So how much should you actually pay, what can you get for that money, and how do you get the most sweat per buck? To find out, we chatted with personal trainers, training managers, and gym directors all across the country.

Follow this guide before you hand over your credit card.

Check Out Your Gym—And Others
Most women scouting out a personal trainer walk into their gym, tell the guy at the front desk that they want to get signed up, and that’s that. And, if you already have a gym membership (and use it!), it can be really convenient to replicate your personal training sessions on your own, says Alanna Burns, director of corporate physical training at Life Time Fitness.

However, just like the cost of a gym membership varies in your location, so do personal training sessions. In general, the more fancy-schmancy your gym is, the more personal training sessions will cost. For instance, while personal training sessions at Equinox cost about $110 to $160 per hour, they cost about $100 to $155 per hour at Crunch, $80 to $130 at BRICK CrossFit, and $60 to $100 at Life Time Fitness.

It’s also important to remember that the trainers at your gym are gym employees. In most sweat studios, they only work with current members of that facility. That means if you don’t already have a membership at your gym of choice, that’s an added cost.

Consider an Independent Sweat Instructor
When it comes to cost, trainers come in two main flavors: gym trainers and independent trainers. While gym trainers are the ones you see walking around most studios, independent trainers don’t work with any one gym. They can come to your house or meet you at a personal training studio. They’re also their own boss and set their own prices. From a cost-saving standpoint, you don’t have to buy a gym membership to enlist their services, says Kourtney Thomas, C.S.C.S., owner of Kourtney Thomas Fitness in St. Louis. It’s also worth noting that independent trainers don’t have to fork over the majority of their profits to a gym in order to work on staff, says Perkins. Why’s that matter to you? Because, at least in major cities, the best trainers aren’t willing to split their profits with a gym, so they work on their own.

That being said, we definitely aren’t knocking gym trainers. They can be qualified, experienced, and just what you need. And in smaller, rural towns or residential areas where there’s not a huge demand for independent personal trainers, the best of the best may still work at a gym, says Perkins.

While Perkins charges $150 and up per hour, she says that if you’re willing to spend $70 to $100 per session, you can still really get a great independent trainer pretty much wherever you live.

“In the end, you should definitely look at both types of trainers to see what makes the most sense for you financially,” Perkins says. There are pros and cons to each setup.

Know That Big Cities Come with Big Costs
As in real estate, personal training costs are all about location, location, location. For instance, while personal training sessions can cost as low as about $60 per hour in New York City, they are more apt to hit the $100 mark to cover the cost of facilities. And Perkins notes that while you will be hard-pressed to find independent trainers for less than $100 per hour in LA, you can find top-tier trainers in small towns for half that.

Prioritize Education and Experience
Whether you work out with a trainer in a no-frills gym, a luxury one, or your basement, the most important factor in terms of price and value is that trainer’s education and experience, says Perkins.

At Crunch, all trainers have at least one nationally accredited personal training certification. Top-tier trainers might have a certified strength and conditioning specialist certification or a Ph.D. in exercise physiology or kinesiology, says Michael Spiegel, C.S.C.S, district fitness manager at Crunch. The more certifications they have, the more you’ll have to pay.

So pay attention to the letters after your trainer’s name, and ask what’s entailed in each one. (Remember, plenty of companies out there will hand out certs for two-day courses; that’s not what you should be looking for.) And, while top certifications mean you’ll pay a bigger fee, it also means you’re getting a highly educated trainer, says Burns. The best trainers have a few years of training new clients under their belt and a solid educational, says Perkins.

“In the end, think quality over quantity,” Perkins says. It’s better to train twice a week with a great personal trainer; it’s like you’re getting time and a half. You’ll come out of each session having learned more about form, technique, and workout programming that you can use in your individual training, she says.

Try Small or Large Group Training
Small-group personal training (you and two to four other clients) costs $30 to $45 an hour at Life Time Fitness. While partnered training sessions (just you, and one other client) costs $45 to $60 an hour.

Meanwhile, plenty of other gyms like Crunch and Gold’s Gym offer similar group-training options, the small-group training at Equinox is typically centered on a specific type of exercise, such as working with kettlebells or TRX cables, says Burns.

You might sacrifice some one-on-one attention, but with so few clients per session, you really don’t sacrifice much in order to save serious bucks, says Jenn Mathis, a certified personal trainer and regional director at Gold’s Gym. Plus, since we all tend to work out harder and enjoy our workouts more when we’re with others, training in a group could actually boost your results, she says. Win win.