If you are starting a fitness journey, you might be interested in hiring a personal trainer to help you make progress and stay healthy. Finding a personal trainer can help in many ways – it can help to have someone create effective workouts for you, it can be motivating to have someone pushing you in your workouts, and it can ensure that you are practicing proper form, technique, and safety when working out. There are two main types of personal trainers that you might consider if you want to hire someone to assist with your workouts – independent contractors and trainers on staff at a gym. Both have their pros and cons which I will explain on this page. It is also important to keep in mind that who is liable in the event of an injury or accident when working with a personal trainer will depend on the type of trainer you have hired.
Independent Contractors vs. Gym Employees
Independent personal trainers are essentially their own small business that pays a portion of their fee to use gym equipment during training sessions for their clients. These trainers are not hired by the gym or associated with the gym’s business. Instead, they operate independently of the gym itself and simply pay to use the space with their clients. Some people like working with independently contracted trainers because they are not beholden to the gym and therefore you may be able to work with them on an individual basis to change pricing, session packages, etc. These kinds of trainers can make their own decisions and negotiate with you without having to worry about what the gym wants.
On the other hand, when you join a gym, that facility will generally offer you the opportunity to work with the gym’s own personal trainers. These trainers are employees of the gym and therefore affiliated with the gym and its business. Some people like choosing to work with a gym employee because it is easy. Plenty of trainer options are available when you sign up for a gym membership, and you may even get a discount for working with a gym employee instead of a third party. It may also be cheaper to hire a gym trainer in some cases because these trainers don’t have to pay the gym to use the facility. These savings could mean that they offer lower prices for their sessions.
What If You’re Injured?
As you choose what kind of personal trainer that you want to work with, keep in mind that in the event of an accident or injury, different parties may be held liable depending on which type of trainer you work with. If you are working with an independent trainer and they are responsible for your injury, they will legally be held responsible. If you want to recover compensation, you will likely do so directly from the personal trainer or their insurance company. On the other hand, if a gym trainer causes an injury, the gym itself or their insurance company may be what you work with to recover compensation.
If you have been injured during a personal trainer session, contact our office for help. We can determine how best to proceed in your situation and who you can recover damages from. Contact us today for more information.
