The Working Bee vs The Personal Trainer in Five Points.

If you have kids at school it is quite possible that there may be times when you are requested to attend the school working bee.

Personally I think parents should attend as many working bees as possible, it is an easy way to help your school save real dollars on grounds and classroom maintenance, which is less raffle tickets I have to sell later on and reduces the chance I may have to cook for a cake stall.

However, the school working bee is no easy feat. It some ways the Working Bee is very similar to going to a Personal Trainer. But which is better to attend, a Working Bee session or a PT Session?

Let's break it down into five points:

1: COST 

When it comes to cost, the working bee is free to attend AND it may save you money in fundraising for new school equipment.

The PT will cost you from $20 upwards, depending on how many of you are in the session.


Which means there is One point to the Working Bee for saving pennies.

2: Working as a team

When you attend the Working Bee, you might feel some pressure to work hard in front of the rest of the team. You don't want to look like the slacker, or the least interested and you can't be the first to leave when someone suggests digging trenches for the new watering system. You might also have to work with people you don't really know, or who don't sweep very well (sorry everyone, my sweeping needs attention).

At a PT session you may find working in a team a challenge. It can be scary when everyone has to do extra push ups because you dropped the ball. Or you might be the one giving eye rolls to the person constantly coming last up the hill.


However, I am giving a point to Personal Training, because you are likely to become great friends with your training buddies if you have the right group, the working bee people you may never cry with over torn lycra.

3) Time:

The Personal Trainer is just an hour, but it's every single week - or more!

The working bee is not going to be more then 8 hours long and you are pretty much guaranteed to get cake served at morning tea and lunch! (Unless you are me and you snuck off before lunch was served).

At only one Saturday a term, the Working Bee wins this one, much less dedication required.

4) Physical Benefits

At the working bee you will sweep, dig, carry weights, push wheelbarrows, walk all over the school yard, stand all day long, pretend you are a 1980s version of Karate Kid and wipe on/wipe off as you wash tables, chairs and windows.

At PT you might have to do dips, pull ropes and drag tyres, squats and if you are really unlucky, you may have to run.

Either way, you are going to be using all the muscles that DO NOT get used when sitting down relaxing with a wine.  But, it's another Point to the Working Bee, because you need hours of stamina not just one pissy hour long session.

5) Post Event Pain

After your first PT (and your second and third) session where you have attempted a  few squats it can hurt just to go to the toilet. After your first major working bee where you actually did some physical exercise for a change it can hurt just to sit down when you go to the toilet.

For post event pain, both the Working Bee and the PT get a point. There is pain after both



And the winner is...
It's official, you should save yourself the cash and just sign up to the school working bee. It will save you a fortune, get your school looking good and improve your fitness faster then anything else. Either that, or start doing the gardening for everyone you know, with a little window washing on the side. You will look fantastic. Just remember, if you are soon to attend your first working bee, grab some Radox on the way, for your bath when you get home.