Thinking about becoming a Personal Trainer - Personal Trainer Community - Forum

[Clemens1989]

Hi, I am 19 years old and I am strongly considering getting a certification in personal training and working for a gym and or a health club I have been weight training since I was 15 years old and I cannot picture my life without it. I just have a few questions and if anyone is able to answer them it will be a ton of help.

1. What is the average yearly salary? I know it depends on how many clients I get but what am I most likely looking at the first two or three years? Also are you paid directly from the client or does the gym pay you?

2. How does a gym assign clients to the trainer?

3. Since I will be getting a certification instead of a degree how hard will it be to get a job at a gym and or a health club as a trainer?

4. How long does it take to get the certification, I heard about 6 months is that correct?

5. What is the best way to keep track of your clients (interms of exercises they have completed and how they have progressed physically.)

6. How are the hours of course again it depends on how many clients but on average how much time will I spend with each client?

and thats about it unless you guys have any extra advice so if anyone can help me out here I will very much appreciate it.

[Christina]

Welcome, Clemens. I do not work in a gym so I will leave those questions to someone who does. Here's what I CAN answer...

3. Since I will be getting a certification instead of a degree how hard will it be to get a job at a gym and or a health club as a trainer?

May I ask though, why NOT college? It sounds like you're serious about this as a career and since you are 19 I would encourage you to think about school. Certifications in no way come close to the education you will receive in school. Plus, a college degree will open more doors for you. If you are already in college for a different major perhaps you could consider getting a minor in exercise science, nutrition, or some other health related field.

4. How long does it take to get the certification, I heard about 6 months is that correct?

Depending on how much you know and from which organization you get certified it takes approximately 3 months. But again, it depends on many factors. Some certifications take longer than others because of their level of difficulty. It also depends on how much knowledge you already have going into the certification. Certifications involve much more than just knowing exercises and proper lifting. Also, keep in mind that once you become certified you are not automatically an expert. Certifications demonstrate basic knowledge only. In order to become an exceptional trainer it will take years of learning and experience.

Good luck!

Christina

[muscletrainerdh-NSCA CPT]

Ok I can answer some of the questions left:

1. What is the average yearly salary? I know it depends on how many clients I get but what am I most likely looking at the first two or three years?
## You are correct, this all depends on how good you are at getting people to sign on for you to be their trainer. Gyms may require you to "Work the Floor" and you'll be getting $8 to $10 an hour for floor work (When you aren't training a client).

Also are you paid directly from the client or does the gym pay you?
## The Client pays the gym the fee, you get a percentage split of that fee from the gym. Here's the fee structure most commercial gyms are using:
http://www.fitnessthinktank.com/foru...yms-vt816.html

2. How does a gym assign clients to the trainer?
## Most of the time you will "SELL YOURSELF" to a member who you think would be a potential client. The other part of the time, the gym offers lower-priced "Jump start" PT sessions for new members (3 for Free, or a reduced rate) and they are assigned by which trainer doesn't have many clients and isn't that busy.

5. What is the best way to keep track of your clients (interms of exercises they have completed and how they have progressed physically.)
## Most certification programs have forms you can use. No one is better than the other, it depends which works best for you and your client. I've found out these past couple of years that MOST CLIENTS, don't want to be measured or photographed. They just want the number on the scale to be smaller. (Which SUCKS, because I love keeping stats of all kinds)

6. How are the hours of course again it depends on how many clients but on average how much time will I spend with each client?
## When you first start, the hours can be brutal. Remember most people work 9am to 5pm, so they want to train with you either early in the am (Sometimes as early as 5am!!) or after work late at night (Sometimes you'll be working until 11pm!!) So the schedule tends to be early morning, slow- easy afternoons, and late nights. As you flourish and grow, you can pretty much set your own schedule and let the clients know when you train clients and when you dont.

I second Christina's comment about getting a degree. It will make you more reputable as a trainer and open more doors.

I second visiting John's website as well. He delivers great info in a no-nonsense "tough love" sort of way.

Good luck!

Dave

[C Lenart]

Here's a few tips.

1. Always remember that clients and/or patients are not commodities. As a personal trainer, you are in the health care field. This means treating people with the same dignity and respect that you wish to be treated yourself.

2. Take the time to learn the ins and outs of your profession. This means spending the hours necessary to learn how the different muscles in the body function as well as how the body functions when it is undergoing training. A degree and certification is preferable to just a certification as a good degree program tests you on your ability to problem solve and "think through" potential client issues like existing injuries, pre-existing health conditions, and showcase your abilites in front of actual instructors who will grade and evaluate your abilities.

3. Mistakes are costly. This really refers back to point #2 under take the time to learn the ins and outs of your profession. Failure to do so can lead to unnecessary client injuries, lost clients, and could potentially even get you sued. Whether you plan to work in a gym, fitness facilty or health club, always keep a sharp eye on the client/clients that you are working with.

Whether it's your fault or not, always expect the unexpected and remember that people do the strangest things. For example, last month I was a doing a health care screening and one of the participants did a 30 mile bike hike the day before he started fasting to prepare for his blood pressure/cholesterol tests and proceeded to pass out on the floor due to dehydration just before I took his blood pressure.

[Liz]

I also agree with the others who say a degree is better than a certification. I only have a certification from NASM and a college degree in business. I loved exercise when I was 18 years old, but didn't even think of going into the personal training field as a career. Well, now that I'm 30 years old and finally figured out that helping others achieve a healthy lifestyle is what I am passionate about, I'm bummed that I didn't get my degree in exercise science sooner. I plan on doing that in the next few years, but I'll tell ya - It's much harder to go back to school when you are 30 years old with a husband, a mortgage and 2 kids to take care of. :P

I'd say go for it now while you can and BECAUSE you can!

Good Luck!