Pol - Personal Trainer

What were your motivations for getting into Personal Training?

In short: I wanted a change in career. I had spent the last 5 years of my life working for startups and corporate agencies, spending more than 8 hours a day seated and in front of a computer – I needed to change that.

I was also very interested in nutrition and wanted to keep fit but, unfortunately, I rarely had the time to take it more seriously. When the opportunity arose to study with The Training Room, it was a no brainer for me to fix both my issues at once.
 

Why did you choose The Training Room?

I was working as an account manager for a creative agency when I decided to begin looking. I discovered The Training Room whilst searching for opportunities online and I considered taking their Personal Training for a little while, and then went for it!
 

Were you able to fit your course around other commitments/your lifestyle?

I was only taking 2 mandatory class days a week, which made it manageable alongside my part-time job and completing a scuba diving course. There is a lot of coursework, but I managed my time well enough to complete work whenever my schedule allowed.
 

What was your experience of the course?

My experience was very positive; the tutor and career support were all very helpful in me obtaining a job before I even officially completed the course!

I also really liked that our group was quite diverse and had people of all ages and races, each of us interested and focused on one common goal. It helped us to get along and learn better together with the guidance of our tutor.
 

What was the biggest challenge you have encountered on your course?

The biggest challenge was all the theory work and new vocabulary that I had to learn. There were lots of new terms for me to remember in a relatively short amount of time, so that proved a little difficult.

It took a ton of flashcards and a few missed tube stations to get to a point where I felt I was capable to take the exam!
 

What was the most memorable aspect of your course?

For me, it was discovering that for the same exercise, depending on the resistance and rest times you assign, they would do different things to the body.

This and many other things I learned in the nutrition part really opened my eyes.
 

Tell me about your career since graduating from The Training Room - what have you done and what does your future look like?

I worked with the Career Support team who helped me with feedback on my CV and put me in touch with a few interested employers. I’ve been offered a role and begin work with YourPT in a couple of weeks! The adventure is just beginning, and the future certainly looks bright.
 

Have you completed any other training since graduating with us?

I am working on my PADI Divemaster certification, but I haven’t completed it yet. I am thinking about taking the Level 4 Nutrition course but would first like to have a little rest and prepare for the start of my PT career.
 

Having completed the course, what advice would you give people who are considering it themselves?

Be prepared – it’s a lot of work but it’s also very doable. The tutor provides a suggested study schedule and if you follow that as much as you can, you will be fine.

There are great tutors and great career support; it’s intense but once it’s completed, there is a real sense of accomplishment.
 

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

I’d just like to once again say thanks. I was really stuck in my old career and wasn’t enjoying what I was doing anymore. I wanted more freedom over my working hours and ideally wanted the possibility of working outdoors.

Personal Training provides me the platform to do just that and it didn’t even hit me until I saw an ad for it while looking for jobs. I am very happy that I did what I did and am grateful for all those who have supported me along the way.