How much does a personal trainer cost? Well while there aren’t any shortages of personal trainers available, it certainly isn’t easy to find an economical, qualified and reliable option. It can be difficult to establish what’s acceptable and what’s pushing the envelope with how much a personal trainer costs.
You’ve probably seen fluctuating prices between the cost of online training and in-person personal training rates. Or, perhaps you’ve been wondering – just how much does it cost to work with a personal trainer in Ireland or online to achieve my goals?
Let’s talk about how much a personal trainer costs and what goes into the different pricing. Int his blog I’ll cover..
1. Why are personal trainers costly?
2.What affects the price of a personal trainer?
3.Breakdown of the average costs of a personal trainer
4.Is a personal trainer worth it?
5.How much is a personal trainer (PT) in Ireland?
6.How to choose a personal trainer
7.Where to find a personal trainer?
Why are personal trainers costly?
With the cost of living ever increasing it can be easy to think personal trainers are expensive, especially if you need to see one in-person for several sessions per week. This may be the case for many people but I hope to show you the true value behind those prices and the many factors that contribute towards that often high price tag.
So why are good personal trainers costly, and are they worth it? Personal trainers are costly in the short term because you’re paying them to give you their undivided attention for 30-60 minutes or for a detailed check in online. Many trainers also have advanced degrees, additional certifications, attend upskilling courses and invest in software to help their clients.
Length of training
The length of training to become a Personal training can be intense. Courses can take as long as 10 months and can cost as high as €3000. They require intensive work and planning to complete.
From there is a never-ending curriculum based on psychology, biomechanics, data driven scientific studies and human behaviour to really get to the heart of client needs. Each client presents their own issues and educational training never really stops for good trainers.
Personalised support
From my years working in the fitness industry and consistently getting results with clients I know that everybody is truly different both inside and out. With that comes the need for personalised support to accommodate everyone’s abilities and requirements when it comes to exercise and nutrition.
As personal trainer’s it’s our duty to offer personalised support and help clients to get to their destination with education, ease and support. Each trainer offers something different.
I recommend checking out this podcast with my long term client Sarah. We chat about how we personalised many aspects of training and nutrition to her so she could get and maintain long term results.
Personalised support can be anything from trying to bounce back after an old injury, to getting support with fear around certain foods. This is where a personal trainer’s experience can make a huge difference.
Valuable service
Hiring a personal trainer is worth the cost for many reasons, one of which is the deep value in their service from experience . The implicit belief is that personal trainers who work in an industry where shame is a driver will call you out.
A real personal trainer will offer value by calling you forward by expanding your scope of critical thinking, limiting-beliefs and self-awareness. The value lies in their ability to challenge your thought process whilst also adapting the nutrition and fitness side of things to help you achieve and maintain results. I wrote at length about what to expect from working with a personal trainer in this blog post.
What affects the price of a personal trainer?
How long is a piece of string? The factors that affect the price of a personal trainer are endless. Their business model, individual training or group training, their location, certifications, upskilling, availability and their specialities.
Each trainer is different and therefore each price can be different too. Online training can definitely be more cost effective than signing up with a coach in-person and actually gives you access to top-tier trainers, even if you don’t have one near you. It’s super common and what I work as.
Let’s chat about some of the main factors that can have an impact on personal and online trainer cost in Ireland:
Location
As is with rent and services, location plays a large role in price when it comes to what a personal trainer costs in Ireland. Personal trainers in smaller cities and towns will charge less per session than those in larger cities like Galway and Cork, and in particular Dublin.
To emphasise my point, in Dublin personal trainers can charge as much as €100 for high end coaches, whereas areas outside Dublin would be geared towards the lower end charging anywhere from €20-50.
If you decide to hire an online trainer without a fixed location the price can also vary substantially. Depending on their experience, results and availability coaches charge anywhere from €120-400 per month. If you need some more tips check out my blog on where to find a personal trainer .
Experience
The biggest decider when it comes to how much a personal trainer costs is how much experience and expertise they have. This will impact their availability and results and overall cost. If you didn’t need this we would all make progress with a simple workout plan and calorie counter.
The experience and wisdom is what truly gives the client value and helps them understand how to achieve and maintain their results. Trainers with lengthy experience charge more based on what they know, and the amount of time they’ve been part of the fitness industry.
In my own coaching I know that working with clients who have presented with injuries, overly restrictive diet patterns, lack of food education or poor form has given me the framework to learn and grow as a coach and bring that value to my current clients.
So instead of “I am paying this trainer for 1 hour, this is too expensive,” what you’re really paying for is knowledge, confidence, momentum, and (hopefully) results whether in person or online. I’ve had coaches myself to help me progress and its been one of the best things I’ve ever done.
Certifications
Another big factor when it comes to the cost of a personal trainer or online trainer is their certifications and qualifications. Good trainers will always continue to upskill and deepen their knowledge.
By Irish standards it’s similar to a college degree. Us trainers aren’t doing this solely to hike our prices but to truly bring our clients the most comprehensive service so we can help them achieve their goals. Mac Nutrition University is a very popular course for Nutritionists and Trainers along with Precision Nutrition who I have worked with myself to enhance my nutrition knowledge.
These certifications alongside continued professional development, mean that personal trainer prices can incrementally increase, as they begin to specialise.
Group training VS individual training
“Flying solo” so to speak, gives you your own personal opportunity to stick to a program designed specifically for you, your goals, body type and personal needs by a trainer who knows you individually. The focus remains solely on YOU and m can be tailored to your goals.
The benefits of this are quicker results and deeper insights into how your body and mind work. Learning the basics to individualized training can be key to having a successful and useful lifelong fitness program.
So for people with time specific goals or needing an overhaul of their nutrition and training mindset individualized sessions may be the best option.
Group training is a wonderful approach and does provide a variety of benefits that have a high potential to motivate and encourage us. However if quick progress and deeper knowledge is your goal this may not be the best route to take as it is not individualised to you but the whole group. Naturally, in a group setting, people feed off the energy of others and become more accountable but the drawback is a lack of focus.
Breakdown of the average costs of a personal trainer
How much a personal trainers costs on average per hour?
If you are training in a gym one on one with a Personal Trainer in Ireland the average cost is about €25-50 per hour. Of course it depends where you are situated. A Personal Trainer in Carlow will certainly be cheaper than a Personal Trainer in Dublin City.
How much a personal trainers costs on average per week?
If you’re working with a Personal Trainer twice per week in person it could work out at roughly €50- €100 per week. Compare that to working with an Online Coach from Ireland and you could be looking at anywhere from €35 to €75 per week for personalised support.
How much a personal trainers costs on average per month?
In person Personal Training in Ireland works out at about €200-€400 per month if you are training twice per week in a gym. Online Personal Training costs an average of €150-300 per month.
How much is a personal trainer (PT) in Ireland?
According to Bark and Ori Gym the average cost of a Personal Trainer in Ireland is roughly between €25-45 euro per session. Online personal training averages are around €150-300 per month. I wrote more a more in-depth blog about how much a personal trainer costs a few months ago.
Is a personal trainer worth it?
With everything in the world going up in price it can be hard to justify the luxury of a personal trainer. When we really break it down though we see that it is truly an investment in ourselves and our future. A personal trainer can give you the tools and support that you need to reach and maintain a health and fitness goal.
They can provide support, accountability, education, and a personalized plan so your initial investment is well worth it and will stand the test of time.
How to choose a personal trainer
Finding the right personal trainer for you can take some time. If you haven’t already read my article on 8 reasons why you should hire a trainer I recommend reading it to see the value having a personal trainer can bring.
You want to find a personal trainer who’s values you share. Do they simply care about getting you results as quickly as possible, or do they care about helping you achieve results that you can sustain and at a pace that you can actually manage?
You want to look for a coach / trainer who specialises in the area you need help with. For example if you’re looking to do a bodybuilding show, it makes sense to go with a bodybuilding prep coach. If you’re looking to improve your fitness levels for sport, then a sports specific coach would be your best bet.
If you’re looking for a personal trainer to help you achieve sustainable weight loss without restriction or you’re wanting to get off the diet cycle, then I might be the coach for you. I passionate about teaching my clients about important lifestyle factors like breaking away from the weighing scales dictating their day and how to navigate eating out with ease.
I also want to stress that you do not have to stay with a personal trainer if you aren’t feeling it, I always suggest going with your gut as that will give you a good indication as to whether or not they have your best interests at heart and if they will be the right fit for you.
If their style of coaching isn’t a style that best suits you, then feel no obligation to stay. I have a 12 week minimum commitment (because it will take you at least that to achieve sustainable weight loss), but I also promise that if either of us feel we aren’t right for each other or it isn’t working after the first month, then you are not tied to anything.
My last point here would be to not to look for the personal trainer that’s in the best shape. Yes it’s good that they can speak from experience and lead from the front, and that has its perks. But a trainer should be chosen based on they’re ability to help you with your specific needs, not their level of body fat percentage.
You don’t pick a mechanic based on the car they drive, but rather their ability to fix your car. A good coach is more than aesthetics!
Where to find a personal trainer?
Every Trainer has a different approach and style and it is important to find one that works for you. Taking into consideration everything we’ve looked at so far it’s important to really spend time in this phase and invest wisely. Some of my suggestions would be to..
- Ask your family or friends for their recommendations of someone they have worked with. Many of my current clients have been referrals from older clients who had great results and experiences with me.
- Consume their social media content, listen to their podcasts or videos and ask questions to the person who recommended them.
- Search on Bark or Google for personal trainers near me. Here you can see their websites and their reviews and testimonials.
I speak openly on my podcast about my coaching approach and past client experiences to give potential customers a feel for who I am as a Coach. I recommend that for anyone you consider working with you listen to what they have to say and see if it resonates with you and your lifestyle.
FAQ
What is the cost of a 12 Week personal training programme?
The cost of a 12 week personal training can vary greatly based on if you decide to work with a coach online or in person along with your location in Ireland. Online coaching can be an average of €600-750 for a 12 week block. In person personal training in Ireland can average at €360-€600 depending on what is included in your programme.
Conclusion
As you can see a lot goes into the differing costs of a personal trainer. From location to qualifications, in person to online there’s a multitude of factors that are going to dictate the cost. My advice is to spend your time researching the coach you would like to work with and to see your money spent as an investment in your health and wellbeing that will stay with you forever.
Your price point will depend on your own budget but like with many things in life you pay for what you get. The coaches charging a higher price are usually able to charge at that price point because of their depth of knowledge and ability to get results.
I’ve worked with many coaches myself over the last number of years for different goals and can attest that it has been one of the best investments I’ve made. To both enhance my knowledge and a more personal level to improve my wellbeing.
If you have any questions about coaching or are looking for advice I’m always here to chat with you about your goals. I’m deeply passionate about helping clients create a sustainable fitness lifestyle and break down their misconceptions about what fitness and health should look like.
