becoming a personal trainer

[airsmith2k]

i was maybe considering about becoming a personal trainer. i know you need to get certified........i was wondering on how u do that....also i was wondering if its a good profession and if theres any money in it thanks

 

[BuildUp]

www.nasm.org..there can be good money to be made in it if your business savy enough to make sue your gym isn't take to much of your cutof the money. And it's a young guys game, and very competitive, and last but not least you'll get so much ass it should be illegal. go for it dude. either NASM or MCSE are the best as far as getting top notch qualification.

 

[schneiderc2004]

The ISSA is supposed to be good also. Personal training can be good if you like dealing with clients and get them to workout. I personally would not like to be one since you have deal with clients and work with them according to their schedule. But you've got to do what you like and what's best for you.

 

[BigCracker]

I did it for about 8 yrs. For most people it's a great thing to do while you're prepping yourself for another career. You don't "need" certification to be successful either-but some gyms may require it to train there. If I was to start from scratch and make it a lifelong career, this is what I'd do. 1st off I'd make sure I was better built and better educated than 90% of the people in the gym-a killer bod is a great marketing tool that's w/ you 24/7. If you can answer people's fitness related questions in a way that they can understand on top of looking good you're off to a great start. 2nd I'd get a job at one of those big chains where they supply you with clients take 1/2 of your hourly wage. This will suck, but it will give you a lot of connections that will lead to being able to acquire clients on your own in the future-which is probably the toughest part of being a trainer. 4th step would be to find a gym close to the one you're already at that doesn't take 1/2 of the trainers pay, but instead charges you a monthly flat fee to train your clients. Then convince your clients at the gym that you've been training at to switch their memberships to the new place. This way you'll instantly be making 100% more than you were already have a decent client base to cover gym rent. Have business cards made and start handing them out. Offer free consultations to new clients-which is your chance to convince them(aka sell your service) you can help them achieve their fitness goals. Once you're schedule is full of clients, raise your rates per session for all new clients. All of this is pretty easy. The difficult part is motivating people that are impossible to motivate. You'll end up being your client's psychiatrist moreso than their trainer 75% of the time. Ya know how people confide in the person that cuts their hair about their personal life? Imagine seeing that person 2-4x a week as their trainer-they will tell you everything about themselves. Listening to this crap gets really monotonous, so it's easy to get burnt out. It also makes the biz portion of personal training more difficult because clients will use your relationship as a tool to not pay you on time and/or cancel appointments last minute in hopes of not being charged. Situations like this require some social finesse, so it might take you awhile to figure out the best way to keep clients without letting them walk all over you. After a couple years you can hire trainers to train your clients for you-and take 50% of their hourly rate like the gym you started at did. This way you'll be making money even when you're not training clients yourself. Once you have some experience and some cash saved, you can either buy your own small gym to train people in a more personal setting. You can also offer in home training where you train people at their residences. All you need is a core ball, some dumbells, and a vehicle. You can also charge them more $$$ per session to cover drive time, etc. Hopefully you'll get referrals to their neighbors and you can schedule everyone back to back according to geography. Anyway, good luck. I hope this helps. Being your own boss is awesome. Not only do you make the rules, but you never have to worry about getting fired either.

 

[ViperHMS]

I did it for about 8 yrs. For most people it's a great thing to do while you're prepping yourself for another career. You don't "need" certification to be successful either-but some gyms may require it to train there. If I was to start from scratch and make it a lifelong career, this is what I'd do. 1st off I'd make sure I was better built and better educated than 90% of the people in the gym-a killer bod is a great marketing tool that's w/ you 24/7. If you can answer people's fitness related questions in a way that they can understand on top of looking good you're off to a great start. 2nd I'd get a job at one of those big chains where they supply you with clients take 1/2 of your hourly wage. This will suck, but it will give you a lot of connections that will lead to being able to acquire clients on your own in the future-which is probably the toughest part of being a trainer. 4th step would be to find a gym close to the one you're already at that doesn't take 1/2 of the trainers pay, but instead charges you a monthly flat fee to train your clients. Then convince your clients at the gym that you've been training at to switch their memberships to the new place. This way you'll instantly be making 100% more than you were already have a decent client base to cover gym rent. Have business cards made and start handing them out. Offer free consultations to new clients-which is your chance to convince them(aka sell your service) you can help them achieve their fitness goals. Once you're schedule is full of clients, raise your rates per session for all new clients. All of this is pretty easy. The difficult part is motivating people that are impossible to motivate. You'll end up being your client's psychiatrist moreso than their trainer 75% of the time. Ya know how people confide in the person that cuts their hair about their personal life? Imagine seeing that person 2-4x a week as their trainer-they will tell you everything about themselves. Listening to this crap gets really monotonous, so it's easy to get burnt out. It also makes the biz portion of personal training more difficult because clients will use your relationship as a tool to not pay you on time and/or cancel appointments last minute in hopes of not being charged. Situations like this require some social finesse, so it might take you awhile to figure out the best way to keep clients without letting them walk all over you. After a couple years you can hire trainers to train your clients for you-and take 50% of their hourly rate like the gym you started at did. This way you'll be making money even when you're not training clients yourself. Once you have some experience and some cash saved, you can either buy your own small gym to train people in a more personal setting. You can also offer in home training where you train people at their residences. All you need is a core ball, some dumbells, and a vehicle. You can also charge them more $$$ per session to cover drive time, etc. Hopefully you'll get referrals to their neighbors and you can schedule everyone back to back according to geography. Anyway, good luck. I hope this helps. Being your own boss is awesome. Not only do you make the rules, but you never have to worry about getting fired either.

Your post just takes the fucking cake. KUDOS

 

[used2juice]

Your post just takes the fucking cake. KUDOS

I agree, that's the same info I would have given if I cared enough to post that much.

 

[onerippedmofo]

www.nasm.org..there can be good money to be made in it if your business savy enough to make sue your gym isn't take to much of your cutof the money. And it's a young guys game, and very competitive, and last but not least you'll get so much ass it should be illegal. go for it dude. either NASM or MCSE are the best as far as getting top notch qualification.

Are NASM and MCSE as good as getting certified at an 'actual' college?

 

[shortspanishguy]

I am graduating with my BS in Ex. Phys next week from Towson University in Maryland.

Every Dr. in my building feels that ACSM and the NSCA are the only 2 certs that matter.

Also, some of the higher end clubs around my way prefer ACSM and NSCA over any other orgs.

edit.... even in the world of academia, ACSM is highly regarded..... NASM is not.

 

[curling]

I did it for about 8 yrs. For most people it's a great thing to do while you're prepping yourself for another career. You don't "need" certification to be successful either-but some gyms may require it to train there. If I was to start from scratch and make it a lifelong career, this is what I'd do. 1st off I'd make sure I was better built and better educated than 90% of the people in the gym-a killer bod is a great marketing tool that's w/ you 24/7. If you can answer people's fitness related questions in a way that they can understand on top of looking good you're off to a great start. 2nd I'd get a job at one of those big chains where they supply you with clients take 1/2 of your hourly wage. This will suck, but it will give you a lot of connections that will lead to being able to acquire clients on your own in the future-which is probably the toughest part of being a trainer. 4th step would be to find a gym close to the one you're already at that doesn't take 1/2 of the trainers pay, but instead charges you a monthly flat fee to train your clients. Then convince your clients at the gym that you've been training at to switch their memberships to the new place. This way you'll instantly be making 100% more than you were already have a decent client base to cover gym rent. Have business cards made and start handing them out. Offer free consultations to new clients-which is your chance to convince them(aka sell your service) you can help them achieve their fitness goals. Once you're schedule is full of clients, raise your rates per session for all new clients. All of this is pretty easy. The difficult part is motivating people that are impossible to motivate. You'll end up being your client's psychiatrist moreso than their trainer 75% of the time. Ya know how people confide in the person that cuts their hair about their personal life? Imagine seeing that person 2-4x a week as their trainer-they will tell you everything about themselves. Listening to this crap gets really monotonous, so it's easy to get burnt out. It also makes the biz portion of personal training more difficult because clients will use your relationship as a tool to not pay you on time and/or cancel appointments last minute in hopes of not being charged. Situations like this require some social finesse, so it might take you awhile to figure out the best way to keep clients without letting them walk all over you. After a couple years you can hire trainers to train your clients for you-and take 50% of their hourly rate like the gym you started at did. This way you'll be making money even when you're not training clients yourself. Once you have some experience and some cash saved, you can either buy your own small gym to train people in a more personal setting. You can also offer in home training where you train people at their residences. All you need is a core ball, some dumbells, and a vehicle. You can also charge them more $$$ per session to cover drive time, etc. Hopefully you'll get referrals to their neighbors and you can schedule everyone back to back according to geography. Anyway, good luck. I hope this helps. Being your own boss is awesome. Not only do you make the rules, but you never have to worry about getting fired either.

Awsome post. You are a nice guy to post all that. Good info. Are you still training the btw. And how much a year did you average. I know I am nosy but this is the net and I don't know who you are anyway.

 

[hayceed]

Personal training as a career is going to be what you make of it. Depending on where you're going to be training, clients can be easy to find, or it can be a pain in the ass. I'm the director of training at a local club, and I can tell you what I look for when hiring new trainers. ACSM or NSCA are definitely top notch. I have found NASM to be very good also. But more than who you are certified through is what you bring to the floor. Someone with all the information in the world still won't be shit for a trainer if they can't convey that info to their clients. You also need to be able to motivate your clients. A whole hell of a lot of people work with trainers because they are unmotivated by themselves, and you have to provide that motivation. So, have the knowledge, but more importantly, be able to apply it. I recently fired a guy who had a BS in Exercise Physiology. Super great and smart with the info, but expected me to do the work for him, and he just couldn't relate to people efficiently/effectively.

My advice is the same as bigcracker gave you. Be your own boss. I'm in a fortunate situation to work at a club where we have an actual training program instead of a bunch of rogue trainers stabbing each other in the back like happens in a lot of gyms. I'm lucky enough to have been hired into a gym that came looking for me to direct their program, so I got my say in how I got paid. BUT, if that wasn't the case, I would be opening my own studio/small gym. If you want all the benefits training can bring, this is the way to go. You call the shots, make your own schedule, etc., etc. Just realize that you will be training when most people are not working, i.e., mornings, evenings, and such. But it's worth it if you love what you're doing. You might consider gaining experience by working for a club, learning the ropes a while, and then heading out on you own.

Another bit of advice... specialize. Find your niche. If you have a specialty to offer that others don't, you'll have an upper hand on everyone else. Yes, general knowledge is good, and most of your clients will be your traditional weight loss crowd, especially in the beginning. But if you can make your name as THE man to go to for information on XXXXX, then you can really target that bunch. Word of mouth works great for gaining clients, but it works best in a tight bunch. In my area, I work with a guy who specializes in training golfers. Boring to me, but it works for him. He gets word of mouth referrals at a rate of about two per week. Personally, I'm a little different than most people on this board. I'm a multisport athlete (triathlons, duathlons) and I've made my specialty working with endurance athletes. Not everybody's cup of tea, but cyclists, runners, triathletes, are a tight bunch and a get several people per month just calling me out of the blue looking for help. So, specialization works.

If I can help you in any way, just PM me. I'll be glad to help any way I can. Good luck to you.

 

[BigCracker]

Are NASM and MCSE as good as getting certified at an 'actual' college?

LMFAO-you can receive a degree in exercise physiology without ever setting foot in the gym, let alone lifting weights. I had exercise physiologists as clients that didn't even know how to properly perform a bench press. College is so overated. My friend is a Dr and he comes to me for advice on how to take AAS-and I only have a high school diploma.

However, most people believe a college degree or certification means that you know yopur shit, even if you don't. So with that being said, it's nice to be able to put your certification/education credentials on your biz card. It gives potential clients piece of mind, even when it doesn't mean you actually know what you're doing.

 

[BigCracker]

Awsome post. You are a nice guy to post all that. Good info. Are you still training the btw. And how much a year did you average. I know I am nosy but this is the net and I don't know who you are anyway.

Nope, I don't train peeps any longer. I got burnt out listening to fat chicks wine about being fat and watching them drive across the street to the Taco Bell Drive Thru when they finished working out. I swear, telling some people they need to give up soda and fettucini alfredo was like telling them they need to give up oxygen.

Some people are beyond help. They just a hire a trainer so they can have someone else to blame for never achieving their fitness goals. Chicks with young children are the most likely to fail-their pregnancy induced weight gain and living in a house full of kid food (mac & cheese, twinkies, and hot dogs) and a hubby calling them a fat ass 24/7 is just too much for them I guess?

When I was training people I chose to only train people between the hours of 2pm and 10pm. This guaranteed I got a solid 8 hrs of sleep nightly and no need to ever wake up with an alarm clock. I averaged 4 clients a day, 6 days a week. I charged $25/hr-but sometimes only $15/hr for friends and hot chicks. I also worked in a gym where I was friends w/ the owner, so I didn't pay rent as long as I brought in people to join once in awhile.

 

[mkazzbmf]

The job has its ups and downs.....The key for me was being big and ripped and having hot young hair dressers refer me clients.....obtaining clients was a real bitch without them. They looked good and the middle aged rich broads who's hair they cut would do whatever they said when it came to appearence. Also I was always sure not to teach them TOO much because they will instantly feel like they know enough to stop paying you. The most important thing was to beat the absolute hell out of them without injuring them during their workouts....because they will never be able to do it themselves like we do. I swear I have seen fat out of shape people do things I would be hard pressed to do because they feared me like a drill sgt. Lots of poooon tang and ok money....easy to burn out tho.....



Kaz

 

[curling]

Nope, I don't train peeps any longer. I got burnt out listening to fat chicks wine about being fat and watching them drive across the street to the Taco Bell Drive Thru when they finished working out. I swear, telling some people they need to give up soda and fettucini alfredo was like telling them they need to give up oxygen.

Some people are beyond help. They just a hire a trainer so they can have someone else to blame for never achieving their fitness goals.

So true. I don't think they really care what they look like as long as they tell themselves they are making the effort so they can keep eating.

 

[dullboy]

dullboy works out in the one of the most expensive clubs in new york (contract perk - would never pay for that crap), and is fascinated by how bad the trainers and their clients suck at his gym.

85 bucks an hour and no results that dullboy can see.

is it even possible to work out 3x per week and see ZERO results in almost 2 years??

all they do is stretch and play on those stupid sweedish balls and talk about "core strength". how can you have "core strength" if you can't squat more than 135 lbs??

 

[dullboy]

dullboys "gym"


lololol

 

[Extra_Strong]

 

[hayceed]

Nope, I don't train peeps any longer. I got burnt out listening to fat chicks wine about being fat and watching them drive across the street to the Taco Bell Drive Thru when they finished working out. I swear, telling some people they need to give up soda and fettucini alfredo was like telling them they need to give up oxygen.

No shit... my favorite story is my client who wrote down his nutrition for me after telling me his nutrition wasn't that bad. M&Ms, atkins bars, and popsicles made up three fourths of the food listed. It was unbelievable. And he had the balls to gripe to me about not losing weight. It feels good to fire clients sometimes.

 

[BigCracker]

No shit... my favorite story is my client who wrote down his nutrition for me after telling me his nutrition wasn't that bad. M&Ms, atkins bars, and popsicles made up three fourths of the food listed. It was unbelievable. And he had the balls to gripe to me about not losing weight. It feels good to fire clients sometimes.

LOL-I used to go to the grocery store and see my fat ass clients buying a themselves a couple 40 0Z beers on a Monday night. I can only imagine how much they drink on the weekends. Fucking closet alcoholics I swear.

 

[YankeesMan]

I'm 24 and have been working out for 6 years, I have a full time job but have been thinking of getting into training on nights and weekends to make some extra cash. I'm 5'10'' 170lbs, and probably around 8-9%BF. I wanted to know if it's the sort of jobs where you can realistically expect to do it part-time, and if so how should I get started? Should I take a certification class? If it helps with the advice I live in LA where there are 1 Billion gyms (I don't know if that helps or hurts). Thanks for any and all advice.

YM

 

[mlong23]

Don't need any type of certifications. As mentioned earlier it could help at some gyms though.

Wear black pants and a tight black shirt and you are instantly a trainer.

 

[BigCracker]

I'm 24 and have been working out for 6 years, I have a full time job but have been thinking of getting into training on nights and weekends to make some extra cash. I'm 5'10'' 170lbs, and probably around 8-9%BF. I wanted to know if it's the sort of jobs where you can realistically expect to do it part-time, and if so how should I get started? Should I take a certification class? If it helps with the advice I live in LA where there are 1 Billion gyms (I don't know if that helps or hurts). Thanks for any and all advice.

YM

Read my earlier posts. Try getting a job at Bally's or La Fatness-preferably any big chain lovated in an upper/upper middle class area that spends an assload on advertising and supplies you clients. Most gyms will require certification, but I think they may pay for it if they hire you?

Once you get hired, start working on your people skills. The gift of gab helps, but some gym people are very insecure and are easily offended. Not only will they not hire you, they'll go to the gym manager and complain about your shitty attitude. Never underestimate the pleasure some people will derive simply from stirring up some shit to bust your balls. Some will be jealous of you without ever talking to them simply because you have a job many people envy. The avg person thinks a personal trainer is a reputable career that truly benefits the health and fitness of others-even if it's often just a front for gigolo services offered to lonely houswives. lol

Anyway, here's my social literacy 101 tip of the day that can be used to your advantage in both biz and life in general. One sure way to get most people to like you is to remain neutral on all topics. Ride the fence as much as you can-even if you must bite your tongue now and then. Also avoid discussion of politics, sex, race, and religion. These topics involve views many people feel strongly about one way or another. Avoiding these topics altogether will minimize your chances of offending anyone = less people think you're a closed minded dick = more people liking you = more clients/ client referrals = more $$$. Being like this requires some effort, which is why many people could never be a trainer no matter how great that they look or how much they know.

 

[BigCracker]

Don't need any type of certifications. As mentioned earlier it could help at some gyms though.

Wear black pants and a tight black shirt and you are instantly a trainer.

Don't forget your clipboard.

 

[caligirl]

LMFAO-you can receive a degree in exercise physiology without ever setting foot in the gym, let alone lifting weights. I had exercise physiologists as clients that didn't even know how to properly perform a bench press. College is so overated. My friend is a Dr and he comes to me for advice on how to take AAS-and I only have a high school diploma.

However, most people believe a college degree or certification means that you know yopur shit, even if you don't. So with that being said, it's nice to be able to put your certification/education credentials on your biz card. It gives potential clients piece of mind, even when it doesn't mean you actually know what you're doing.

totally agree, good post. that needs to be posted in the trainer forum.

 

[BigCracker]

totally agree, good post. that needs to be posted in the trainer forum.

It's kinda ironic that the trainers that use their certification/degree as their service's main selling point usually look like crap. lol Luckily for them, the avg person doesn't know any better. It's amazing how many people will hire a trainer that's at a lower level of fitness than they are. That's like hiring someone that's never been to America before to take you on a tour of of the states.

 

[shortspanishguy]

totally agree, good post. that needs to be posted in the trainer forum.

yeah I have to agree as well. Alot of people in my major do not have a good grasp on proper form, nutrition, etc. Many of them just wanted to go to grad school for Physical Therapy and really dont give 2 shits about proper exercise. As for me, I am now in Real estate and I do NOT plan on leaving. I hope to use my degree some day.

 

[caligirl]

It's kinda ironic that the trainers that use their certification/degree as their service's main selling point usually look like crap. lol Luckily for them, the avg person doesn't know any better. It's amazing how many people will hire a trainer that's at a lower level of fitness than they are. That's like hiring someone that's never been to America before to take you on a tour of of the states.

Another good post by you. I have to say I have never been asked by my clients or potential clients what my credentials are. They are more likely thinking, hmmmm, if she's in shape, I bet she knows how to get me in shape. I have been approached more times than I could ever count, by people asking " how do I get my shoulders to look like yours?", "how do I get my back to look like yours?" and "how did you get those abs?" Being in great physical condition works to get clients, your overall knowledge and experience will keep them. I actually turn away clients because I specialize, and wont take just anyone for the money, it has to benefit us both.