How to Become a Personal Trainer…
At first glance, becoming a personal trainer seems a fairly easy career to follow. After all, you work out yourself, eat a healthy diet and look pretty fit – thank you very much. So, does this mean that you can cut it in the highly competitive world of personal training?
Well, in a word – no! Sure, you might be able to muddle your way through and earn a few dollars here and there, but with people becoming far more savvy about exercise and nutrition, you’re going to need a whole lot more than just that.
Get Qualified
First and foremost, you need to gain a qualification. A quick scour around the internet will reveal a multitude of personal training (PT) courses. But be aware that these are definitely not all made equal. You’ll also find that without a recognized qualification that you’ll find it impossible to get on your countries personal training register – and without being on that, you can forget about being taken seriously or building up a database of clients.
Bear in mind that customers expect their PT to be knowledgeable about all aspects of fitness – and this means resistance work, cardio-vascular, nutrition, and the latest scientific theories and knowledge regarding all aspects of training.
Many PTs end up specializing in the role that they know best, simply for this reason. And whilst it’s not a necessity, you might find that you can develop a reputation faster in your particular niche as opposed to trying to be a jack of all trades. After all, Mrs. Smith who wants to lose a few pounds after having given birth is going to have rather different needs from the guy who’s spending six weeks preparing for his next body building competition.
Become a Business Professional
Make no mistake, making a living as a PT is all about being professional, marketing yourself in the correct manner and providing the service your clients expect to receive. Working for yourself, which is what you’ll be doing, is rewarding but hard work. And remember, your reputation is everything, and a good one needs to be worked at and nurtured to be truly successful.
Don’t forget insurance – a necessity for every personal trainer, especially in this day and age. Overlooked by many until it’s too late, it might cost a bit, but the peace of mind it gives you is worth every penny.
Tools of the Trade
Okay, you might be lucky enough to work in a gym with most of your clients, but it’s likely that you’ll be making house calls and having to use your imagination when it comes to resistance work. At the very least you’ll need to purchase various dumbbells and weights, resistance bands, kettle bells, exercise mats, heart rate monitors, body fat measuring tools, scales, tape measure and some professional business cards.
Don’t overlook your clothing, as your clients will judge you on this as well, so ensure that your clothes show the image you wish to portray.
Becoming a personal trainer is a hard but ultimately rewarding career. The very best personal trainers put the time and effort into gaining the necessary qualifications. They also continue their own training on a regular basis, meaning that the service they offer to clients is always the most up to date and relevant possible.
