Some gyms and health clubs will make it seem like having a personal trainer is the only way to reach your fitness goals.

On the surface, hiring a personal trainer makes sense. They’re supposed to be certified experts in their field. In a perfect world they provide accountability, motivation and professional insight. As we all know, the world isn’t perfect.

The realty is many personal trainers aren’t that good. In fact, some would say they are overrated. Here are some of the top reasons that hiring a personal trainer may not be your best option.

• Reason #1: Scheduling – Scheduling a session with a personal trainer can be more of a hassle than doing your taxes. Plus you have to deal with cancellations and you can only schedule sessions during designated time frames. You spend more time planning than working out!

• Reason #2: Professionalism – Some personal trainers are just unprofessional. They show up late. They talk with other people. They play on their phones. At some points, it might seem like they’re ignoring you during your workout. You shouldn’t have to put up with this kind of stuff. You’re the customer!

• Reason #3: Price – Hiring a personal trainer is expensive. The good ones can cost on average of $50 to $80 per hour. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean hourly wage for a doctor is $88. No offense, but trainers aren’t doing heart surgery.

• Reason #4: Workouts – Some personal trainers have the tendency to do the same old workouts with all of their clients. Here’s the thing. Not everyone is the same. Every individual has different fitness levels and abilities. What works for one person may not work for you. Every workout plan should be tailored to the individual.

• Reason #5: Injuries – Injuries are always a possibility when hitting the gym. However, you’re setting yourself up for injuries if you hire a cheap, incompetent personal trainer. Unfortunately, many people fall into this trap because they’re looking for a deal. In the end, you might end up burning more money on a doctor to treat your injuries.

• Reason #6: Monitoring Progress – Here’s a sign that your trainer is overrated… they’re not writing anything down. A good trainer will monitor your progress. It’s the only way to know how you’re doing. Many bad trainers will just stare off into space when they should be tracking your performance.

So what do you do? The first option is to do some serious homework and find a certified personal trainer that comes with glowing reviews. These people can be expensive.

Another option that is gaining popularity is to join an automated fitness gym. These types of gyms eliminate the need for a personal trainer. Personalized training programs are created for you on a USB drive, which you insert into fitness equipment that coaches you through the exercises.

With automated fitness training, all of your workouts are tracked and monitored so you can view your progress.

In the end, the choice is up to you. Do the proper research and figure out what works best for you.