Are you looking to start a regular fitness regime and don’t know what fitness facility or training style suits you?
When choosing a gym, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Commercial gyms, group training facilities, and personal training offer different experiences, each with pros and cons.
So, which gym is best for you? That depends entirely on what you want from your fitness journey.
This article is designed to help you understand what you might be looking for and decide in more detail. So, let’s start now.
Commercial Gyms – Budget-Friendly but You’re on Your Own
I will start with the industry’s most prominent, dominant players: commercial gyms.
My whole career began back in 2005 in a commercial gym. A big name, big marketing budget, and big driver gym whose primary focus was ensuring we hit sales targets and allowed people to start working out at an affordable price.
Admittedly, this was way before anything we see now, such as the group training facilities we will cover later. You joined a commercial gym, or you didn’t. You did personal training or didn’t, and the only other option was to take the ‘aerobics classes’ in the segregated room or go on your own.
Commercial gyms have changed a lot in 20 years, but many of the same rules apply.
Also, disclaimer: I was a membership salesman and manager from 2005 to 2011 while also teaching those ‘aerobics classes’ and am super glad I got that opportunity to build the skills I have now from my time back then.
However, here are some of the pros and cons for why you would or wouldn’t join a commercial gym in the modern era.
✅ Pros:
✔ Low price – Memberships are cheap, making them attractive if cost is your primary concern.
❌ Cons:
➡ Long contracts – Many commercial gyms lock you into lengthy agreements that are hard to exit.
➡ Lack of guidance – You get access to equipment, but if you don’t know what to do, you’re left to figure it out on your own.
➡ Zero accountability – No one checks in on you, meaning it’s easy to skip workouts.
One thing worth noting, though, is that you are generally given personal training sessions upon joining. These sessions, however, are with personal trainers who are either paid or get paid by you continuing. So, as much as this is helpful, as we will see later, it negates the price efficiency of choosing a commercial gym to train in as ultimately, once you finish your ‘free sessions, ‘ you are on your own unless you pay for additional sessions. Again, I can rectify this because I became a personal trainer after being a sales manager for so long.
So, who are commercial gyms best for? People who are already self-motivated know how to train effectively and need a place to lift weights and work out.
Group Training Facilities – Community & Coaching Without the High Cost
I’m going to advise on Group Training Facilities next. This is the middle tear of what this article is trying to accomplish. The pros and Cons are as follows, and then we will elaborate further.
✅ Pros:
✔ Moderate price – A step up from commercial gyms but far less expensive than personal training.
✔ Coaching & structure – You don’t have to figure things out alone; coaches guide you through each workout.
✔ Community – Training alongside others creates accountability, motivation, and a strong sense of belonging.
❌ Cons:
➡ Less individual attention – While coaches provide guidance, it’s not 100% personalised like one-on-one training.
➡ Set schedule – Classes run at specific times, so flexibility is lower than a 24/7 gym.
Personally, I say this mainly because VSC is this kind of facility. I believe this is generally the best system you can choose from: beginner to intermediately experienced gym-goer to advanced. Training in a group with like-minded people and having a community of individuals around you as you work out is precisely what these facilities were designed for.
They came out of needing more attention, but not all of it, at a more affordable price. To be clear, it isn’t cheap, and if it is, be nervous. Ultimately, though, the slight stretch in budget is worth it, in my opinion, for the social aspect and guidance you receive from a group training facility.
Is it for everyone? No, nothing ever is, but can it be for anyone? Yes, it can. With a good team of coaches, the right community, and the opportunity to make friends, you are likelier to stick with your new exercise regime for longer. If they also don’t have ridiculous contract lengths like they shouldn’t, you should be training more because you enjoy it than because you have to.
So, who are group training facilities best for? People who want expert coaching, a supportive community, and structured training without spending a fortune.
Personal Training – The Ultimate in Customisation (With a Price Tag)
Once I got sick of working to be paid a commission on the membership sales I was making, I decided ‘I could pocket all this money myself instead’. Back in 2012, when I started personal training, I legitimately knew nothing about personal training, even though I had been qualified since 2005. All I knew was how to work out and have fun.
I remember the day I started. I had spent 2 weeks selling packs for myself and ringing members I had signed up or had in classes over the years I had been in this one gym. I was due to start my first 60 30-minute sessions for the week and would be paid $45 per half hour. But I had to ask my Head Of Department, the manager of the personal trainers, how to deliver a session. This is a true story. Now, don’t get me wrong, I do not think for a second this happens these days. Training to become a personal trainer is more demanding, elaborate and precise these days, but some things remain the same.
✅ Pros:
✔ Personalised coaching – Every workout is tailored to your goals, needs, and limitations.
✔ High accountability – Your trainer expects you to show up and put in the work.
✔ Faster results – Direct guidance makes you more likely to achieve your goals efficiently.
❌ Cons:
➡ Expensive – The most significant barrier is cost; personal training is the highest investment.
➡ Emotional investment – It’s not just about money—you build a relationship with your trainer, which can make it harder to walk away.
But who needs all this attention, for all this investment? I would say the people who need it. People with limitations that exceed essential guidance.
When I was personal training later in my career, it was pay for the sessions, and programming was separate. Now, it may be included, but how personal is the attention you are receiving? For example, if I attend a group training class and do the same workout as everyone else for $60+ a week and can work out 6-7 times per week, if that happens to me when in a ‘personal training’ environment, how personal is it?
In my very rough and maybe biased opinion, exercise physiologists should reap the rewards that personal trainers have. Those guys are the real MVPs of exercise, yet they are training rehabilitation clients, NDIS clients, and those who need science behind their training, not just workouts.
Sports training can be specific, and structural imbalances can help avoid injuries. Maybe you are shy and just getting started on a fitness journey and genuinely need your hand to be helped every step of the way; that is where a personal trainer is the most useful. But do we need them to get us to where we are going if we have outlets to be surrounded by more significant groups of like-minded individuals and can have access to specific programs we can execute alone?
So who is personal training best for? People who want and need a completely customised approach to their fitness journey and are willing to invest in their results.
The Bottom Line is to ask yourself, ‘ What do YOU want?’
There is no one-size-fits-all gym. The right choice depends on:
✔ Your budget
✔ The level of coaching and accountability you need
✔ Whether you thrive in a community or prefer solo workouts
Over the last twenty years, I have worked in large capacities in all three different varieties of fitness facilities and in various capacities. There is room for these, and you should probably try them all.
At Vasse Strength & Conditioning, we specialise in group training. We give you structured, high-quality coaching without the high cost of personal training. You’ll get expert guidance, a supportive team, and workouts to help you perform at your best. And, as every good group training facility will say, have the community to match it.
If that sounds like what you’re looking for, come for a trial session and see if we fit you. Otherwise, I hope this information has helped you determine your needs and start exercising as soon as possible.
Exercise is a must; it makes us more human and helps us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. So get up, get after it and BECOME EXTRAORDINARY.