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Beginner’s Guide To Personal Training in Singapore

Searching for a fitness trainer, can be a daunting task. With so many choices and even more broscience to sift through, it comes as no surprise that you may be feeling overwhelmed. Don’t fret just yet. This guide to personal training will cover everything from what services fitness coaches provide, to the cost of hiring one, and what traits you should look out for in a trainer.

 

  • Maybe you’re new to the gym and you are at a total lost of what to do.
  • Maybe you’re frustrated at not seeing the results you want from your training program.
  • Maybe you need a little more motivation to help you reach the new year resolutions you have set some ten months ago.
  • Maybe you want a familiar face to help you feel more comfortable with exercising.

If any of this sounds familiar, personal training may just be what you are looking for. A personal trainer can be a great source of knowledge, motivation, and comfort to help you get the results you are after from the gym while feeling great about it.

What personal trainers do?

The first step to hiring a personal trainer is understanding what they do and how they can help you.

Personal trainers work with you one to one or in small groups to understand your needs and goals and develop a training plan to help you reach those goals.

Here are some goals that you may have:

  • Kickstart your healthy lifestyle journey
  • Lose weight to fit into that beautiful clothes you just bought
  • Fat loss to get the summerbod for the perfect Instagram pics
  • Increase energy levels and day-to-day awesomeness
  • Improve your athletic performance for a major competition
  • General health and fitness workout
  • Pre and post-natal training to regain strength

To help you achieve your personal fitness goals, most personal trainers will take a holistic approach. Your personal training session may include cardio exercises, strength and conditioning, nutrition advice, or even lifestyle change coaching.

If you are not interested in strength training, some personal trainers in Singapore are trained in other training method such as Animal Flow or MoveNat. The movement-based approaches tend not to utilise weights and focus more on quality of movement.

Whatever your goals may be, a good personal trainer will you able to help you achieve them.

How much does a personal trainer cost in Singapore?

personal training, how much does personal training cost
Source Fitness First Singapore

Now that you have a rough idea of what a personal trainer does and how they can help you. You’re probably wondering about the cost. Well luckily for you, personal trainers are available from as little as $35 per session for less established fitness instructors up to above $250 for a celebrity trainer.

How much you pay will depend on the experience of the personal trainer, the personal training programs, and the training package you sign up for.

While hidden fees and unclear pricing may have been a marketing gimmick many years ago, most gyms have since adopted a transparent approach to their fee structure.

fitness factory, personal trainers
Source Fitness Factory

If you are looking for something less commercial, boutique gyms such as Fitness Factory are options to consider. While more expensive, these gyms tend to specialise on certain niches and come with a wealth of knowledge and experience to help you achieve your fitness goals. Ultimate Performance is another specialised gyms in Singapore that focuses on muscle building and weight loss.

To save some money, consider how many training sessions you are willing to commit to for a start. The more sessions you signed up for, the cheaper you tend to pay per session. You also also tend to see results faster!

Is it worth to hire a personal trainer?

You may be thinking if it’s worth paying some one $100+ to exercise when you could potentially find some one for less on Carousell.

As the saying goes, “you can’t put a price on health”.

It’s not uncommon to see people spending hundreds of dollars on a night out at the club. Why would you not spend $100 (or less) to train with a personal trainer? While we do agree that a night out can bring priceless experiences, investing in your health would also have its own returns.

Here are some reasons why a personal trainer is well worth your money:

  • Personalised training plan crafted for your specific needs and goals
  • Faster results than trying to figure things out on your way
  • Lower risk of injury with proper guidance
  • Accountability

If you are struggling to keep to your new year’s resolution, then a personal trainer can give you the accountability you need to reach your fitness goals. When you have committed money for a 12-week fitness program, you would definitely be more motivated to showing up for the workout that you know your body so badly needs.

Above all, the biggest value from hiring a PT is the time-saving.

Many of us have busy schedules and want to make the most of our time in the gym. Yet often what we see are gym-goers milling around aimlessly trying different exercises. A personal trainer will programme an effective workout routine so you can give the best value out of your time. With effective and safe workouts, you get to your goals quicker with less time wasted during each session and the rest time you may need should you get injured.

We do understand that hiring a personal trainer is not exactly spare change. Yet at the same time, the value that PTs can bring to the table and the opportunity cost of not having one can add up.

P.S. If you feel like you don’t need some one physically present to help you achieve you recovery goals. Most trainers have started to offer online personal training. This is particularly useful for clients who only need a program written and are very happy to train on their own.

How long should you have a personal trainer?

So, you’ve found a stellar trainer who suits your needs and works well with you and have now been training with them for some time. You may start to wonder how long you should keep working with your trainer.

This depends on your goals and how far away you are from them. You may have short term goals that you wish to achieve and thus only need a personal trainer for that period of time. If you want an overall lifestyle change, sticking with your trainer for a longer time allows them to know you better which will lead to better results.

Your current fitness level also plays a big role in this. If you were completely sedentary and want to run a marathon, it could take over a year to prepare you for that. But if you were already running half marathons, the time required to complete the peat would be much less.

Another major factor is how often you’ll hit the gym. If you’re visiting your trainer three times a week, you may reach your goals in 12 weeks. But if you’re only visiting once a week, that duration may extend to 24 or even 36 weeks.

A good personal trainer will help you set time-based goals and advise on how long you should engage him or her for. Before committing to any programme or packages, make sure that both your trainer and yourself are on the same page.

What do personal trainer certifications mean?

personal trainer singapore, functional training
On top of being an award winning athlete Justin is also trained in the Functional Movement Screen and a Functional Range Conditioning Mobility Specialist

Once you’ve decided to hire a personal trainer, you’ll probably want to check his qualifications. Searching on the internet can be a daunting task with so many different organisations offering personal training certifications.

ACE, NASM, ISSA, ACSM, NSCA, FISAF, NCSF?

There are many, many personal trainer certifications available in Singapore. Do note that both personal trainers and personal training certifications are not regulated in Singapore. When choosing a personal trainer, you may want to consider the quality of the training they have to undergo for the certification as well as the any other additional training the PT may have received.

ACE personal certification is issued by the American Council on Exercise. FiT Singapore is the provider of the certification in Singapore and it is SkillsFuture eligible.

NCSF, National Council on Strength & Fitness, is another SkillsFuture eligible program in Singapore that is being offered by Gold’s Gym.

If you are looking for a local program, perhaps consider Singapore Management University’s Certificate in Exercise Science. While not strictly a personal training certification, the six-week programme seems to be fairly comprehensive and is taught by Jonathan Wong, the founder of Genesis Gym Singapore.

What is a good personal trainer?

With all of this information, how do you know you’ve gotten a good trainer? Here are some traits that we’ve found good trainers to possess:

First, knowledge. A good trainer understands how exercises work and what it would take to do them properly. They are able to modify exercises, to progress or regress them, based on your current fitness or limitations.

Second, a good trainer should adopt an educational approach. Some trainers are afraid of giving too much information or advice because they fear they would lose their clients. Good personal trainers, however, do not subscribe to some beliefs, and would go to the extra mile to empower you.

Third, a good trainer will also ensure that they are understood. While using science and research to guide decision making processes, good trainers would avoid the use of scientific jargon and complex terms in their sessions.

Lastly, homework. Some trainers may only offer workouts while you’re in session. But if you’re like many of us, you may have periods where you’re too busy to come to the gym. That’s why a good trainer will design home workout programs that you can do to continue towards your goal even if you’re unable to attend the sessions.

This prevents your progress from stagnating or even worse, deteriorating. After all, who wants to see weeks of progress go down the drain just because they had a busy week?

Living a fit and healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be complicated. While hiring a personal trainer does require some effort and money, working with a trainer is likely to pay off in invaluable ways for the many years to come.

If you are looking for a personal trainer to kickstart your health and fitness goals, drop us a message to find out more about how we can help. Our team of highly trained professions (personal trainers, chiropractor, and even a dietitian) will be able to help you unleash your full potential.

BOOK A CHIROPRACTOR IN SINGAPORE

Based in Singapore, Square One Active Recovery offers treatments with a very big difference. With our evidence-based exercise approach, you can achieve your recovery goals in just 12 weeks. Not getting results from your chiropractor, TCM doctor or physiotherapist? Talk to us and find out how we can take your recovery to the next level.

Our goal? To make our own services redundant to you.

*We do not offer temporary pain relief such as chiropractic adjustments, dry needling, or any form of soft tissue therapy.






    author avatar
    Dr. Jesse Cai
    Chiropractor

    Jesse, a chiropractor with a unique approach, believes in empowering his clients to lead functional and fulfilling lives. Jesse worked with high-level Australian athletes, including roles such as Head Sport Trainer for Forrestfield Football Club, board member of Sports Chiropractic Australia, and member of Sports Medicine Australia.

    author avatar
    Dr. Jesse Cai Chiropractor
    Jesse, a chiropractor with a unique approach, believes in empowering his clients to lead functional and fulfilling lives. Jesse worked with high-level Australian athletes, including roles such as Head Sport Trainer for Forrestfield Football Club, board member of Sports Chiropractic Australia, and member of Sports Medicine Australia.
    author avatar
    Dr. Jesse Cai Chiropractor
    Jesse, a chiropractor with a unique approach, believes in empowering his clients to lead functional and fulfilling lives. Jesse worked with high-level Australian athletes, including roles such as Head Sport Trainer for Forrestfield Football Club, board member of Sports Chiropractic Australia, and member of Sports Medicine Australia.