What A Paid Fitness Session Should NOT Be

Paid fitness coaching or chargeable workout sessions led by professional fitness trainers or career exercise coaches have been on the rise in Singapore and many parts of the developed world since the last decade.

Whether these sessions are conducted on a one-to-one basis – as in Personalized Coaching, or in small groups of  5-8 as in Small Group Training, or in larger groups consisting of more than 10 individuals – as in Group Exercise Classes, many individuals today have no qualms forking out money for these instructor-led fitness sessions in the name of better health and enhanced fitness.

However, are these sessions really WORTH the money that you’re paying up for?

And are you really doing your health and fitness any good in the long run – just because you are PAYING up for these services?

How do you know you’re NOT merely being taken for a ride and having every single cent of your hard-earned money ripped off or flushed down the drain?

The following will give you some ideas on how to SIEVE out the real deal from the pretenders, and make sure that you’re really getting your money’s worth for every cent that you pay up for these fitness services.

A) A Paid Fitness Session Should NOT Be A Superficial Workout That Only Makes You Huff-&-Puff.

Within the fitness industry, there are always going to be some trainers whose main goal seems to be nothing more than simply make their clients huff, puff and sweat – all in the name of exercise – with pretty little regard to structure, education nor science involved in their exercise program design.

These trainers somehow feel that if they can leave their clients in a sweaty mess by the end of the workout – by whatever means – they have done a Great Job! And so – to them – all systems go!

And unfortunately, their unsuspecting clients often also go along with the plan, having absolutely NO idea what they are doing, blindly following what their trainers or coaches ask them to do, deluding themselves into thinking that they had a great workout – simply because they had exerted themselves!!

Any credible fitness authority can tell you that Exertion/Effort (or amount of perspiration, as a matter of fact!!) does NOT necessarily equate Progress nor Results nor an indication of Proper or Scientific Exercise Programming!

What you – as a client – should be looking out for in a credible paid fitness program are: sound scientific programming, proper exercise sequence, structure & format, clearly-delineated objectives/goals, exercise suitability, appropriate level of intensity and a focus on fitness education in mind!

The main purpose of any fitness program should NEVER be just to make you huff and puff (and sweat), but to address and resolve the very fitness needs that you – as the client – have.

B)  A Paid Fitness Session Should NOT Be A Socializing Event

Is the bulk of your fitness session spent chatting and gossiping with your trainer about the latest celebrity news, fashion design, stock market movement or even the newest fitness fad??

If so, you are merely flushing your money down the drain!

Make sure that any talking or conversations conducted during your fitness sessions are related ONLY to: the session itself, the exercises/drills/movements that you are doing, your fitness progress or general well-being, and/or other related factors pertaining to your fitness goals!

Anything else besides the above – is just a WASTE of time – and can wait until AFTER the session itself!

C) A Paid Fitness Session Should NOT Be A Marketing/Advertising Gig

Is your trainer or coach more interested in marketing to you the latest “must-have” supplement, powder, gel, gear or gadget out in the market, rather than focusing on your fitness session itself?

Is he/she always selling you the idea that you can only “Build Muscle”, “Burn Fat” or “hit the next level” of your fitness progress – only and only – after you have purchased any of the above “must-haves” from him/her?

If so, our advice to you is this: DROP your trainer or coach now, and start looking for a NEW one immediately!

The sad truth in the fitness industry is: many trainers are actually padding up their training income with lucrative cuts/commissions from peddling “health/fitness products” to their clients.

Many have no qualms selling you the “benefits” of such products even if they have absolutely NO idea what these products are all about, or whether these products have actually been scientifically-proven to work, or if they are suitable or necessary to their clients’ needs, or worse, if they have any dangerous side-effects!

So consumers, BEWARE!!!

D) Conclusion

With the current interest and trend towards paid exercise sessions increasing by leaps and bounds across the world – and to a very large extent – even here in our very own affluent state of Singapore, it pays to be EXTRA careful when it comes to dishing out your money for these fitness services.

Hopefully, after reading the above article, you will now know the appropriate course of action for your health, fitness, and of course, your pockets.