***Questions For The Personal Trainers On This Board***

[Dallas Bueller]

I have been considering becoming a personal trainer. I was curious as to anyone's experiences in this field.

What certifications do you have?

What study advice can you give?

Do you work for a gym or have your own PT business?

How do you typically find new clients?

What is a typical day or week on the job like?

[gene cisco]

I have been considering becoming a personal trainer. I was curious as to anyone's experiences in this field.

What certifications do you have?

What study advice can you give?

Do you work for a gym or have your own PT business?

How do you typically find new clients?

What is a typical day or week on the job like?

I am gonna go the ACE cert way, prior I have had no certs, just CPR.

I tried the gym thing early on and was getting hosed. Basically they would pay 5$ while the client paid like 50$, then if you got them to comeback you got 10$, but that means you sold 3 workouts for like 150$I kept the shirt that said personal trainer and bounced. :lol: :lol: Picture that, I just made 150$ and get 10$ for each workout. :lol: :lol: Naw, we need to cut this another way.

My initial clients found me, I joined various gyms and would always have people come up to me and comment on my build and ask advice, even on the street. So I started passing out business cards. From them I got more referrals. I then made up fliers and passed them out and did some advertising in local papers.

A typical day when I was on my grizzly grind was up at 4:30-5am at the gym at 5:30am first clients. The rest of the day is either training, waiting on clients(which is time you use to schedule and do workout plans and diet plans), and traveling to clients homes and various gyms. Day ended for me at 9-10pm. Always carry your cards and pass them out and leave them places. When not doing anything, just mingle round the gym getting to know people and advertising yourself.

I plan on going up the ladder with my certs so I can work with more professionals in the field.

I am getting back into now and starting basically again, I got burned the fuck out, I aint gonna lie. Made a shit load of money, but I needed a break, if you are good its some long hours cause you got clients. My family life with my son was suffering.

So now I will only take so many clients and keep my day shorter, and maybe just have my own studio with my own trainers. But when you are starting out you dont want to turn down anybody.......................

that is a mistake. Bad clients will stress you out and reflect bad on your image...SCREEN THEM MUTHAFUCKAS!!!!!! Man I have had some nightmares that I knew I shouldnt have taken but wanted the 50$ session.

[Dallas Bueller]

Yeah I'm constantly hearing about how the major gym chains don't pay shit for their personal trainer sessions and have sales quotas you have to meet. Doing it on my own definitely seems like the correct route to take. It's interesting that you were able to train without the cert, I guess most people don't ask about them.

[the_monsterous_monster]

It's interesting that you were able to train without the cert, I guess most people don't ask about them.

If you have a good build and know what the fuck you're doing in the gym, people will just come up to you asking for knowledge. They don't give a fuck about certification. However, if you really have aspirations of making it a full-pledged business, then I would strongly recommend the certs. But while you're working on acquiring them, train people on the side so you can build first-hand knowledge and experiment on them. Namean? And you might want to get your certification through http://www.ISSAonline.com
Unlike other programs, they don't charge you if you have to take the test multiple times.

[gene cisco]

If you have a good build and know what the fuck you're doing in the gym, people will just come up to you asking for knowledge. They don't give a fuck about certification. However, if you really have aspirations of making it a full-pledged business, then I would strongly recommend the certs. But while you're working on acquiring them, train people on the side so you can build first-hand knowledge and experiment on them. Namean? And you might want to get your certification through http://www.ISSAonline.com
Unlike other programs, they don't charge you if you have to take the test multiple times.

EXACTLY!!!

I can not tell you how much a different it is having size and being cut. You are a walking advertisement for your business.

Some people are in shape cause of superior genetics, and might not know shit. Me I had to bust my ass and learn.

[KINGBOA]

Although I am not a certified trainer (I train alot of people in the gym for free because I actually enjoy helping people get in shape) I cannot stress how much your look has to do with it. I get so many people in the gym that come up to me and ask questions or want me to train them that the actual professional trainers in the gym made me public enemy number 1:lol:
Like Gene said, the best advertisement is yourself and business will pour in. I always thought about doing this professionally but I am so caught up in my Finance career that I don't have time to get certified and really take on paying clients. I train people in the morning (before work) or after work and that in itself is very taxing. Good luck man.

[Dallas Bueller 2010]

EXACTLY!!!

I can not tell you how much a different it is having size and being cut. You are a walking advertisement for your business.

Some people are in shape cause of superior genetics, and might not know shit. Me I had to bust my ass and learn.

co-sign:yes: