I’ve been a fitness trainer for many years, and I feel lucky to have found a career that drives me to push myself physically, and to be mentally tough as I reach my fitness and strength goals. I’ve also learned that everyone’s not built that way. I also know that people are motivated to stay fit in lots of different ways.
This is why I strongly encourage group training over training alone or one on one training for many of my clients. Group training is just as effective as one on one training, depending on the format that is used. With group training, you always have someone or multiple people there to help keep you motivated. It’s also fun for others to provide a friendly challenge to help you get over the hurdle of pushing yourself. Group training is also more cost effective.
I’ve had times in my own training programs when I just didn’t feel like training on a certain day or didn’t want to push as hard as I usually do. Everyone goes through this sometimes—it’s normal. On days like that, it’s good to have others train with you so you can feed off their energy and use them as an inspiration to push yourself. It’s also good to see others’ form and technique in a group setting versus your own form and technique. Sometimes people get stuck in a rut and believe that there’s no other way to do a certain exercise than what they learned along the way. We need to remember that people’s body mechanics are different and therefore, all exercises don’t look the same when others are performing them.
Group training also provides the feeling of sharing a struggle together. It builds bonds and friendships when you feel like you’re trying to accomplish a common goal. From walking with a neighbor or friend, to having someone spot you through squats, it’s great to have buddies help you along your fitness journey. It’s also more fun. My advice for today is to find a group, or create one yourself to help achieve your fitness goals.
