Another Introduction - Personal Trainer Community - Forum

[cdempsey]

Hi All,

Just found this forum a few days ago and I've been reading lots of great information. I wanted to introduce myself.

My name is Christine and I'm almost done with my W.I.T.S. Personal Trainer certification. I started in October with their 6 week course through my local community college and I'm 17 hours into the 20 hour internship required to complete the certification. That's a whole other topic of discussion!

I'm 36 and I have been studying bellydance for the past 15 years and teaching it for 5. I share a small studio with a local yoga school and I teach bellydance 2 nights a week. I also run a sewing business during the day.

I decided to become a Personal Trainer because I am very into dance conditioning. I have enjoyed lifting weights for a few years now and I see how resistance training can help improve dance technique. I'm also sick to death of my sewing business and need to do something different.

My goal is to train people in their homes, or in mine (I have enough equipment in my house to do basic weight training, no fancy equipment - some dumbells, resistance tubes and a flat/incline bench). I feel like I should work in a gym to get some experience training people and build up a clientele before I strike out on my own, however, I'm finding (now, after I've spent the time and money) that many local gyms don't recognize my certification. Wish I'd have researched certs. before I paid the money and time. But I do feel that what I've learned in my certification program is very valuable. It's more than I knew before, and I know enough to know that I want to continue my education, and get another, more recognized, certification sometime down the road when I have the time/money. I'm deciding between NASM and ISSA. ISSA really appeals to me, I really like the services they offer and the continuing ed topics, plus one of the trainers I've interned with has ISSA and highly recommends it. NASM is in my mind, though, only because it's one of the most highly recognized certs available.

Anyway, does anyone have any advice as to how to get a job in a gym, or WHY I should NOT get a job in a gym and just start out on my own? How do you in-home trainers get clients? I started my bellydance classes through the local adult ed and built up my student base that way. Now I market my classes through e-mail and putting up fliers locally. Is that something you would do as a Personal Trainer?

What equipment do you carry with you to client's houses? Do you really bring weights to every client's home? Do you charge more if you bring your own equip.? Do you discount if they have their own?

I know this is long and rambly. I've been reading a ton of material over the past several months about being a PT and the more I read the more questions I have.

I really appreciate finding this forum. There are so many incredibly knowlegable people here and I look forward to participating more on these forums!

Best,
Christine

[Christina]

Hi Christine! I only have a second but wanted to welcome you. I will try to answer your questions either later tonight or tomorrow. Hopefully someone else will chime in in the meantime.

Glad you found the forum. We've got some nice folks on here who will help you out.

Christina