What each one actually does
- A personal trainer runs the hour you're in the gym: technique, programming, a spot, a push on the last set.
- Coaching can focus on the rest of the week: food, sleep and which days you train. Check what follow-up a particular service actually includes.
What they cost
Costs depend on the provider and the support included. On this website, the browser conversation and downloadable starting brief are free. This experience does not include a paid coaching subscription or scheduled calls.
Get a trainer if…
- You've never lifted and need someone watching your form.
- You're coming back from an injury and need a hands-on programme.
- You train harder with someone standing next to you.
Get a coach if…
- You know what to do and stop doing it by Wednesday.
- The problem is outside the gym — food, sleep, late nights.
- You want someone to notice when you go quiet, every day, not once a week.
Or both
Plenty of men do both: a trainer a few times a month for technique, a coach every day for the follow-up. The coach builds the trainer's sessions into the week and asks whether they happened.