Calling All Personal Trainers

[Silent Method]

I know some of you here are personal trainers. I need a fair source of income with flexible hours and I'd like to become a personal trainer.

I want to do it right. I'm not some spandex wearing imbecile who thinks he knows everything about training, but I do know enough to have a good deal to offer to entry level athletes and average people looking to "get into shape."

I'm asking for advice from those of you who are doing it. Keep in mind I'm a poor college student and don't have a great deal of money for startup. Whats the best certification to get? Do I NEED a certification? (I know some certs require CPR certification which I have.)

Can you offer some advise from the bussiness aspect? How do I start? Thanks for your help.

 

[JohnnyB#12]

bump

 

[G ChildlihC G]

Depending on where you go different gyms will accept differnet certs. At 24hr fitness you don't even have to have a cert, they will still hire you, send you to their little 2 weeks cert class and that's it. If you get the cert down the line you get a better percentage from them for each cliet, but I don't like 24hr fitness so I under cut them and take the clients for myself and get all the money.

 

[billyclinton]

I'm not a trainer but i just purchased the issa material. wanted some input on it. Is the ACE better if not what is? thanks for your time in advance!

 

[liftsiron]

Silent Method, I know that you have a good head on your shoulders from reading past posts. I've been a P.T. for a little over eight years now, so is my wife we make a good living at it. Until recently it was our sole source of income. You do not need to be certified but I would recommend it, as a selling tool. In this aspect one certification is as good as another, if you need to rely on the P.T. certification courses to teach you to how to train, forget it. You should also have a good working knowledge of nurtrition and physiology of exercise. I started out by working out a deal with the owner of the gym where I wanted to train. I do not jump from gym to gym or do in home training, for me its a waste of time. I sought out clients from proffesional circles who were interested in long term training, severel times a week. That way you do not have to hustle appointments or ever wonder where your next paycheck is comming from. I work with the same people week after week, year after year. This way I always know when I work and can set my own hours anyway that I want. What I did for years was work six sessions in the a.m. 6a.m. to noon. Take a few hours break then work several sessions after 4p.m. , this worked well with the various schedules of the individuals that I train. I hope this answers some of your questions, also it pays to look fit with some muscle.

 

[Mike P.T.]

www.fitnesseducation.com

pm or email me for further info.

 

[The Almighty]

I was in the same boat as you. I got my ACE two years ago...all I could afford at the time...simply so I could, like you said, make a side-job of training people, mostly at my school.

 

[onemind]

I got my cert from NFPT you can find there web site at nfpt.com they very nice and well established and the price is right the only thing is the cert tests are very hard and in my opinion you do need a cert I don't know to many people who would want a trainer without one and I know as soon as I got mine I had a lot of people asking me for help good luck

 

[soflaguy]

Onemind, just curious how good the other certification traning manuals are? I checked the NFPT Study Manual and thought it was pretty good. I think I will add it to my personal library.

http://www.nfpt.com/Manual/manual.pdf

I don't have any intention in becoming a PT, but do like to do self-education.

 

[Quadsweep]

Silent Method, I know that you have a good head on your shoulders from reading past posts. I've been a P.T. for a little over eight years now, so is my wife we make a good living at it. Until recently it was our sole source of income. You do not need to be certified but I would recommend it, as a selling tool. In this aspect one certification is as good as another, if you need to rely on the P.T. certification courses to teach you to how to train, forget it. You should also have a good working knowledge of nurtrition and physiology of exercise. I started out by working out a deal with the owner of the gym where I wanted to train. I do not jump from gym to gym or do in home training, for me its a waste of time. I sought out clients from proffesional circles who were interested in long term training, severel times a week. That way you do not have to hustle appointments or ever wonder where your next paycheck is comming from. I work with the same people week after week, year after year. This way I always know when I work and can set my own hours anyway that I want. What I did for years was work six sessions in the a.m. 6a.m. to noon. Take a few hours break then work several sessions after 4p.m. , this worked well with the various schedules of the individuals that I train. I hope this answers some of your questions, also it pays to look fit with some muscle.

Sounds like me exactly except I have a few years of phychotherapy...I mean personal training on you. I would get a cert if Iwere you Silentmethod. It does not matter so much which one. You will need it to get insurance. I am ACE certified but when it expires I am going to get this cheap ass NESTA cert just to keep my insurance up. I learned nothing from ACE so Iwill not do it again. (I did it 5 times now!) Also Do not sell yourself short on price. It is harder to raise your rates than it is to start high. Ask trainers in your area what they charge and go from that.

Peace, Quad