'I swapped my personal trainer for AI - and it's working'

After a festive period filled with indulgent treats and relaxation, many people head into January looking to get their fitness back on track.

But could AI be changing the fitness industry by offering an alternative to personal trainers?

Richard Gallimore, 23, from Swansea, has been using AI for his fitness and diet plans and says he feels "the strongest I've ever been", after increasing his bench press from 70kg (150lb) to 110kg (240lb).

Meanwhile, 21-year-old Leah Walsh, from Aberdare, Rhondda Cynon Taf, said using an AI tool was "great" as she trained for her second half marathon, achieving a personal best, and said she valued being able to ask questions at any time of day – something she felt was not possible with a personal trainer.

Personal trainer Dafydd Judd, from Cardiff, said AI can be a useful tool that helps speed up progress, but believes it will never replace the "human connection" and "accountability" that come from training in person with a coach.

Richard said he decided to use AI to get back in to the gym after realising how "unfit" he had become.

He was disappointed after walking a fundraiser run in May, as he said he previously could have run it, adding: "I just knew I need to sort myself out".

Richard used an AI tool to build a workout and diet plan tailored to his goals, creating structured routines and learning about nutrition and supplements.

"I train for about two hours a day and I've seen a real difference", he said, adding that AI helped him reach his "full potential".

With gym fees and supplements already costly, Richard said he chose AI over a personal trainer because it is free, in his "pocket" and lets him work at "my own pace".

Since using AI, Richard said he "couldn't live without it", adding that he has become so used to it he would "really struggle" without it.

"It's grown on me, it's something that I use daily," he said.

A Which? survey in November 2024, which compared prices for 17 of the biggest gym brands, found the average UK gym membership cost £38 a month, based on standard full-access plans.

Prices ranged from £23 at the cheapest chain to £132 at the most expensive.

According to research by PureGym, personal trainers set their own rates, typically £30–£65 per 45–60 minute session outside London and about £45-£65 in London.

Clients will use a trainer once or twice a week and work with them for a few months, it found, but noted it was "completely flexible".

Leah said her training for the Cardiff Half Marathon was fairly last-minute, so she turned to an AI tool "for help".

She asked it to create a plan combining running and gym sessions, and it produced an 11-week programme tailored to her race date and goals, with gym days, easy runs, tempo sessions and long runs set to specific time targets.

Leah then tweaked the schedule to better fit her lifestyle, describing the process as quick and "convenient".

The previous year, when training for her first half marathon, Leah said she used an AI-powered running app that offers personalised plans with audio coaching and pace setting.

This year, she chose a different AI tool instead for what she described as its "cost effectiveness", despite it lacking some of the features from the previous app.

She liked being able to "ask questions at any time of the day" and easily adjust her plan, adding: "If a personal trainer did a plan for you, you can't message them at midnight."

Leah also explained how she prefers training independently, in her "own time", without a coach "being down my neck".

"With AI you have to motivate yourself, which I quite like," she said.

Her goal was to finish in under two hours 20 minutes – she completed the race in 2:11, a minute faster than the previous year.

"It's been great," she added.

Dafydd, 37, has 12 years' experience as a personal trainer, specialising in older adults and injury rehabilitation, and said he thinks people using AI to learn about fitness is "great" because it "speeds up progress".

"I think it's very valuable - more knowledge is good," he said.

Some of his clients already use AI, which helps them ask better questions and make better use of their time together in the gym, Dafydd explained.

He added that he was not concerned about AI replacing trainers, arguing that people still value the "human element" and "accountability".

"I think the more that people are online the more that they'll want the human connection because they want the warmth from the understanding that is missing from a computer," he said.

According to Dafydd, AI can "educate" clients clearly, remove guesswork and be more "blunt", making coaching more effective and lowering the "pressure" for people starting out.

However, he said real commitment comes when "people actually put their money where their mouth is" and show up in person.

"As useful as it is at 2am, a computer won't keep you accountable at 7am before work," Dafydd added.

For many, he said, the gym is a place to leave phones behind and stop being glued to screens, particularly for those who spend all day on computers or mobile devices.