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How to Become a Personal Trainer
By?Aris Akavan, ACE CPT, BS MIS

I frequently meet people considering a career in personal training that I have decided to write this article to explain the many options available to trainers and what I have learned from personal experience. The easiest way to get started is to attend college for a fitness related degree, but passing a nationally recognized certification will also provide the needed creditability to get in the business. There are options from owning a business to working for a gym, from teaching at a gym to running your own bootcamps and I will explain the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Owning your Business vs. Working for a gym

I work as an independent contractor with Anytime Fitness and also own my business; therefore, I train gym member clients at the facility and personal clients at their home or at a park. Bigger gyms usually don?t allow personal clients and they dictate the work hours, which is why I prefer smaller gyms: they allow more independence. The advantage of working for a gym is that it?s easier to get clients, there are a variety of equipments and clients can be scheduled back to back, but profits are shared with the gym. The advantage of training at a client residence is that there will be no waiting for the equipment, the client won?t be late, and profits are not shared. But then there is travel time between each client, having to carry your own equipment (which reduces equipment variety) and possible lack of space. Moreover, with a business, clients pay in advance, while at a gym payment is after rendered services. Since both have advantages and disadvantages, I like to diversify with a combination of both. Owning a business provides autonomy but also plenty of administrative work: updating the website, marketing services, planning and promoting new bootcamps, registering clients, updating Facebook business page, and answering phone calls and emails. To further my presence nationally and internationally I also produce exercise videos for my YouTube page in both English and with Italian subtitles, and write fitness related articles.

Bootcamp vs. Gym Class

In a way bootcamp and a gym class are similar as both teach to a group but a class is a specific exercise type with transition from one exercise to the next while a bootcamp allows a mix of kickboxing, yoga, Pilates plus the use of agility ladders, exercise bands, jump ropes, benches, stairs, dumbbells, cones and of course body resistance. Besides having plenty of space for cardio, outdoor bootcamp allows the use of nature?s elements such as wind, heat, cold and uneven terrain to challenge even more. At a gym you show up and teach for a flat fee, no matter how many students in the class whereas bootcamp charges per student so the hourly profit can be higher. On the other hand, bootcamp requires planning dates/locations, marketing and registering each student. Some trainers specialize in bootcamp only, and instead of charging per class they charge per month with the option of unlimited access to the many classes offered throughout the week. No matter what the class format, provide options for the same exercise to accommodate beginners to advance.

Finding Clients

Finding clients requires good sales skill to show possible clients the value of personal training and sell an intangible product that isn?t cheap and requires work to achieve. Finding clients might be the hardest part for a trainer. Being good at sales is significant but to be hired it is also important to be seen. Spend time at the gym exercising, talking to members and proving tips on how to do an exercise differently. Other ways to find clients are providing orientations/assessments, attending health fairs, offering classes at the park and giving speeches, all of which are usually done for free. Specializing in a specific segment such as elderly, kids or athletes will simplify where to market your services. It is also important to look and dress the part because your physique is your business card, both at the gym and outside. Furthermore, I participate in 5k, triathlons and adventure runs to motivate, to be able to prepare clients for a race and of course to network and find new clients.

Traits to be a personal trainer

The number one trait is patience; patience if classes aren?t as big as you hoped for, patience if it takes the client a while to get onboard with eating healthy and exercising on their own, patience with constant schedule changes and patience if you talk to 15 people and none buy training. For my first two bootcamps I had 2- 4 people with none on some days. But I still held the class and if nobody showed up, I exercised the whole hour and handed out flyers to passerby. I gradually got more students and now I teach classes averaging 20 students. Perseverance paid off. The second trait is determination to keep trying till you find a solution, whether the issue is finding more clients, trying to fit in all the clients who wants the same time slots, or figuring out the best marketing technique. The third trait is creativity, in case there aren?t enough dumbbells for everyone, the exercise equipment you want is taken or someone has an injury and needs a different exercise. Few other skills you need are good communication skills, thirst for knowledge (there is always more to learn), prioritization (to manage the load) and organizational skills.

What I have learned through experience

I have been training for four years and with experience I have learned that I can push people even when they don?t? believe they are ready, I have learned how to progress a heavy person that can?t stand for too long before pain sets in, I have learned to better explain, and I have learned to try new things. I am now training nationally and internationally using email, text and Skype, and also long distance by meeting a client once a month and supporting them with technology. The ACE Health Coach certification also taught me that psychology plays a big part in successful training; there is a reason a client eats too much (boredom, not knowing any better, stress) or gives up easily on exercise. A trainer has to understand why the client acts a certain way, how to get past that block, and guide them till they get it. Personal training is 1/3 training, 1/3 understanding the behavior and changing it and 1/3 motivating.

Would I Suggest You Become a Trainer?

Just because your exercise daily and your friends want to train with you, it doesn?t mean it is the right choice for you, but is a good start. Write down five advantages and five disadvantages of being a personal trainer and see which disadvantages you don?t mind and which ones are deal breakers. Do you have the drive to find clients and the patience to work with clients who can?t get up from the floor? Do you mind working almost every evening and can you have your first class at 6 AM and the last client at 7 PM? If you like these challenges and want to help others achieve their fitness goals and feel good about themselves, begin studying for the certification, start networking and find a good mentor to help you along the way. Personal Training and owning your own business can be rewarding, but just like any other job it will require work.

About the Author

Aris Akavan, ACE certified Personal Trainer & Lifestyle and Weight Management Coach, is owner of Body Fitness by Aris. Her mission is to assist others in leading a healthier lifestyle by balancing exercise and proper eating habits to achieve the ultimate body & mind wellness. Aris leads by example as she practices what she preaches. She leads an alcohol free and smoke free lifestyle and has worked out while following proper nutrition practices for over 10 years. In the last few years she also started participating in 5k races, adventure runs and triathlons. You can visit Aris at any of her following:

http://www.bodyfitnessbyaris.com
http://www.facebook.com/bodyfitnessbyaris
http://www.youtube.com/user/bodyfitnessbyaris