Personal Training Career
Today I am giving you the total scoop on the personal training career.
So, in case you are considering this career, here is the total inside scoop!
Personal Trainer Job Duties
Personal trainers work with clients to help them meet their fitness and health goals. You will learn how to train clients, find and attract clients, interview your clients, conduct an initial assessment, put together a fitness program for your clients, and coach your clients to their goals.
You need to learn how to train clients by completing a certification program, taking courses, going to college for exercise science or apprenticing with a good coach.
To procure clients, you may leverage your own current networks, grow an audience on social media, write on your website, or get clients through a gym that you work at.
When you first meet with potential clients, you will need to collect a lot of information about their goals, current fitness level, current activity level, age, and some pre-screening information. To start, you will need to ask them about their health history, injuries and surgeries, chronic pain and medications. You might also need to get a doctor’s clearance before they can come work out with you. You will explain how you work, your fees, and a short bit on your personal background and approach.
If they decide they want to work with you, they will start your first session with an initial assessment.
Initial Assessment
During your first session, you can conduct a fitness assessment with your clients. This may include skinfold tests, strength tests, agility tests, cardiovascular tests and flexibility assessments. After the first assessment, you can explain what these results mean to your new client, and begin the process of coming up with an appropriate exercise plan for them.
Based on your clients’ initial interview and assessment, you should design a personalized program for them. Aim for a short program to start and progress as they go.
Each time your client comes in to train with you, you will coach them through the training program that you have created. You will want to pay careful attention to their response to the program, their form and technique, and so on.
During this time, you will also council them on their homework outside of sessions. You might also choose to give them a bit of generalized advice with nutrition and lifestyle habits.
With your help and stellar coaching and encouragement, your client may eventually reach their goals! You will continue creating programs, coaching them, and reassessing their fitness level during their entire course of working with you.
How to Become a Personal Trainer
There are many legitimate paths to becoming a personal trainer. You may enter a college program in exercise science, exercise physiology or kinesiology.
Or, you may choose to obtain a certification as a personal trainer through the NSCA, ACSM, or NASM.
Once you obtain certification, you should continue to read, learn and maybe even obtain some specialty certifications. This can help advance your knowledge and credibility.
Getting Started as a Personal Trainer
Your first couple years in the personal trainer industry may not be the glorious start you were promised. Many trainers fail to get established, make little money or fail to secure enough committed clients.
You will need to improve your sales skills, personal rapport and results you can deliver to clients to make an in for yourself in this industry. Otherwise, the cons of this career will far outweigh any potential pros.
If and when you get established, personal training can be a great career.
It can feel great to help others reach their goals and achieve a healthier lifestyle. You might even be able to help your clients reduce their medication, improve pain, live longer or have a better quality of life.
If you are good at what you do, you can often create good client relationships that might last a decade or longer.
Personal Trainer Salary at a Gym
Personal Trainer salaries can vary wildly. The average trainer working in a gym makes just around $31,000 per year.
That’s not great money. Still, this might be workable if you are part of a dual-income household, if you live in a low cost area, or you live a frugal lifestyle.
However, some trainers are able to make better salaries and earn much better money.
Trainers at luxury gyms such as Equinox make around $50-$60,000 per year with full benefits packages and generous budgets for continuing education. Top trainers at Equinox can earn $100-150,000 per year. However, these trainers also usually live in high cost areas where these kinds of salaries may not go as far.
Independent Personal Training Salary
Independent trainers can also make quite a bit more money than the average. Depending on your area, you may be able to charge $50-$100 per hour.
Remember, though, that independent trainers will have to pay for rent, equipment, insurance and continuing education. They will also have to find all their own clients. Salary for independent trainers is highly variable between $25-150,000 per year.
Honestly, some trainers might fall flat on their ass with self employment. They might not be good at getting their own clients, or managing their business.
Salary for Sub Contractor Trainers
Some trainers may also choose to take a hybrid approach between owning a business and working for a gym and instead may become an independent contractor at a gym. These trainers can often negotiate reduced overhead expenses, have no equipment costs, yet maintain a large degree of autonomy over the way that they coach clients. They also have the freedom to operate their business and charge what they want. They might even get tossed a few clients from the gym where they subcontract. Salary for those who subcontract usually falls between $30,000-100,000 per year.
Personal Trainer Career Status
Personal training is a medium status job. Some people respect the profession, whereas others do not.
A lot of people perceive personal training to be a cool career, but others might have a lower perception about this job.
Many people might think you really are not that smart if you enter this field due to stereotypes about people who lift weights or workout a lot.
Others might see this as an illegitimate career field.
Some other people may respect you and your career choice. I think the best way to earn the respect of others is to take your job as a personal trainer seriously and aim to become a great coach.
If this career sounds like it would suit your goals, I would advise you to go for it despite.
Personal Trainer Soft Skills
While understanding basic exercise science is a necessity for this job, you also need to develop excellent people skills.
You will need to build rapport with clients, you will need to make them feel comfortable, you will need to show some tough love and some compassion, and you will need to motivate them without coming off as a hero.
As a personal trainer, you will be working primarily with people. If you easily get overextended working with people all day or you find yourself needing to recharge after time with people, you may want to reconsider this career.
As an introvert myself, I need some personal time alone to recharge from all the time working with people. If you are also introverted, you may want to budget some alone time into your schedule.
If you are an extrovert, use your charming enthusiasm to attract and keep people close. But don’t forget to shut people up and get them working hard too.
Cons to a Career as a Personal Trainer
While personal training is a rewarding career, it does have a few downfalls.
For one, your income will probably be highly variable and it might be tough to budget.
Two, you will often have to work either early mornings or late evenings to coach people before and after work.
Three, it sucks when clients quit and it might actually hurt your feelings.
Four, it is tough to take long vacations with this job. You do not get pain when you are not taking clients.
Five, you might find the job monotonous or boring after a few years.
Six, it is tough to procure your own clients and you will constantly have to market or new clients, unless you develop long term clients.
And finally, it is tough to maintain your own fitness while working as a trainer. You will need to find the time for your own workouts and healthy lifestyle habits.
These are the primary cons to a career as a personal trainer. If you can deal with these negatives, then you will probably find long term success and fulfillment as a personal trainer.
Final Thoughts
Personal training is a rewarding and fulfilling career that involves helping people get into better shape. If you have a passion for fitness, like helping people and enjoy teaching and guiding others, this might be the career for you.
