Getting Started in Personal Training - JP Fitness Forums

John Izzo · 08-16-2007, 08:59 PM

I haven't posted an article here in ages, so I dug one up that I wrote soon after I had to let a trainer go. It made me think of the intangible qualifications that managers need to look for and the questions people need to ask themselves before they step foot in this field. Hope you enjoy....

Are you sick and tired of your “normal” 9 to 5 job in a cubicle in front of the computer without any human contact? Is the company cafeteria worker or janitor your only means of social activity in the workplace? Is your boss the only one in the conference room that has the ability to make you feel good about your accomplishments? Well, if you answered “yes” to any of those questions AND you have a passion for fitness, you may be ready for another career endeavor. But wait…the personal training field is a little more intricate than designing intricate exercise programs and selling Mrs. Jones supplements she doesn’t need. It is about selling opening yourself up to strangers and developing a trust between you and client. So how do you go about starting a career as a personal trainer, if all your experience lies with computer programming, or sitting in that office chair, or tucked under the hood of a car? Here is some helpful advice…read on.

Let’s get your feet wet in the fitness field. If you already belong to a gym, GREAT! If not, and you are really sure you want to get into the business that you need to gain some ‘observational experience’. I call it observational experience because you need to become a “people watcher”. That is the first and foremost important aspect to achieve a sensory skill of reading people. You need to observe people in action. Go to your local mall or shopping plaza. Sit down on a park bench or be seated in your favorite restaurant. Take a few minutes and look around. Spend a good 10-15 minutes observing the following:
1.)Who is around you?
2.)Who is around the people that are around you?
3.)What is the ambiance in the setting?

4.)How is the lighting?
5.)What actions are people engaged in? (sitting, talking, walking, eating, lifting, etc)
6.)What is the stature or demeanor of people around you? (Laughing, straining, anger, frustration, happiness, intuitiveness, slouching, etc)

7.)What position are you in that you can react if the situation dramatically changes? (fire, emergency, choking, etc)
8.)Account for the position your partner is in. (Remember, in your company, a second or third person become an extension of you.) (Teaching Anchor #1)

9.)What do you hear? Listen closely to sounds made around you.

10.) Keep your eyes moving. Don’t stare…observe the environment collectively. (Make glances everywhere and piece them together in your head.)
Okay, I know what you are thinking: “What does this have to do with being a personal trainer?” My answer: “A LOT”. If you are going to be recognized as the “Information Booth of Fitness”, then you need to know every aspect of what you are talking about and anticipate concerns.

If you presently workout in a gym, in between sets take a look around and observe people on machines, cardio, free weight, and socializing. Notably, if they are talking constantly they must not take their fitness goals seriously. They workout to say: “I workout”. Watch the ones that grimace and groan.

There is a reason they are straining

and using a lot of weight. They “want” to be someone badly. Maybe the biggest or strongest guy in the gym, at work, or home? Watch the girl on the elliptical in her tight workout gear. She wants to be noticed for a reason. Watch the heavy-set girl who looks out of place…and probably feels it.

Once you are adequate in “observational skills”, now it’s time to get you involved in all these situations. Let’s look for employment. I know what you are thinking:

"I don’t have any experience training others.”

I’m not certified.”

"I don’t have a degree.”

“I don’t look fit.”

Doesn’t matter. You have to be in a position where you “service others”. (This is Teaching Anchor #2)

The end.

For those of you working in the field already...love to know your opinions on this.

gtanak · 08-17-2007, 07:52 AM

Hey John,
Great post! I was a member of my commercial gym before I became a trainer there and I used to observe the other trainers in action with their clients. Some trainers were very attentive, others looked like they were day-dreaming, not paying attention to their clients, talking to other members while training, etc. I had no experience training at that time, but I made mental notes to not be those trainers that looked like they didn't care. I guess my tip to new trainers would be to always be professional and give un-divided attention to your clients because once you put on that uniform, everyone is watching you (You're on stage, so to speak).

Gary Tanaka
NASM CPT, PES

John Izzo · 08-17-2007, 08:28 AM

Thanks Gary. I think there is amajor difference between trainers working inside a club versus trainers working in a private studio.

kuri · 08-17-2007, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Izzo

Thanks Gary. I think there is amajor difference between trainers working inside a club versus trainers working in a private studio.

Yeah, us club trainers are suckers!

I've seen pleny of trainers come in with no experience and become waaay better trainers than some with a Masters and "years" of experience.

Attitude is the difference.

gtanak · 08-17-2007, 01:42 PM

I agree, attitude can determine the longevity of a trainer. Do they come in all cocky and thinking they know it all? Or do they do like me and shut my mouth and learn from the more experienced trainers? The key is constant learning and never thinking you've "arrived" yet. I think it was Mike Boyle who said that he thinks of himself as the dumbest trainer out there, so he CAN keep learning and perfecting his craft (that's why he's one of the best around today imo). I try to follow that thought process to keep learning.

Heather · 08-17-2007, 02:09 PM

John--
Thanks for your post. As someone who is new to the personal training industry (trying to get out of a 13-year career as a public relations professional), I was so relieved to see that I met the "criteria" you mentioned in your article about belonging (and actually going!) to a gym and people watching. I find myself doing a lot of that in the gym, and now that I'm becoming more knowledgeable through my training education, I can look at people and know if what they're doing is right or wrong. I also agree with you about the people who are there to socialize vs. the people who are there to workout. I've seen so many people at the gym just "people hopping," and while they may spend 2 or 3 hours there, they actually spend about 15 minutes working out. So, thanks for your training insight!