What is the difference between private and commercial gyms?
![Image of 'The 12 Commandments' at Studio Fit U, showcasing key principles of the private gym in Montreal that set apart their premium services from traditional commercial gyms.](/storage/5WCdEfOLQg2aIXygx7RPa8ycJhvsetbV90zqbtoB.jpg)
What’s the difference?
Gyms and private training studios have long been confused or put in the same boat as being the same and all encompassing. Throughout the years, the dynamics in each have changed and are now actually quite different in the service they provide to the population.
The typical/classical gym
Gyms have for a long time been the one-stop shop for people wanting to lose weight and gain muscle. From athletes to weekend warriors, gyms have been the go-to place for people to move, do physical activity and enhance/improve their health.
Unlimited space and membership
Gyms allow people to train themselves whenever they want. Usually the fee is attached to an unlimited membership that allows you, the client, to decide when you want to train, how long you want to train and to dictate the efficiency of your workout. According to statistics, only 18% of people who purchase memberships for 12 months actually go to the gym consistently. That is the business model big box gyms use, they have low-entry membership fees that makes training not a worthy investment for most people. If they were to have 100% of their members show up on the same day, the user experience would be greatly diminished.
Variety of equipment
When purchasing a typical gym membership, you are paying for the equipment and the facility space. Usually these gyms contain a variety of cardiovascular equipment such as ellipticals,treadmills, spinning bikes,etc.) and strength equipment. Typically gyms have a massive selection of strength equipment that allow people to perform single joint exercises that solicit single movement patterns and muscle groups. If you are trying to be a bodybuilder and compete, those machines are great. On the other hand, most of us are trying to live a healthier lifestyle. To get stronger,faster and pain-free, more functional movements would be more suited for you.
What about classes?
Yes, typical gyms offer a variety of group classes ranging from zumba, yoga, pilates, H.I.I.T., metcon, strength training and bootcamps. Most of these classes provide benefits such as a community, motivation and a good sweat. Although the benefits seem to be appealing, they lack certain key benefits. There is a lack of continuity and progression in many group classes, most of the classes do not provide an end goal and a measurable objective. They are not specific to your learning curve and because there are many participants in a class, the trainers usually do not have time to correct faulty mechanics and technique, therefore increasing the risk of injuries. Lastly, group classes are not individualised to your particular needs, you may not be able to perform a certain exercise because of your lack of flexibility and your group class instructor won’t be able to pinpoint it down. We can’t really blame them as this old fashioned way of teaching large groups is not designed for the needs of specific individuals but instead for the majority of the population.
That being said, if you had the option to sit on the couch and watch TV versus join a group class and get you moving, you should pick the latter. Like the old saying says : “ Rome wasn’t built in a day “.
Studio Fit U’s method
Unlike conventional gyms, Studio Fit U, as the name suggests, is a private training studio. Similar to gyms, most people who come to private training studios are people who want to train and get better. The major difference between them is that private training studios are usually specialists in their fields and offer a premium service backed by scientific foundational evidence.
Private Trainer or Kinesiologist
The main difference here is that we have a bachelor degree that makes us specialists in human movement and biomechanics. At Studio Fit U, education is a priority, we want to share as much knowledge as possible with you in order to engage you and make you understand the importance of a healthy and active life. We believe that personalised training is the key to your success. Typically with us, your journey begins with an orthopaedic and biomechanical evaluation in order to target your imbalances and weaknesses. Once this assessment has been made, your kinesiologist will prescribe a complete training program and guide you throughout your journey.
The difference?
When comparing studios to gyms, the less crowded, the better. The quality of service is usually proportional to the number of people in-house. As the amount of clients grows, the lower the quality of service. In private studios, we have the chance to serve a lower number of clients therefore making the experience one of a kind.
Training in a private studio allows you to have a more intimate atmosphere, a like-minded community, it allows you to have a guided and continuous progress timeline.
At Studio Fit U, we combined the worlds of membership gyms and private studios. Our goal was to fuse both worlds and put in value the best of both worlds. By allowing clients to either train 1 on 1 but also small groups (1 on 4) we allow people to have an intimate, private training experience but also be able to build a community while continuously reaching for your goals. Our equipment is specially designed for functional training for you to live a more active lifestyle.
If you want to crush your goals, set new ones and maintain them, you know where to find us!
STUDIO
Personal & Personalized Training
MONTREAL
4824 Ch. de la Côte-des-Neiges, Montréal, QC H3V 1G4