Personal Training in Brighton. What Are Your Options?

If you’ve you prefer the one-to-one attention and guidance, personal training is the thing for you.

But personal training covers a wide range of formats in Brighton. Here’s what’s actually available, what each costs, and what you get for your money.

One-to-one personal training

This is the traditional model. You book sessions with a personal trainer (PT), they design your workouts, they coach you through them in a one-to-one format.

In Brighton, for one-to-one PT you’re looking at costs of around £50 to £80 per session. If you train twice a week, that’s in the region of £400 £640 per month. For most people, that’s may not suit their budget long-term. This might be why a lot of people do a few months of PT and then drift back to training alone, and stagnate in the gym once again with a lack of accountability, motivation and understanding of how to train.

The quality varies enormously too. A great PT is worth every penny. A mediocre one is expensive and frustrating. Qualifications, experience, and specialisms vary widely, so it is worth doing your research.

What to look for in a PT or coaching service in Brighton

- Relevant qualifications minimum Level 3 personal training, plus any specialist qualifications relevant to your goals. Bear in mind, one can become a level 3 personal trainer in around 6 weeks. What other qualifications do they have? This isn’t a hobby, they are looking after you in the gym environment, guiding you fitness journey.

- Experience is vital. A new PT should not be charging much; you can’t beat time spent in the trenches. This is where you learn the most. Your qualifications give you the springboard to be able to do this. Once you’ve gained experience, this doesn’t automatically make you a good PT either. Your PT should be reading, learning, and tweaking their methodology to become a better coach.

- A clear methodology not just winging it, but an actual approach to programming and progression. This is how you improve. Anyone could make something up on the spot and make you feel like you’re working hard. But, with definitive progress and measurable improvements, this is how you reach your goals more effectively and efficiently.

- Good soft skills you can’t teach soft skills. Empathy, communication, reading the person and their responses and problem-solving. Without this, all the qualifications in the world won’t make you good at coaching someone. You have to be adaptable to the person in front of you. Experience can help this, but this is usually an innate ability in someone, and truly divides a good PT from a poor PT.

Online coaching

Online coaching has grown significantly since 2020. The typical format is that your PT writes your programme, you follow it alone, and you check in remotely. Costs typically range from £80–£200 per month depending on the coach.

It’s a good option if you’re self-disciplined and comfortable training alone.

At Dynamo Gym, we do offer online training as an option. With 3 different tiers depending on how much feedback you require, and what suits your budget. This can be a very viable option. Of course, if you’re not local to us, this is the best option to go with.

Dynamo gym membership

At Dynamo Gym, we bridge the gap between PT and the gym. Every member has a programme written by us specifically for their goals, ability level, injuries, conditions and preferences. We have vast years of experience, and plenty of qualifications under our belts to write your programmes, including physiotherapy and mental health background to further sharpen our understanding of how to help you reach your goals. We take you through your programmes upon each attendance.

Unlike in a class environment, or small group PT gym, you don’t have to do the same exercises as the next person. You don’t have to keep up with the next person. They don’t have to keep up with you. It is individual training, but in a group setting. Us coaches are present throughout, providing technique feedback, adjusting loads, and helping you progress. Membership is £125 per month for three sessions per week, which works out around £10–£12 per session.

We work with members across a wide range of ages, goals, and starting points, from first-time gym-goers to experienced lifters.

If you’re based in Brighton or Hove and want to see what might suit you at Dynamo Gym, get in touch, and we can chat through what we do, whether it is one-to-one training, online training, or joining the gym.