Personal Trainers----Help me out please.

[roidog420]

I have been thinking of a career change & have a few questions concerning Personal Trainer for those who know:

1. Do you need to be certified & if so where is the best place to get certified? There is a site online called NCSF that is supposedly a natioally recognized certification course. Is that somewhere that I should be looking at? The course is $350 if you attend the workshop.

2. Is there ANY money in Personal Training for someone who doesn't have a clientelle yet?

3. What areas of the country(obviously the LA area)would a CPT be in the most demand?

Thanks for any help

4.

 

[havoc]

Answers

1. Do you need to be certified? Well hell yes.
NCSF is fine, ISSA is fine, however, check the spot or gym where you want to train at, sometimes they have certain specifications in regards to where your training certificate is from and will accept only certain ones.

2. Is there any money? Well hell yes, no personal trainer in the world started off just having huge clientele, you will have to make a name for yourself.

3. What areas of the Country? LA, you mentioned, would be by far the worse place to go to, the market is flooded over there, there is no "one" spot that is better than the other, I know PT's that make 60,000 a year training people in a city that has no more than 20,000 people in it, if the people like what they see and the results they will keep coming back. peace

 

[manny78]

I'm not sure about the certification but I heard it was pretty easy to get. Any dumbass could. Of course having a degree with anything related with training, sports... will help. But I know people without any degree or even a certification that were making the big money. Working in gym is a good start, then you'll know people which will eventually trust you....

 

[roidog420]

Answers

1. Do you need to be certified? Well hell yes.
NCSF is fine, ISSA is fine, however, check the spot or gym where you want to train at, sometimes they have certain specifications in regards to where your training certificate is from and will accept only certain ones.

2. Is there any money? Well hell yes, no personal trainer in the world started off just having huge clientele, you will have to make a name for yourself.

3. What areas of the Country? LA, you mentioned, would be by far the worse place to go to, the market is flooded over there, there is no "one" spot that is better than the other, I know PT's that make 60,000 a year training people in a city that has no more than 20,000 people in it, if the people like what they see and the results they will keep coming back. peace

Ok, so how do you go from being paid $7/hr by the gym to making $60000/year? It almost seems like you would have to build up a clientelle & then quit your job at the gym since if you work for the gym & use their facility to train, then they get the money. I dont have a friggin clue(obviously right) to how the process works.

 

[gymnpoppa]

First thing with certifications, forget the easy ones.....if you are interested in working with athletes, sports teams, NSCA is one of the best, very hard to pass the test, but worth it. So is NFPT If you're interested in finding employment in gyms, I'd suggest staying away from big chains (24HR)........I worked small gyms, or upscale neighborhood salons, country clubs for clients. Don't be caught up in the money thing....the best way to build clientele is with results. Fast results....don't milk your clients and produce mediocre results....Results=longterm money, reputation, elite client base. At one time 50% of my clients came from milkmen trainers.

You have to hustle it, RD420, it's a selfstarting, kind of business if you want to make money. If you're fortunate, you can hit the ground running....( have clients come to you ) but with so many mediocre personal trainers out there, you have to really sell yourself. The best way to sell yourself is with RESULTS. It is some work. Also you have a face to face relationship with people, so the more professional approach you have, the better clients you get.

 

[dballer]

First thing with cetifications, forget the easy ones.....if you are interested in working with athletes, sports teams, NSCA is one of the best, very hard to pass the test, but worth it. So is NFPT If you're interested in finding employment in gyms, I'd suggest staying away from big chains (24HR)........I worked small gyms, or upscale neighborhood salons, country clubs for clients. Don't be caught up in the money thing....the best way to build clientele is with results. Fast results....don't milk your clients and produce mediocre results....Results=longterm money, reputation, elite client base. At one time 50% of my clients came from milkmen trainers.

He is right. Another thing you need to keep up with is current supplements. You are going to be dealing with alot of people who want the easy way out. So you are also going to have to be up on EVERYTHING on the market.

Also... if you are not in killer shape... forget it. No matter how much you know.. you are not going to be topdog with a beer gut or pencil arms.

Good Luck.

 

[roidog420]

First thing with cetifications, forget the easy ones.....if you are interested in working with athletes, sports teams, NSCA is one of the best, very hard to pass the test, but worth it. So is NFPT If you're interested in finding employment in gyms, I'd suggest staying away from big chains (24HR)........I worked small gyms, or upscale neighborhood salons, country clubs for clients. Don't be caught up in the money thing....the best way to build clientele is with results. Fast results....don't milk your clients and produce mediocre results....Results=longterm money, reputation, elite client base. At one time 50% of my clients came from milkmen trainers.

When you say you worked those places for clients, what exactly would you do? And would you just go to the gym that they work out at & train them? If so, why would they choose you over a personal trainer that most clubs provide for free? Is it based on appearence? Meaning if you look like you know your shit, they will more than likely choose you over some gym-appointed goof?

 

[gymnpoppa]

He is right. Another thing you need to keep up with is current supplements. You are going to be dealing with alot of people who want the easy way out. So you are also going to have to be up on EVERYTHING on the market.

Also... if you are not in killer shape... forget it. No matter how much you know.. you are not going to be topdog with a beer gut or pencil arms.

Good Luck.

Thanks dballer, I was wanting to add those comments as well.
I also demand/monitor my clients diets, daily, and make them track it. I am amazed and grateful at the lack of attention most trainers exhibit toward diet.

 

[gymnpoppa]

When you say you worked those places for clients, what exactly would you do? And would you just go to the gym that they work out at & train them? If so, why would they choose you over a personal trainer that most clubs provide for free? Is it based on appearence? Meaning if you look like you know your shit, they will more than likely choose you over some gym-appointed goof?

For the first question, If I were starting off in a new place, I'd go to a hair salon, or spa, offer to train say, the owner or a highly visible, popular employee for a reduced price for a short time, (3 months), producing noticeable results.....boom you're in.....word of mouth, and vision advertising.....of course you'd have to scout the gyms in the area to see about working there...first......but that's a way to get started.....PM me for other tips. NO club offers free personal training, unless you're paying for it thru the membership, which means it really isn't free. appearance is very important....but the most important advertising is your work....RESULTS!

 

[gymnpoppa]

Appearance will get you in the door sometimes, but if you don't know what you're talking about, you'll lose every intelligent client you have to a organized, experienced trainer. And your rep will grow......the wrong way.....