What do you look for in a Personal Trainer
Discussion
My lad’s recently qualified as a Personal Trainer (Gym) and has been offered a deal at his gym whereby in return for 15 hours a week of inductions, he can offer PT direct to his own clients on a self-employed basis. Seems this is common practice and the PTs already there seem to be doing rather well.
I’ve been helping him set everything up from the business and marketing side of things.
Just wondered what sort of things you would look for in a Personal Trainer – what experiences have you had; good and bad?
I’ve been helping him set everything up from the business and marketing side of things.
Just wondered what sort of things you would look for in a Personal Trainer – what experiences have you had; good and bad?
It really depends on the person.
Me? i want someone who can teach me how to lift with proper & safe form so that I can take it from there.
95% of people who use a personal trainer want them for hand-holding/assurance/motivation because they don't believe that what they're doing is the right thing or they think they can't do it on their own.
Me? i want someone who can teach me how to lift with proper & safe form so that I can take it from there.
95% of people who use a personal trainer want them for hand-holding/assurance/motivation because they don't believe that what they're doing is the right thing or they think they can't do it on their own.
StevieBee said:
My lad’s recently qualified as a Personal Trainer (Gym) and has been offered a deal at his gym whereby in return for 15 hours a week of inductions, he can offer PT direct to his own clients on a self-employed basis. Seems this is common practice and the PTs already there seem to be doing rather well.
I’ve been helping him set everything up from the business and marketing side of things.
Just wondered what sort of things you would look for in a Personal Trainer – what experiences have you had; good and bad?
In my experience, PTs rarely "do rather well". Those that build and keep a decent client base make a barely acceptable living. I’ve been helping him set everything up from the business and marketing side of things.
Just wondered what sort of things you would look for in a Personal Trainer – what experiences have you had; good and bad?
At somewhere like David Lloyd there is a continual revolving door through which bright-eyed and optimistic newbies arrive and then leave when they work out that two or three of the old hands get 80% of all the business.
But if he really wants to do it, this would be my advice:
1. Have a physique like the one your clients want to have.
2. Be nice to everyone.
3. Understand nutrition. Properly.
4. Understand lifting. Properly.
5. Don't bulls
t.6. Work on a client's core stability, posture and movement before letting them near weights.
7. Really drill down on any aches and pains the client has and understand why they are there.
8. Know the right stretches for everything.
9. Do some free stuff.
10. Don't ever get the idea that you'll make your fortune at it. In all probability you will need a better paid job when you want to buy a house.
So said:
(LOTS OF GOOD POINTS)
I'd also add that, from a commercial point of view, social media is a tool he needs to master. Not only in terms of self-promotion, but also as a resource to some fantastic (free) information from lots of very knowledgeable sources that will help him to master his craft.From a client prospective, get out on the gym floor take some interest in the members of the gym and past PT clients (opportunity to drum up more business!) and not hiding in the office twitterbooking and i-facing (or what ever it is they do?).
The gym I use has a similar setup where the staff do the introductory training, run some classes and are allowed to do PT around their shifts.
The PT I used, has taken no further interest in my progress (or lack of) since completing the sessions, I would like to do more as I’m not really progressing.
However, if the PT’s can’t be bothered to come over and say hello how are you doing, do you need anymore help? etc… I can’t be bothered to pay them for anymore sessions!
The gym I use has a similar setup where the staff do the introductory training, run some classes and are allowed to do PT around their shifts.
The PT I used, has taken no further interest in my progress (or lack of) since completing the sessions, I would like to do more as I’m not really progressing.
However, if the PT’s can’t be bothered to come over and say hello how are you doing, do you need anymore help? etc… I can’t be bothered to pay them for anymore sessions!
Relevant experience would be the main point I'd consider, with the physique to back it up.
I would struggle to respect tuition from someone who looks like they learned it accademically, and would struggle to pick up an empty bar.
A bunch of good points raised above. Many people just need basic instruction and motivation. He really would need to be outgoing, network like mad and be proactive. Figure out how many clients and sessions he'd need to make a decent wage, and the times they want those sessions. Most will probably want ~6pm to 8pm, busiest time at the gym, and nothing the rest of the day. 2 clients per day 7 days per week... Can he get 14 people to pay him instead of the other trainers at the gym? Less tax etc.. it won't be easy to make a living.
I would struggle to respect tuition from someone who looks like they learned it accademically, and would struggle to pick up an empty bar.
A bunch of good points raised above. Many people just need basic instruction and motivation. He really would need to be outgoing, network like mad and be proactive. Figure out how many clients and sessions he'd need to make a decent wage, and the times they want those sessions. Most will probably want ~6pm to 8pm, busiest time at the gym, and nothing the rest of the day. 2 clients per day 7 days per week... Can he get 14 people to pay him instead of the other trainers at the gym? Less tax etc.. it won't be easy to make a living.
Both GBPF and BWL run coaching courses which will probably be more involved than any standard PT course. With strength sports gaining more interest among the layman gym goer, being able to teach someone the big three or the classics properly will make you stand out and probably represent a good investment. My general experience of gym PTs is that they have no idea how to coach a proper squat or deadlift, which for a client looking to improve overall strength are absolutely necessary. Giving a client a proper 10-12 week program should also give them goals that they can work towards as well as a structure to get involved with, I know I'm more invested in training when sticking to a program as missed sessions really feel like they're holding me back.
Edited by j_4m on Tuesday 18th December 10:27
One of my friends has been doing this a year or so now, few things he's highlighted:
- be friendly/ speak to everyone in the gym. In a previous life he was gas engineer and said the people skills he learnt in that job have helped him so much. you dont need to be an over enthusiastic/ keen bean type person, just be nice and polite and say hello to everyone
- social media- need to be on fb/ insta, showing progress of clients, showing you practice what you preach, give some basic stuff away for free that shows you know what you are talking about.
- learn proper Olympic lifting- squats, deadlift, clean, snatch........... anyone can tell you to run on a tread mill, row on a machine and cycle on a stationary bike, but being able to teach proper strength and conditioning techniques sets you apart from the others.
- learn about nutrition. again proper stuff, how to build proper balanced meal plans, cooking from scratch using simple ingredients. dont slag off things like- slimming world/ weight watchers/ herbal life, yes you might not like them/ not agree with them, but show why your approach is a much more sustainable/ balanced/ long term approach.
- be friendly/ speak to everyone in the gym. In a previous life he was gas engineer and said the people skills he learnt in that job have helped him so much. you dont need to be an over enthusiastic/ keen bean type person, just be nice and polite and say hello to everyone
- social media- need to be on fb/ insta, showing progress of clients, showing you practice what you preach, give some basic stuff away for free that shows you know what you are talking about.
- learn proper Olympic lifting- squats, deadlift, clean, snatch........... anyone can tell you to run on a tread mill, row on a machine and cycle on a stationary bike, but being able to teach proper strength and conditioning techniques sets you apart from the others.
- learn about nutrition. again proper stuff, how to build proper balanced meal plans, cooking from scratch using simple ingredients. dont slag off things like- slimming world/ weight watchers/ herbal life, yes you might not like them/ not agree with them, but show why your approach is a much more sustainable/ balanced/ long term approach.
malks222 said:
anyone can tell you to run on a tread mill, row on a machine and cycle on a stationary bike, but being able to teach proper strength and conditioning techniques sets you apart from the others.
They can tell you to do it, but very few PTs know how to teach those disciplines.So said:
They can tell you to do it, but very few PTs know how to teach those disciplines.
It's why I suggested taking a look at one of the GBPF courses, or spending some time in an affiliated gym. Baffles me some of the things PTs in my girlfriend's globogym teach, considering the amount of online information there is.So said:
In my experience, PTs rarely "do rather well". Those that build and keep a decent client base make a barely acceptable living.
At somewhere like David Lloyd there is a continual revolving door through which bright-eyed and optimistic newbies arrive and then leave when they work out that two or three of the old hands get 80% of all the business.
But if he really wants to do it, this would be my advice:
1. Have a physique like the one your clients want to have.
2. Be nice to everyone.
3. Understand nutrition. Properly.
4. Understand lifting. Properly.
5. Don't bullst.
6. Work on a client's core stability, posture and movement before letting them near weights.
7. Really drill down on any aches and pains the client has and understand why they are there.
8. Know the right stretches for everything.
9. Do some free stuff.
10. Don't ever get the idea that you'll make your fortune at it. In all probability you will need a better paid job when you want to buy a house.
All good points but especially 6,7,8. I’ve been seeing a PT regaulrly for nearly 15 years, he’s utterly brilliant with things injury rehab and analysing “aches and pains”. Despite no longer working in London I go in once a week to see him because I really rate him, My wife was seeing a PT close to where we live whose exercise routines made a long term back issue worse rather than better...after badgering her she now goes into London to see the PT I see and now understands why! At somewhere like David Lloyd there is a continual revolving door through which bright-eyed and optimistic newbies arrive and then leave when they work out that two or three of the old hands get 80% of all the business.
But if he really wants to do it, this would be my advice:
1. Have a physique like the one your clients want to have.
2. Be nice to everyone.
3. Understand nutrition. Properly.
4. Understand lifting. Properly.
5. Don't bulls
t.6. Work on a client's core stability, posture and movement before letting them near weights.
7. Really drill down on any aches and pains the client has and understand why they are there.
8. Know the right stretches for everything.
9. Do some free stuff.
10. Don't ever get the idea that you'll make your fortune at it. In all probability you will need a better paid job when you want to buy a house.
I’d also add a PT needs to keep things interesting and be innovative. The PT I refer to above probably introduces an exercise I’ve never done with him before every couple of weeks....that’s pretty impressive after 15 years!
Cheib said:
I’d also add a PT needs to keep things interesting and be innovative. The PT I refer to above probably introduces an exercise I’ve never done with him before every couple of weeks....that’s pretty impressive after 15 years!
That's a good point. I'm no fitness fanatic, but I want to avoid being a couch potato, so I have used a PT for the last 5 years or so to keep me in a routine.And the one thing I've noticed which surprised me is the number of different exercises he introduces. In a strange way, it's annoying, as I don't know how to calibrate myself as to how much is truly my "maximum", but on the other hand, I suppose that is part of the objective.
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