At CMB Gym in Dublin, one of the first questions we often hear from clients is, “How often should I see a personal trainer?”
Establishing the perfect balance for a workout routine, lifestyle, and rest can be challenging, especially for those new to the fitness world. To help, we’ve crafted this guide to answer that question and provide insights on:
Before addressing how often you should see a personal trainer, it’s important to understand why hiring a personal trainer can be beneficial. There are several reasons why people turn to personal trainers for assistance with their fitness progress.
Starting a fitness journey can be intimidating. You might wonder what exercises to do, when to work out, or how long to work out for. A personal trainer can guide you through these initial steps, ensuring that you exercise safely and effectively.
Whether you’re running a marathon or competing in a weightlifting competition, a personal trainer can help you prepare for your first competitive event. Trainers can help you understand your limits, set goals, and create a tailored training plan.
If you’re no longer seeing or feeling the results from your workouts, a personal trainer can assess your routine and help you overcome any obstacles. A new routine designed by a professional can reignite your progress.
Even trained athletes can benefit from working with a personal trainer. Trainers can help athletes maintain strength and endurance, perfect their form, and prevent injuries during rest periods.
How often you should see a personal trainer depends on your fitness skill level. Personal trainers will take this into consideration when crafting a personalised workout schedule.
If you’re a beginner, we recommend seeing a personal trainer 2-3 times a week for a period of 6 weeks. This will allow the trainer to assess your skill level and correct any basic mistakes you might be making. After this period, you can adjust your schedule based on your progress and goals.
For those with more exercise experience, we recommend seeing a personal trainer 1-2 times a week for a period of 6 weeks. This time can be used to learn new techniques and overcome plateaus.
Professional athletes often see their personal trainers as frequently as possible, sometimes 4-5 times a week. These sessions help maintain balance, technique, and motivation. However, if meeting this often isn’t feasible, meeting 1-2 times a week can still be effective.
Your fitness goals can also influence how often you should see a personal trainer. If you have a short-term goal, such as achieving something within 2-3 months, you should meet with a personal trainer more frequently to achieve your goal effectively. For long-term goals, you can spread your training sessions more thinly to maintain consistency.
When training for weight or fat loss, you should be working out at least 5 times a week, focusing on both strength training and cardiovascular exercise. Working with a personal trainer 2-4 times a week can provide the guidance and motivation needed to achieve your goal weight.
For those aiming to gain lean muscle, incorporating practices such as yoga and pilates into your routine is key. Working with a personal trainer over several months can help you develop long, strong muscles.
When training for an event, such as a marathon, building stamina, strength, and flexibility is crucial. A personal trainer can recommend a different number of training sessions based on your current fitness level and how close the event is.
How often you see a personal trainer may be influenced by your financial situation. Trainers need to be paid, and if you can’t afford to keep up with their fees, you may need to adjust your sessions.
If you require more motivation to visit the gym, you should arrange to meet your trainer more frequently. A personal trainer can revitalise your love for the gym and fill your workout routines with new motivation.
If you’re not confident in the gym, integrating personal training sessions into your routine can boost your confidence. If you’re unsure of certain exercises or equipment, a personal trainer can guide you, making the gym less intimidating.
Personal trainers consider several factors before creating a training schedule, including:
During an initial consultation, you’ll share information about your health and fitness, including your goals, current routine, medical history, and more. This helps the trainer determine how often your sessions should be.
A flexibility and movement test helps the trainer understand your current range of motion, indicating what muscles need to be stretched and why. This helps them create an appropriate training regime.
A trainer will assess your weight, set, and rep capacities to create an effective training programme. This also helps them set an appropriate rest-period schedule based on your fitness level.
Some trainers may only respond to you during their working hours, while others may make themselves available whenever you need them. At CMB Gym, we make it our mission to be as available to our clients as possible, guiding you on choices around nutrition and fitness inside and outside of the gym.
How long you should have a personal trainer depends on your goals. Some athletes use personal training for short-term goals, while others may stay longer to reach long-term goals.
Mon - Fri : 7:00am to 9.00pm
Sat : 9.00am to 1.00pm
Sun & Bank Holidays : Closed
