What I Have Learned as a Personal Trainer
My clients and I at Blink Fitness (March 2020)
Background
I have been a Certified Personal Trainer since March 2019. It’s been almost 1 year and 2 months. I received my certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). You can read about why I became PT, my story, all of it —>>> Becoming A Personal Trainer
I work privately with online clients, nutrition clients, in person clients and virtually. I train in person clients at Blink Fitness.
Most recently I started teaching group workout classes for all of my clients due to Covid-19. As a result I have started the process for yet a new certification in Group Fitness Instruction via NASM.
I have grown so much and have been reflecting quite a bit. I wanted to share what I have learned since I made the choice to change my life forever.
Top Things I Have Learned
I thought I’d be this superstar trainer who would takeover the world and what I’ve come to realize and fully hearted accepted is what matters are the folks who chose me. For some reason they believe in me that I’m the person who can help guide them towards accomplishing their goals. That is what matters. It is a responsibility that I take very seriously.
Focus on you and your craft. You may want support from friends and family. And you might not get it. It does not equate to you not being good enough or that folks are not invested. You cannot force folks to care when it comes your personal goals and career aspirations. Every blog post, every Vlog, content I create, etc. is because I choose to share information with others that could be helpful. I simply want to help people and give. Not in the department of receiving.
Clients want simple not complex. They are not interested in fancy terminology nor do they want a display that you the trainer are qualified because you can do a pushup. They want a human being who cares and has also experienced a journey that is relatable. You do not have to always be on, you just simply need to be yourself.
You lead by example. Clients pay attention to how you carry yourself in person, on social media and just in life general. This does not mean you need to be perfect as perfection is not attainable nor should it be a goal. But they look to you as inspiration, as a mentor, as a role model, as someone who they entrust their personal journeys with.
Motivation falls short. Helping clients towards building a foundation of discipline and routine that can be adapted into a sustainable lifestyle is the goal. We are providing them with the tool box and how to put those tools to action. When they are ready to build on their own that is the proud moment. They have developed self efficacy and we will no longer be needed.
Being new is scary. You feel have that you have so much to prove. BUT people are people. Clients can see the work you have put into yourself. The passion you have. I would openly share hey I have never taught someone this before but I will walk you through this and we will take it from there as a team. People want genuine folks who care and they will see that.
Boundaries. This profession is 24/7. One can suffer from burnout and get overwhelmed. It happened to me. It is okay to not answer an email, text and/or phone call immediately. Yes you are your brand. BUT your brand needs to be taken care of. Your mind, body and soul matter. Your clients deserve your best and taking care of yourself is needed and not selfish. Establishing a schedule/routine that you can adhere to can be beneficial. Just like in any profession. My clients would comment on the way I handle the balance and in turn it would aide them in reflecting on how to enhance their lives and personal boundaries. We all work together to elevate one another.
Work at a gym! I initially worked with clients fully online. Working at a big box gym is a complete game changer. You cannot learn this in a text book and just from training online. You get to interact with all walks of life. No client is the same. Every client requires a different level of specificity. You get to learn about the business of the fitness industry. You can build your private business. There are so many cons. I could go on and on.
Mentoring! It is hard to find a mentor in the industry that does not charge a fee. Coming from the field of education, I am come from the notion of taking someone under my wing, showing them the way, the tools and being a support system with no cost associated for however long. I understand and respect that folks in the industry are setting their value, time and ultimately the respect they deserve when it comes to mentoring others. However for me this is foreign. I miss the days where you can email someone, set up an informational interview and organically develop a mentoring relationship. I just read and research. Conduct trial and error on my own. It would be nice to pick someones brain every so often. Makes me think that I should start a free mentoring clinic for new personal trainers.
Conclusion
Reflecting on my journey since I took the chance to start a new career in my 30’s, I am grateful that I did so. Reading my blogs and watching my vlogs from when I started I sounded so defeated because this was hard. It sounded like I was going to walk away. Wow. It is a shift from working out on your own to transitioning your passion into a profession. What I have learned and know wholeheartedly is that there is no going back for me. I am in this for life.
I am proud of the private business I have built and the clients I have the honor to work with each and everyday. I am proud that I took a chance to do something that is scary and I simply cannot see myself doing anything else.
I hope that sharing my personal experience can aide in your own personal journeys with becoming a personal trainer as you continue to work on your own personal career goals.
If you have any questions, comments and/or want to discuss further please contact me. I would love to chat.
xoxoxo,
Jess
“And in the end, its not the years in a life, it’s the life in the years”
