class such as Jazzercise, small group personal training is different in that the class size is typically limited to 5-10 max, and the instructor will not be doing the workout with you, but instead will be performing the roll of your coach.

Also, do not mistake a small group personal training session with a bootcamp session. In bootcamp, the class will be much larger, and the instructor may not be giving you the personal attention you need and would receive from a trainer. The American Council on Exercise has a great blog post here, describing the difference. Here's an excerpt:

"The current trend is to have large boot camps with instructors using high energy to “put on a show” and use high-intensity exercises to justify the expense with sweat. This often draws instructors with less-refined skills in movement and teaching since the large number of participants does not provide the opportunity to correct movement quality. So in effect, it allows the instructor to “hide” their lack of movement knowledge in a larger group dynamic. This may provide a “hard” workout, but so what? If it isn’t part of something larger and more meaningful to the client, we have not provided any real and lasting change.

With a small group limited to 10 participants or less, it will be fun, but still small enough to retain high quality."

No matter where you go or what facility or trainer you choose, you will want to heed the above excerpt. If your trainer is not watching you, correcting your moves, checking in with you personally, and making sure you are getting your best workout, you are not getting personal training, you're getting a group fitness class.

If your personal trainer/instructor cannot address you by your first name without looking at a clipboard, you aren't getting personal training, and you need to run -- fast. You are not getting the service you need and are paying for.

(At Jazzercise, our group fitness classes are very similar to small group personal training, with one difference being the instructor is performing the exercises along with you. Jazzercise is a higher-standard and caliber group fitness class, though. Please don't expect the same service from a non-Jazzercise class.)

Jazzercise Elk Grove will be hosting a small group personal training session starting Saturday, Aug 3 at 7:30am. The session will be held once a week - every Saturday in August - for $50 for 5 sessions. Drop ins are allowed at $15 each. Each Saturday morning class will last 45 minutes to one hour, and will vary each week, but be complete body workouts and exercise information on how to workout on your own during the week.

To register for the session, click here. For more information, please email or call 916-222-0572.