Why is in-home personal training better than going to a commercial gym or studio? Because it gets results. I see it all the time and you can too. Here’s why…

When I first decided to become a personal trainer 15 years ago, most of my peers worked in local gyms. It took me less than a month working in a neighbourhood studio to realize that this was not what I wanted to do. That now defunct studio, like many others, was geared towards generating revenue above all else. Customer service and getting results for clients was a distant second. Most personal trainers I know are in it because they love what they do and they want to help people achieve their goals. One night at the studio, a client approached me after a session and asked if I would train her and her daughter in their home. Soon after, I left the studio and started an in-home training business. I have never looked back.

Here is my view on the benefits of in-home personal training:

Accountability – It’s pretty easy to talk yourself out of a trip to the gym. Ask any gym goer and they will tell you that they are guilty of this from time to time. But when you know that your trainer will be showing up at your door for 8:00 a.m. sharp, all excuses are out the window. You have to be ready to perform. Scheduled appointments help you maintain consistency, which is critical to being successful in accomplishing your fitness goals, whether they be gaining muscle, losing fat or overall conditioning. You need to train a minimum of three times a week to see a difference and your trainer plays a major role in keeping you on track.

One-on-one interaction – In-home personal training gives you one-on-one attention from a trainer without distractions. You get a fitness program that is tailored just for you and works around your limitations to help you reach your fitness goals quickly and efficiently.  You are the centre of attention. The personal training at a gym or boot camp is usually standardized and variations are discouraged.

Time efficient – When you have a trainer come to your home you save a lot of preparation time. There’s no need to pack a bag with your clothing and gear, no travelling to the gym, no searching for a parking spot. Your trainer should arrive at the scheduled time, and spend the entire training session with you, without distraction. When time is of the essence, in home-training allows you to spend more time training and less time dealing with all the minutiae.

Privacy – We all feel that our bodies are less than perfect. Working out in a public facility can be pretty intimidating, especially when you are out of shape and surrounded by people who aren’t.  An in-home personal training program lets you work out in the comfort of your own home without judgement. You get to exercise without an audience and learn how to perform the exercises at your own pace.

Minimal exercise equipment – Most in home personal training focuses on exercise techniques that require little or no gear. If you already own fitness equipment, your trainer can include it in your workouts. If you don’t have any, most trainers have equipment that they can bring. I recommend that my clients have a yoga mat, a stability ball and a pair of dumbbells. It’s easy to take them to your office, to a hotel or to use them in your backyard. The idea that you need a bunch of fancy machines, bikes and treadmills in your basement in order to get in shape is unfounded. You should be able to train almost anywhere and get an effective workout.