Yep, fair enough.
I understand about the $$$ issues, I'm getting married at the end of the year, then honeymoon next Easter, we have a mortgage - we're not hard up by any means, but we can't splash the cash around with indifference.
However, in some cases the extra investment can be worth it. Some people spend $1,000 on a 12 month gym membership, then after being sore or depressed stop going after a month, and 12 months later are back where they started, or worse. They might have spent another $1,000 on personal training, got the motivation and accountability to keep them going, and the knowledge to help them frame their progress.
Is it better to spend $1,000 to fail, or $2,000 to succeed?
Of course if you're motivated and have the knowledge, then you'll spend $1,000 to succeed, and all is good
But I would ask myself:
how long have I wanted to change? What stopped me changing before? That thing stopping me, has it changed now? Those are important questions, because many people - I've done this myself - go through cycles of training a lot, then dropping out, then getting into it again, and so on.
Sometimes whatever was stopping us, a trainer and/or a gym membership can help that. Sometimes it can't. For example me - I'm a bit of an introvert, I like my idle time at home just pottering around. I can go for runs and do lots of pushups and things, but I'm unlikely to keep it up. And the gym, well... I had a membership at one, it was a mile away but there was nothing else there. Now
this new gym, it's right next to the shops - so I have a reason other than workouts for going there. This makes me remember my membership every time I go past, and I combine the workout with shopping.
The gym works for me because it has a hard work atmosphere, I get into it. You know how when you walk into a library you instinctively drop your voice? Well, when I walk in a gym I instinctively want to work out. Like they said in
The Castle: "it's the vibe."
As for PTs, once a month I have a session. There I discuss any niggling details, it helps keep me on track. I don't need the motivation or accountability, but I do need the knowledge. It's $50, and the membership is $56 a month - the $50 on PT helps make sure the $56 on gym is well-spent, I'm not just spinning my wheels going nowhere.
How do I afford it? Well, I used to have a slab of beer a month and eat a lot more takeout. Now I don't.
Not everyone needs a gym membership or personal training. But it does help a lot of people. I think of it this way: people who are born athletes need trainers to be champions, how can we average slobs do without them?
Most people drop out in their first month at the gym, lack of motivation and they're not accountable to anyone, so if I could only afford
one of gym
or personal trainer, then I would go for the trainer.
But that's something you have to decide for yourself.