November 9
How much does a personal trainer cost in Singapore?
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Yes, I know you miss the times at school where you had free personal training through the PE lessons you had, everyday.
So you’ve decided to invest in a personal trainer (PT) in Singapore.
But you’re wondering how much that costs, and how good it actually is.
Well, we studied that for you.
| Type | Price | Great | Not great |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freelance PT (usually starting out, less than one year of experience) | $60 to $80 per hour | Cheap | They might not have as much experience |
| Independent Freelance PT (with more experience, more than 1 year) | $100 to 120 per hour | We do know that the best are usually independent and able to get a steady flow of clients that allow them to do 5 figure revenues per month. | The best are usually fully booked, and it does take some time to get into their schedules. |
| Gym PT at the likes of Fitness First | $100 per hour |
They may not actually be that experienced, but because of the brand attached to them, they get to train you. You usually have to buy a package of about 10. |
What’s often missed
But what is often missed is just how long you need to pay these amounts for to get the outcomes you want.
| Type | Real cost | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Freelance PT (usually starting out, less than one year of experience) – they might take longer to teach and get the hang of what you need | $60 x 10 sessions | $600 |
| Independent Freelance PT (with more experience, more than 1 year) | $100 x 8, spread across 2 months | $800 |
| Gym PT at the likes of Fitness First | $100 x 10 | $1000 |
Because if you think about it, the trainer’s incentive and yours is misaligned. They have to earn your money. But you want to get your outcomes, fast.
Meaning you will leave them faster, and pay them less.
There is not much alignment there.
It’s not how much, but how long you have to pay
My advice is to look for trainers that actually give you training plans that don’t require them to be with you.
But beyond just the training plan, you also want to make sure that the trainer also takes care of your diet.
We know that diets are often the 80/20 within the realm of fitness.
You can’t exactly increase your caloric expenditures, but you can definitely lower your calorie intake.
The Hazra people, for example, even though they were hunting, still expended similar amounts of calories as modern day humans. It does go to show that exercising more, doesn’t make you lose more calories, beyond a certain point.
That’s why I do recommend trainers like Nicholas Ng, who does an online programme that allows him to look over your shoulder (not literally!) at what you eat.
You pay him $1200 per month for that training programme and nutritional guidance.
Where should you go?
Over the years in this industry, we’ve spoken to countless PTs and learnt how they work.
Here’s a dirty little secret.
Don’t go to Fitness First
At Fitness First, a friend reported to me that the trainers there were given a test on the last day.
The test?
How to close sales.
Yup. You didn’t get that wrong.
Even though all they had was a flimsy certificate, they were taught more about closing, than training.
You might not want to entrust yourself into their hands.
And they were also paid a paltry $20 per hour for each client they took.
It’s not great incentive for them to stay for long.
But you also end up paying for the overheads, such as their payment gateways, payment processing Stripe fees, and air-conditioning.
Go to the independent trainers
Yes, we know. It may look flimsy and suspicious that these independent trainers are asking you to pay by scanning their QR code.
But beyond the gyms, the independent trainers are probably better able to provide you longer-term service.
It is just hard to find one that works well.
How do you tell if a trainer is good?
During the initial session, ask them what they do around nutrition. If they give you advice such as:
- Drink more water
- Don’t eat snacks
- Eat more fruits
You might not be in great hands.
The better ones are able to tell you this:
- They will assess what you’re eating
- They will look closely at the nutritional makeup of what you’re eating
- They will invite you to make micro changes at first and study what happens , because they are realistic about the change you can make quickly.
The best trainers can change your life
Whilst trainers can seem pricey, and $1200 seems like a steep price to pay for fitness, it depends on what you do value in life. Sure, you can save money.
But at what cost?
At the cost of looking unfit and unhealthy?
Nah, I don’t think you really want that.
Don’t waste your efforts. Get our meal plan too at 10% off, and some fitness advice along the way.
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