The fitness industry has experienced year on year growth over the past decade. With all of the media attention and advertising, people now realise the great benefits that exercise has on their mind and body. However, often what is still lacking is the motivation to train and the knowledge of knowing what they really should be doing. This is why so many people are seeking the services of a personal trainer.
As a personal trainer, you are there to guide clients through their exercise regime, motivate, encourage and support them, keep track of their eating habits and general lifestyle, help them to move correctly, strengthen their bodies and keep them free of injuries!
Carlos D’Souza, Creative Director of 30 minute North London personal training studio, The CARLOS Method, shares his top tips for being a successful trainer in the fitness industry.
Get certified from a reputable body
Really take your time to research into the myriad fitness courses out there. Whilst all of the personal training courses will be set to a national vocational at level 3, some will be better than others. Premier Training, YMCA, Lifetime Fitness are all UK based, whilst you also have some very good courses and qualifications from the NASM and ACSM in the US. Check with the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPS), which is the UK governing body for fitness standards, to see what other Personal Trainer courses are recognised and accepted by them.
A degree in Sports Science/Sports Therapy can really help you to excel
Having a degree in a sports science related field can really give you a depth of knowledge and understanding of the body that is only possible with the intensive study of a three- or four-year degree. You get to cover so many aspects and elements in detail and provided you can marry this with some good, quality work experience in your local gym or health club then you can really stand out from the crowd. However, remember that potential clients do not want to be wowed with your fancy terminology or knowledge as you may know it – you need to speak in their terms, in a way that they will understand and benefit from.
Keep your insurance up to date and make sure you work within your remit
This is a big one. You must get insured and you must be aware of the limitations of your professional practice. Remember, if you injure a client doing something that you shouldn’t have been doing, then you open yourself up to being potentially sued by that person.
Build your network
Your early work experience as a fitness professional can lay an excellent foundation from which to build upon. Surround yourself with other trainers who really know their stuff – train with them and learn from them.
Put yourself in the client’s shoes
You will learn best by doing, so try new stuff out in the gym and experiment with your own fitness routine, before prescribing it to others. You need to fully appreciate what something feels like within your own body, before prescribing it to a client. Then you can appreciate the difficulties of a certain exercise or movement, the common faulty movements and you can also develop some really excellent coaching tips to help your clients.
Keep learning to improve your skills and knowledge base
Never stop learning and improving your skills and applied knowledge, otherwise you will fall behind the other really good personal trainers who are always keeping their sessions fresh and innovative. You do not need to keep spending money on lots of new fitness courses once you have your main ones. Instead, look online for training videos and always keep up to date with the latest industry trends, sports science information and scientific journals.
Be personable and be very professional
As a personal trainer, you are there to guide clients through their exercise regime, motivate, encourage and support them, keep track of their eating habits and general lifestyle, help them to move correctly, strengthen their bodies and keep them free of injuries! Having a very high level of emotional intelligence is a must within this industry. Most clients do not actually like exercise and so you need to make it fun for them. Take the time to really understand and get to know your clients – what motivates and drives them, what makes them laugh, what exactly they are wanting from their session and what their needs are. This will make you a great trainer and set you apart from the competition.
Know your numbers
Many personal trainers excitedly join a large chain health club like LA Fitness, Fitness First, Virgin Active or David Lloyd in the hope of amassing a big client base and earning a lot of money. This can sometimes be possible, depending on a number of factors ranging from how many other trainers work there and how many members there are to the location of the club and the rates the trainers can charge. A lot of personal trainers choose to go self-employed, so that they are in full control of their working week, their finances and earning potential. This is certainly the better option if you want to earn more money – just ensure that you are organised and efficient within your business operations. Take time each week to analyse the numbers, plan your schedule, set firm targets and look at cash flow.
Have passion for what you do
As a personal trainer you must be prepared for very early morning starts, late night shifts, weekend work and the likely unpredictability of a regular monthly wage so it is important that you really love what you are doing in order to excel in your career. It is very rewarding to see the impact on the people who train with you, having built very strong relationships with these clients. Be driven by a real passion to genuinely help people and you will flourish.
Always give your best session
Whether they are a new client or existing one, always remain totally focused during your one-to-one personal training sessions with clients. Never get too comfortable with your clients and drop your session intensity. Remember they are coming to see you to get fit and strong. You must give them your full, undivided attention, great value for money and excellent customer service that rivals that of John Lewis!