When deciding if you want to start a gym membership it can be tough to decide whether to go to a gym offering group fitness classes or to just go to a traditional gym where you work out alone or with a personal trainer. Let’s talk about the difference between the two.
In a group fitness class, you follow the instruction of a group fitness instructor. This may be in a Zumba class or some other form of dance fitness. It may also mean some sort of croup cross training or functional training. It could also be a cycling class. Whatever it may be, group fitness classes are run by the coach. The coach does the planning for you and should be the one tracking your progress so that he can adjust the program according to each individual’s fitness to accommodate the group as a whole. This can be nice for a lot of people who want the physical challenge that will make them fit, but have no idea how to program their own workout. Group fitness can also be funner for some individuals who want to be involved with a community that helps give them motivation and drive to become better. This is great for the individual who just can’t motivate his or herself to go to the gym and workout without some accountability. Some weaknesses of these gyms are that you may not get as many opportunities to work on your specific weaknesses that you are trying to improve during each class. It requires extra time on your part to work on those. These gyms or classes are also dependent on the quality of the coach, so you want to make sure your coach is knowledgable and qualified so that you do not get injured.
Going to a traditional gym by yourself takes all of your own initiative and planning. You could follow any number of online programs, but you have to implement them and try to be safe on your own. You also have to be the one who controls the clock, so that you don’t end up wastng time and not getting the workout you need to get fit. Traditional gyms do give you the freedom to control your own outcome and design your own program. There are also personal trainers who can work with you one on one in these gyms if you need it. So a traditional gym would fit better to an individual who is very motivated, independent, and likes to work out alone or with a partner.
You can get massive benefits at either one of these gyms, as long as you are putting in the necessary work to cause change in your body. Deciding which one fits you depends on your personality and motivation. Hope this blog can help you find the style of fitness for you!