With the explosion of fitness on social media, the health and fitness industry is one, if not
the fastest growing industries around right now!
We’re all making a conscious effort to take better care of ourselves and as a result there is a high demand for qualified personal trainers across the UK! Want in on this growing industry?
Here’s how to become a personal trainer.
Whether you just want to know what a day in the life of a personal trainer (PT) looks like, or the lure of a career amongst the banging and clanging of barbells is calling out to you, read on to find out what being a personal trainer is
really like!
Early bird
Life as a freelance personal trainer often begins at the crack of dawn, especially if you want to fit your own training in too! Many of your clients will want an early morning session to train before they head off to work, so you’ll be setting that alarm clock very early (yes, we’re talking 6AM starts)!
If you’re working in a gym however you’ll be training the clients booked in at various times throughout the day and holding classes. This usually means you’ll be busier in the evenings after your clients finish work (unless you’re opening the gym for the early birds of course)…coffee is about to become your new best friend!
Work smart, not hard
When you have your own clients, you’ll be using your spare time in between training sessions to write out training programs, meal plans and getting back to any messages they’ve sent you. You’ll also have to catch up on any enquiries you’ve received via your social media pages from potential new clients, and this all adds up to quite a bit of admin time!
Sometimes this means having to work a few long days, but if you plan ahead you’ll be able to do a little bit of admin each day, so the work load doesn’t feel too overwhelming and you’ll have some time to unwind and do the things you love in your down time.
The clients won’t always come running
When you’re newly qualified, clients aren’t going to immediately flock to you for your wealth of knowledge. You’ll need to market yourself to get your name out there and entice new clients in.
It’s a good idea to start your new career by working in a gym too so you can gain some extra working experience and meet potential new clients while you work there. Make sure you set up some social media
pages for your personal trainer business too so you can start sharing your tips and tricks and begin building your brand!
Looking for more marketing tips? Here’s
how to boost your personal trainer business
Connect
Being a personal trainer means you’re working in the service industry, where you’ll meet and work with a wide variety of different personality types from all walks of life. You’ll need to refine your social skills in order to build up a good rapport with your clients and be able to influence their lives, but keep in mind that it’s a professional relationship and not a 1-hour catch up with a friend. After all, they’re paying you for a professional service and they’ll expect the results you’ve promised.
Holiday time
We all love a little time away to rest, relax and unwind. However, as a personal trainer this means that your clients will be left unattended for a week. It’s a good idea to set them certain goals and achievements so they don’t skip out on their workouts (or worse, book another PT to train with while your away).
If you’re a freelance personal trainer, the added downside is that you’ll be forfeiting your earnings for that week off, so you’ll have to budget your expenses accordingly.
No-one expects you to work all year round, so as long as you plan it well in advance, your clients will want you to enjoy your time away and they’ll be looking forward to training with you again once you’re back.
Never stop learning
Fitness trends and new training techniques come and go, and as a result you’ll have a variety of different training methods to choose from and adapt to your clients and the results they are looking for. This means you’ll never really stop learning! You’ll always be looking up the latest celebrity and sports star training methods.
Plus, it’s a great idea to select certain areas to specialise in, like gym-based boxing, spinning, bootcamp and circuit training. This will make you stand out from the other PTs around you (and of course help to increase your earning potential!)
While we’re on the subject of money, find out
how much you can earn as a personal trainer
The rewards
Being part of the fitness industry is a hugely rewarding job and you’ll be a direct positive influence on the lives of your friends and clients. Whether they’ve come to you for weight loss, getting stronger, improving their posture, increasing their energy levels or simply to feel better about themselves, you’ll be the one helping them towards a happier and healthier life overall, and how many jobs can you say that about?
Ready to start your journey and become a qualified personal trainer?
Submit your details here for a call back