A Newbie with Questions

[AmberCO]

Hi everyone,

Wow! I'm so glad I found this forum. I have learned so much by just lurking and reading posts.

I do have some questions but first, a little background on me (this could be long, so be prepared!). I am a 40 year old female who, until 2 years ago, was never consistently active. I have joined and quit various gyms about 100 times. I was never even on a sports team in school. I have also gained and lost countless pounds through the years, usually without doing any type of exercise (or very little). If you had told me 2 1/2 years ago that I would be thinking today about becoming a personal trainer, I would have told you that you had lost your mind.

About two years ago, in order to try to lose weight for a friend's wedding, I purchased some exercise DVDs that promised "results after 10 workouts." Yeah, right. But after the 10th workout, I took my measurements and I had actually lost inches. Well, this was enough to keep me going and now two years (and many more, progressively harder DVDs) later, I am in the best shape of my life. I absolutely LOVE lifting weights and challenging myself and I am utterly amazed at the changes my body has undergone...changes that I never would have dreamed possible. People think I weigh far less than I do because I'm so much more "compact" now than I ever was. But the biggest, and most surprising change was one that I never expected...the change in my confidence level and outlook on life.

I realize that I had never been successful in a gym because I never saw real results. I really didn't know how to operate the equipment and I was too intimidated to ask for help. I know that there are countless others out there like me and there is nothing in the world that I would love more than to help other people achieve their goals and learn to believe in themselves like I have.

So here are my questions (I have many more but I won't inundate you with them all right now).

1. I am thinking of attending NPTI (National Personal Training School). When I first started researching becoming a personal trainer, I was stunned to find that you could just study for an exam, get a certificate and start training people with no hands-on experience. I know that I would not feel comfortable doing that and would feel like I was shortchanging my first clients. Frankly, I want to learn everything I can so that my clients get the most benefit from working with me. NPTI, although a long, not inexpensive program, offers both book and hands-on learning. Anyone have any experience with them? (both good and bad)

2. After reading about big box gyms, I am utterly depressed at the thought of having to work for one when I first start out. Not because of the pay (I have been working for a non-profit for five years and only make $25k!) but because it seems they put making money over what is in a client's best interest. Is there any happy medium between a big box gym and starting your own business? Or do I just need to grin and bear it for a couple of years? (JP, you don't have any gyms in Colorado, do you? )

3. What are the typical hours I can expect when I start out? This is the thing that concerns me the most. At this point in my life, it's important for me to have time to spend with my husband, who has a "regular" 9-5, Monday - Friday job. I know that there will be some sacrifices, which I'm willing to make. But before I get into this, I want to know what to expect.

That's all for now. If you actually read the entire thing, thank you! And thanks in advance for any words of wisdom you may have.

[DKing]

Originally Posted by AmberCO

Hi everyone,

Wow! I'm so glad I found this forum. I have learned so much by just lurking and reading posts.

I do have some questions but first, a little background on me (this could be long, so be prepared!). I am a 40 year old female who, until 2 years ago, was never consistently active. I have joined and quit various gyms about 100 times. I was never even on a sports team in school. I have also gained and lost countless pounds through the years, usually without doing any type of exercise (or very little). If you had told me 2 1/2 years ago that I would be thinking today about becoming a personal trainer, I would have told you that you had lost your mind.

About two years ago, in order to try to lose weight for a friend's wedding, I purchased some exercise DVDs that promised "results after 10 workouts." Yeah, right. But after the 10th workout, I took my measurements and I had actually lost inches. Well, this was enough to keep me going and now two years (and many more, progressively harder DVDs) later, I am in the best shape of my life. I absolutely LOVE lifting weights and challenging myself and I am utterly amazed at the changes my body has undergone...changes that I never would have dreamed possible. People think I weigh far less than I do because I'm so much more "compact" now than I ever was. But the biggest, and most surprising change was one that I never expected...the change in my confidence level and outlook on life.

I realize that I had never been successful in a gym because I never saw real results. I really didn't know how to operate the equipment and I was too intimidated to ask for help. I know that there are countless others out there like me and there is nothing in the world that I would love more than to help other people achieve their goals and learn to believe in themselves like I have.

So here are my questions (I have many more but I won't inundate you with them all right now).

1. I am thinking of attending NPTI (National Personal Training School). When I first started researching becoming a personal trainer, I was stunned to find that you could just study for an exam, get a certificate and start training people with no hands-on experience. I know that I would not feel comfortable doing that and would feel like I was shortchanging my first clients. Frankly, I want to learn everything I can so that my clients get the most benefit from working with me. NPTI, although a long, not inexpensive program, offers both book and hands-on learning. Anyone have any experience with them? (both good and bad)

2. After reading about big box gyms, I am utterly depressed at the thought of having to work for one when I first start out. Not because of the pay (I have been working for a non-profit for five years and only make $25k!) but because it seems they put making money over what is in a client's best interest. Is there any happy medium between a big box gym and starting your own business? Or do I just need to grin and bear it for a couple of years? (JP, you don't have any gyms in Colorado, do you? )

3. What are the typical hours I can expect when I start out? This is the thing that concerns me the most. At this point in my life, it's important for me to have time to spend with my husband, who has a "regular" 9-5, Monday - Friday job. I know that there will be some sacrifices, which I'm willing to make. But before I get into this, I want to know what to expect.

That's all for now. If you actually read the entire thing, thank you! And thanks in advance for any words of wisdom you may have.

Hi Amber! Welcome to JP Fitness. Congrats on all the progress!

1. I have very little experience with NPTI, we just got one here in Minnesota so I might run into more trainers in the future who came out of there. I will say that some hands on training is huge, so that is always a positive. I would look at the course outline and see what is all covered. Make sure they cover the business side of fitness like gaining and retaining clients. Also make sure that they focus at some point on program design and periodization.

2. Big Box clubs aren't all terrible, although it really can be pretty dependant on the club and chain. I have heard very negative things about Bally's and very few positives. I have had good experiences at Golds, Lifetime and the YMCA and know a few others who would say the same. A large part of it will come down to you. Even if the gym focuses on money and numbers, just turn that around and think of it in terms of people you can help. But, don't get sucked into a gym that you hate. Interview at as many gyms in your area as possible and a good option is to talk to a lot of the current trainers and ask how they like it etc...
Personally I would recommend starting in a big box before starting your own business part for the experience because it will be much easier to gain clients if the gym is helping feed them to you, plus most gyms will help train you on how to sell and train people, plus you want to make sure this is something you really want to do before investing a ton of time.

3. Hours can really depend on your ability to gain clients, how much money you want to make and I think most importantly, location.
If you are good at finding and signing up clients you can make a living working any hours in the world, there are always people in the gym, but the more people there the easier it will be to find someone in your target market. Money is also a huge factor. You will probably make the most if you focus on the times of day when the gym is most busy, but like a said, it can be done at any hour.
The biggest part is location. Try to find a gym with a large population of wealthy house wives, retirees, and sucessful business people. This is a good idea no matter what, but these people can workout anytime and are a great market.

Good luck with whatever you decide and I hope more people weigh in with some more advice.

Danny

[AmberCO]

Thanks Danny! Your responses were very helpful. Looking forward to hearing from others too. Below is the curriculum for NPTI. There are 500 total hours. Let me know if you see anything questionable or that they may have left out.

Anatomy & Physiology
Biomechanics
Cad Risk Stratification
Fitness Testing
Special Populations
Circuit Training
Beginner Workout
Advanced Workout
Physio Ball/Med Ball Training
Band & Pulley Training
Manual Training
Mock Training
Program Design
Stretching Techniques
Spotting Techniques
Client Assessment
Client Interviewing
Metabolic Calculations
Aerobic Training
Insurance & Legal Guidelines
Nutrition
CPR
Business of Personal Training