Personal Trainers

[lonewulf]

I am a certified personal trainer and bodybuilder. I am also majoring in nutrition in college, and try to accuire as much knowledge about building a great physique as I can. I would love to train people for a living, but it is almost impossible to get started in this field. A trainer cant get started on his own(guess you guys are right about needing to win some shows and get some fame), and I was offered a job at Gold's to train people and they charge their clients $50 an hour, and only give the trainers about $8 an hour. AND you have to get your own clients by walking around in the gym and asking "Do you need a trainer?" I said FUCK THAT! Well guys I guess this is just a rough field to get into without being a well known athlete or bodybuilder, or having advanced degrees(besides a damn certification).

 

[chicho1234]

What do you guys usually charge per hour?? And what do you think about A.C.E/? I am working in a gym now and the pay is shit! What certifications do you guys have/?

 

[Mike P.T.]

im a trainer who works out of bally's and have some independant clients as well and i make pretty good money. especially considering im only 21

 

[chicho1234]

Do you guys think its possible to make a decent living off of this?? I LOVE being in the gym its just like you other guys said its so fucking hard to start out in this field!!! The money in the beginning is shit!!

 

[hvypl8s]

Good Job

I pay for my college through my training. I make $20 a session and my sessions last between 30 min - 1 hour depending on my clients needs. I have great hours, it pays for my cost of living and my education. I love my job!
A.C.E is a very reputable certification program.

Pl8s

 

[Hoss]

You can make some good money as a Personal Trainer. I work in a Health Club in Manhattan. I make between $25 and $40.00 an hour(per session) Yeah, I train mostly unmotivated, fat, out of shape women that have no desire to body build...just lose fat.
So what!!!!! that's my job, that's not how I train myself.

 

[DrJMW]

My hourly average is about $30..most sessions last between 1/2 hour to a full hour. I am at World Gym. My problem is getting the clients. "Working the floor" is BS..and clients really aren't assigned/apportioned properly anyway. Personally, I like working with the obese clients--they are on a mission and they renew their training sessions--I just can't get enough. As far as making money--I feel that you've got to sell at least $10,000.00 per month in training. At World Gym, we get 50% of all sales..no salary. I don't have enough working capital to sit on before my business grows--so yes, getting started is hard, and building the business to a proper level is hard.

 

[tent]

TRAINERS

I used to belong to a little gym in So.Cal. and was friends with the owners and they were trainers and they told me they made O.K. money. They told me in order to be a good trainer and make money, is own the Gym. I also had another friend who opened a Gym and he also made good money, owning and training. That's just my 2 cents.

 

[DaMan]

My trainer is $170/hr (no typo - the gym gets 50% or so - I get a very decent discount ) - here's his deal.

He has 6 (six!) certifications and is a M.E.S. His clients include half the ex-Baywatch cast and a good portion of the prime-time lineup AND A LOT OF FAT PEOPLE WHO NEED TO GET IN SHAPE AND LEARN TO DIET. A LOT. I know this cuz the ones usually training before or after me are, well, fat and out of shape, no offense to them cuz they are trying. He's also a registered dietician and god knows what else.

The reason he can charge so much is a) his certifications (he sure didn't start at such a high price and b) amazing publicity. Media savvy is a big part - first featured in the LA Times, so next he can claim that he was featured in the papers... then regularly consults for MF (he's in there pretty much every month, including ipcs) etc etc etc...

And he really does know everything - I haven't been able to stump him yet, both as far as roids go and as far as training goes. He's in model-shape, but not a BB or anything - I think a very solid training background is important for more advanced people like myself (he KNOWS what part of my shoulder hurts when I do flys for too much weight), but for the outta shape older people I completely agree, being in great shape ain't near as important as knowledge.

Just an opinion.

 

[femhardbody]

I've been personal training for about 10 years, did some competing including one national show, had a career as a dancer before that, and have managed to acquire enough clients to support myself and two children. If you're dream is to work exclusively with bodybuilders, get over it-- most of them take it upon themselves to learn enough about training and diet to get to the point you see them at without YOUR help- those are the people who get the look they are after. The average client is NOT planning on being a bodybuilder, just look better, feel better, play a sport better, or just enjoy a higher quality of life. These people NEED our knowledge, and I find it very personally satisfying to help them, for whatever reason they come to me. Now, what upsets me is the high number of trainer HACKS out there who have NOT built up their own body, bothered to take the time to learn the basics, and look terrible themselves. If you haven't done it on yourself, you can't possibly communicate to another what the process feels like, and you probably won't be able to explain proper form, which is the bottom line for being effective as a trainer. Get good at what you do, and evolve beyond the shallowness that is bodybuilding, and help the people who really need it- and reap the financial and spiritual reward of doing something worthy!