I’ve been an exercise addict for many years - I’ve tried every fitness studio and fitness trend out there, from a “cold weather” workout to aerial yoga. The only thing I haven’t dabbled in much is personal training. It always seemed a little expensive and not worth it for me, given my love for boutique classes. All this changed when I met Fyt (Find Your Trainer) and Future, two of the most popular on-demand personal training services on the market. Being obsessed with all things fitness, I had to try both. The winner of this battle has earned a permanent spot in my exercise rotation. Here are my thoughts:
If you prefer to train in-person…Fyt
For me, nothing beats an in-person workout, and I love this about Fyt. I find the trainer can correct my form and motivate me more, plus can tell more easily when I’m ready to level up. After the first round of squats in my workout, my trainer upped the weight more than I would have, giving me confidence that under her expert guidance I could break through plateaus and gain more strength than I thought I could. Plus, she recognized shoulder mobility issues that I didn’t even know I have! I do like the option for virtual training as well, so I never have to miss a workout when I’m on the road.
If you want to work out on your own…Future
I was a bit surprised by Future, to be honest. It’s hailed for custom personal training, but I actually found there was no personal training aspect to it. For me, the benefit of the trainer is someone watching your form as you work out, adapting the exercises based on your performance, and providing encouragement throughout. While Future does create workout plans for you and your coach provides an audio message at the beginning of each workout, they aren’t actually with you while you work out. I found the workout a little lacking for this reason…I found myself taking more breaks and not pushing myself as much as I would have if the trainer had been in person.
If you are looking for more flexibility…Fyt
With Fyt, you’re not locked into a specific trainer or workout type - they have thousands of trainers to choose from and your session credits can be used with any of them. When you first visit Fyt, you’ll fill out a quiz about your goals, exercise habits and interests, so they can recommend trainers for you. I like that I can have a separate trainer for my HIIT workouts and my yoga workouts (I don’t know about you, but I’m looking for a different energy in a HIIT workout vs. a yoga workout). Plus, there’s flexibility in workout locations - you can choose between in-person and virtual, and if in-person, choose from home, outdoors, or a gym.
If you have no problem with motivation and just need someone to make a program for you…Future
If you’re already a fitness junkie but just need more direction on a daily basis, Future may be the better fit for you. Your coach develops a weekly program, so you never have to think on a given day about what workout you’re going to do. As someone that has literally spent hours planning workouts for herself, I liked this aspect. It was nice to have someone plan a thoughtful, well rounded week of workouts without having to think about it for more than a minute. But if you’re relatively new to fitness, haven’t worked out in a while, have an injury to manage, or struggle with motivation, you can’t beat having a Fyt trainer by your side to show you exactly what to do while pushing you to be your best during every workout.
If you don’t own any fitness equipment…Fyt
I know that I’m an anomaly in that half of my apartment is dedicated to exercise, but this isn’t the case for most of my friends (or most people, in general). Because trainers specialize in working with what’s available, you don’t need a bunch of fitness equipment to get an effective workout in. Fyt’s trainers bring a variety of equipment with them, and you won’t believe how creative they can get with just bodyweight exercises. You can also choose to go to your building gym or a private studio with your trainer. A few of my friends that don’t have expansive home gyms love Fyt for this reason.
The ultimate winner…Fyt
Fyt is the winner in my book. In my opinion, working with a real live trainer is the best and most effective way to exercise, so I’m going to cancel my Future membership and train with Fyt only from now on! Pricing varies based on the trainer you choose, but starts at just $29/session.
