Are looking for gaining muscles, losing fat, or training in any martial art. But not sure if you should join a gym or hire a personal trainer to help you or work out under a fitness coach? All of this is different. Health & fitness excellence is more of a personal journey. Choosing the right approach determines how fast and how better you will succeed in becoming fit. Knowing the difference between a fitness coach and a personal trainer is an important distinction.

There are different titles when it narrows to the professionals in the fixeld of health & fitness. Keeping the track of who does what can be confusing. And especially what kind of coach you need. Knowing the differences between them can benefit you in effectively achieving your goals. For knowing more about health and fitness training click here. 

A lot of people use the term training & coaching interchangeably, But both concepts are very different. A professional athlete might need a combination of both to be successful.

What is a personal trainer?

Training is important for all fitness approaches and athletic activities. Working under a personal trainer helps in learning exactly what they need to do for reaching their highest potential. 

A personal trainer is someone who understands your body enough to get the desired result. They have extensive knowledge regarding imposing stress and fatigue on their client that helps in improving for what they are hired for. He isn’t just someone who puts his clients through a tough training routine. There’s a proper requirement for getting Personal trainer certification 

They typically start with just a tool. For example, a powerlifter trainer will have all of his clients working with barbells. A CrossFitter will have all of his clients work with box jumps & kettlebell swings. And a bodybuilder will have its clients working on gaining muscle mass through different approaches.

Trainers are there to interfere throughout your session. They count every rep aloud, correct every part of every exercise verbally. They encourage you throughout the session. Keep your motivation and energy on the top. They nourish the physical attributes of the athletes, derive strategies for making their bodies & muscles adapt & work past the physical limitations.

One of the most important benefits of training with a personal trainer is they teach you the best way of utilizing your body’s stamina without posing any risk of injuries. They know the safe techniques for getting the best out of you and implement those effective techniques for your optimal performance.

Personal trainers help with the training of all levels, from beginners trying to work out for the first time to professional athletes looking to boost their stamina for a particular sport. 

Concerning the physical side of Trainers is the main concern of personal trainers; they care less about their mental training. But they do talk a lot about different things in life that help in achieving your fitness, athletic goal, or skill. While eliminating the risk of injuries. They guide you through the correct way of doing an exercise. 

What is a fitness coach?

The act of coaching is entirely different from the concept of training. Coaches work for drawing out from their client what they’re capable of doing & help them in setting goals and achieving them. Fitness coach develops a deep understanding of what his client wants & what he needs. He works on identifying the underlying issues that are in the way of the client and his goals. And a long client in achieving those goals.

Coaches usually do more than developing an individual athletically. An improved performance helps with athletic development and life skills. Wherever a trainer is someone who mainly focuses on enhancing the physical side of athletes, the coach puts more emphasis on mental cognition and skill execution as well. A coach stays by your side during the hard times, when you are unable to perform well, and keeps on encouraging you to push forward. They see your potential and work with you to get that to the surface.  

For example, a personal trainer observes his client squat, usually from one angle, while focusing on his aspect of the movement. On seeing any problem, he directs to correct it. While a fitness coach figures out why his client’s form isn’t proper. Or certain exercises are extremely painful. 

He listens to what his clients want, but only allows him what he needs.

A fine coach makes a strong investment in his client, he pours his time & wisdom into getting the best out of him. Your coach also acts as a great cheerleader. 

At your home or the Gym?

The major difference between a personal trainer & a fitness coach is the location where they are doing the job. By definition, personal trainers are employed by the training center or gym that help members in creating & working through the program. A fitness coach helps you in achieving a certain level of body fitness at your home or wherever you are working out. Whether you work out in the gym or at your home creates a huge impact on your fitness training. Claiming which way is more effective is debatable to a certain extent, it’s majorly the matter of personal preference. Some people find that working privately at home with their fitness coach while others don’t.

Service Type 

A lot of people aren’t aware of the difference between personal trainers & fitness coaches when it comes to the services they offer to their clients. Personal trainers usually assist & guide you whilst in the training center or gym for performing your workout schedule effectively. They pay keen attention to training regimes such as the number of reps, variation of sets, lifts, heart rates & safe limits of weight allotment.

A fitness coach provides all these services and more. They build a personal relationship with their clients. And reaches all aspects of your mental & physical traits that affect your training. They are the teachers who work closely on all levels to help their students get the best result. A trainer also ensures that but a coach makes it more of his responsibility. 

Which One Do You Need – A Fitness Coach or a Personal Trainer?

These two titles get blurred together often, even to those who perform the tasks under them, that’s why they’re so commonly interchanged. Although your trainer can provide awesome input in your gym work & help in getting the best out of your workout session a fitness coach reaches further. He doesn’t only help with training sessions but makes reaching your goal easier by encompassing the hours outside the gym & the sessions as well. His training tips help you in all areas of life. As mentioned earlier, fitness coaches tend to develop a personal relationship that focuses on reaching your fitness goals while working in all the aspects of physical, mental, & social health. It’s important to understand that both disciplines go hand-in-hand for achieving the best outcomes. The following points will help you in determining which you need more, however, in some cases, you might need both. 

A personal trainer is best for you when:

• You want someone’s guidance to tell you exactly what you have to do regarding your fitness.
• You need a customized workout plan & techniques to stick with it.
• You want your training to be more fun and interesting. 
• You require a continuous push to keep going.

A coach is best for you when:

• You want guidance regarding what’s the best decision for you.
• You want your potential extracted and brought to the surface. 
• You want a good cheerleader and thick motivation throughout.  
• You need someone to back you up and stay by the corner even if you are not performing well.