Category: Nutrition

Before you spend money on a personal trainer in Tokyo or elsewhere in Japan, read this entire guide! Because with so much online information there’s never been a better time to get in shape, but because of all that information it’s hard to know who to trust. Plus living a healthy lifestyle in Tokyo is challenging for expats because of different foods, a foreign culture, and a difficult new language. And although you can exercise on your own, it’s unlikely you’ll get the results you’re aiming for without a well thought-out plan. So whether you’re just starting your fitness journey or you’ve been exercising for years, hiring a personal trainer or online coach is the safest and most effective way to accomplish your fitness goals. And since you are literally putting your health in someone else’s hands, finding the right trainer for you is imperative. Jump to: What is a Personal Trainer Choosing a Personal Trainer in Tokyo How to find a Personal Trainer in 3 Minutes Questions to ask a Personal Trainer What not to do when finding a Personal Trainer Considerations before and after you Start Training What is a Personal Trainer A personal trainer is a certified fitness professional responsible for helping clients achieve fitness goals. Trainers develop personalized exercise programs and recommend dietary and/or lifestyle changes based on clients’ goals, needs, and personal preferences.  They also teach clients how to safely and effectively perform exercises in order to achieve results without sustaining injuries. What is an online health and fitness coach and what do they do? An online health and fitness coach is typically a certified personal trainer who helps clients achieve their goals by educating, empowering, and creating accountability for them. Health and fitness coaches equip clients with essential knowledge, training programs, and nutrition guidelines so that clients understand how and why each part of the program is helping move them towards their goals. The responsibilities of health and fitness coaches are similar to those of personal trainers, but one notable difference is that coaches help clients achieve their goals while developing competence and long-term independence. For more information about online health and fitness coaching, have a look here. How long do you work with them? The length of time you’ll work with a personal trainer or online health and fitness coach mainly depends on your goals, your budget, and a realistic timeline. People hire personal trainers for 3 to 6 months but often continue working with them for years, whereas programs with online health and fitness coaches typically have firm start and end dates. In general, working with a personal trainer or online health and fitness coach is always more effective than training alone. The main difference is that while personal training is usually an indefinite subscription, online health and fitness coaching is usually a one-time investment. What kinds of results can you expect? Depending on your goals, level of commitment, and the quality of your personal trainer or online health and fitness coach, you can expect to see more muscle, less fat, better sleep, lower BMI, greater flexibility, increased energy, and improved posture. In general, working with a personal trainer or online health and fitness coach is always more effective than training alone. Where can you work with a personal trainer in Tokyo?  The easiest place to find a personal trainer in Tokyo is online or at a personal training gym.  Some bodybuilding gyms (including 24-hour gyms) and fitness clubs also offer personal training services. Public gyms occasionally have their own personal trainers but they generally don’t allow personal training to be performed by freelance trainers in their facilities. Here’s a list of places where personal trainers typically train clients. Commercial gyms (Gold’s Gym, Konami, etc.) Personal training studios (Beyond, Next Gym Tokyo, etc.) Public municipal gyms (Shinjuku Sports Center, Tokyo Metro Gym, etc.) Home gyms (your home) Living rooms (your home) Outdoors (near your home or office) Parks (Yoyogi Park, Arisugawa Park, etc.) At the office (your office) Online (anywhere) How much do personal trainers cost? Freelance and private studio personal trainers in Tokyo typically charge between 8,000 to 12,000 JPY per session.  Most offer discounts for purchasing a pack of sessions at once while others offer monthly subscriptions. At big-name companies that offer personal training services like RIZAP and Konami, you can expect to pay anywhere from 150,000 to 350,000 JPY for a 2-month program. Online health and fitness coaches charge anywhere from 15,000 to 100,000 JPY per month depending on meeting frequency and the services they provide. If you want to know about gym costs in Japan, check this out. Gyms with English-Speaking Trainers There are still very few gyms in Tokyo that provide English-language instruction.  But the following list contains some of the best gyms in Tokyo with English-speaking trainers. So whether you’re looking to start your fitness journey or switch up your current routine, you can be confident that you’ll be able to achieve your goals without the stress of a language barrier. If you’re new to Tokyo and can’t speak any Japanese or if you just want fitness instruction in English, here are some English-friendly gyms with personal trainers: Intensity Matters Intensity Matters, Tokyo’s first outdoor training gym, takes pride in providing a safe and effective outdoor environment that encourages purposeful exercise.  They focus on functional training to improve primary movement patterns, which translates directly into better physical performance outside of the gym. Classes usually begin with a dynamic warmup, followed by a high-intensity exercise utilizing your own body weight and some basic equipment.  With a maximum of eight participants each session, learners always receive enough one-on-one attention from instructors. UFC Gym UFC Gym in Tokyo provides a wide range of group classes and private options, including functional fitness classes, MMA programs, dynamic performance training, kids MMA programs, and more. Along with kickboxing, yoga, and hip training (in Japan, “hip” means “booty”), you’ll discover unique exercises here, such as UFC Gym’s unique interval training program, Daily…
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