I have zero judgment for anyone who trains at F45, or any other gym on earth. I’m proud of every person who makes exercise part of their life. Every person is different. Every person deserves to find the tribe that’s right for her.

That said, I want to tell you a story about personal training in Rocklin that changed how I think about the word “coach.”

A couple weeks ago I interviewed a coach for a position here at Shred 27. She’d spent a year and a half coaching at F45. Said she was ready to grow. I asked what that meant.

She got quiet for a second. Then she said, “Honestly? I feel like a babysitter. Not a coach.”

Here’s why. There’s a TV at the front of the room running the workout demo. Members watch the screen and follow along. Her job is to walk the room and fix someone’s form if it’s badly off. That’s it. No progressions. No regressions. No personal plan. No writing programs. No actual coaching.

A few days later I ran past the F45 near my house and finally looked in the window. TV on. Twenty people moving in unison to a video. Two coaches leaning on a rack in the corner, deep in a conversation that had nothing to do with anyone in that room.

I was disappointed on three levels.

Disappointed for the coach, who wants to grow in this field and is stuck babysitting instead of coaching.

Disappointed for the members who signed a contract expecting real attention and are now locked into a screen.

And disappointed for the woman in that room who genuinely needs someone tracking her form, her progress, her plan. Instead she’s one face in twenty, being watched, not trained.

There’s a difference between being watched and being coached.

Three Questions to Ask Before You Sign With Any Gym

If you’re evaluating personal training in Rocklin, Roseville, or Lincoln, ask these three questions before you commit to a contract:

  1. Who is writing my program, and how often does it change based on my results?
  2. What happens the week I miss three sessions? Does anyone actually reach out?
  3. Right now, today, can you tell me my biggest physical limitation?

If the answer to any of those is a shrug, or a TV screen, keep looking.

At Shred 27, small groups mean a coach who knows your name, your goals, and what your body specifically needs. Nobody disappears into a class of twenty faces staring at a screen. That was the whole point of an interview that ended without a hire. We don’t build babysitters here. We build coaches.

If you’re currently in a contract with a TV where a coach used to be, come in for a Free Fresh Start Assessment. We’ll build you a real, personal plan around your body, your goals, and your schedule. If you decide to train with us, we’ll buy you out of your current contract. If you decide not to, you still walk out with a real plan.

Get Your Free Fresh Start Assessment

Jonathan, RN | Owner, Shred 27

FAQ’s

What’s the difference between a fitness coach and a workout instructor? A workout instructor leads a group through the same routine, often from a screen or a script, with little individual adjustment. A coach builds and adjusts your program based on your body, your history, and your results, and notices when you’re missing sessions.

How do I know if a gym is actually personalizing my training? Ask who writes your program and how often it changes. If nobody can answer that question specifically, for you, it likely isn’t personalized.

Is small group personal training better than large class formats in Rocklin? For most women over 40 managing hormonal shifts, past injuries, or inconsistent schedules, small group coaching allows real-time form correction and program adjustments that large class formats, especially screen-led ones, cannot provide.