Thinking of Becoming a Personal Trainer? Here’s What You Need to Know

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Written By Charlotte Miller

Becoming a personal trainer can be a truly fulfilling job, but there are some things you should know before you dive into it. There are some challenges that come with the title, it is not as easy as you may think it is. 

Personal training is not working out all day, it’s motivating and encouraging your client to achieve their goal. You can not just tell them a bunch of exercises to do and they follow. A plan has to be made and followed. 

With that being said there are amazing benefits to becoming an official personal trainer as well. You may have already unofficially been training some people and decided to make that next step. Or you may be venturing into this for the first time. 

First, you must know that certifications are required but can be simplified with an ace study guide. You have to worry about unpredictable pay and where to find work when you are first starting out. It can be a struggle for those who are just stepping into the role.

Also, you should know about the different fields of work you can join, and lastly how to use social media to your benefit. It can be one of your biggest tools to get clients and work. This is a nice list of topics to get to so let’s get started. 

What Certifications Are Required?

If you decide to take the route of personal training it is required that you have certifications. It is not that they are hard but many people fail on the first try. There are even people that may fail it again. 

It is important though that you find an accredited site to take your test. 

People can get scammed by taking phony certifications online, you do not want to be one of those people. Some employers have specific certifications they want you to have so it is best to follow up with them to make sure you are taking the correct one. 

Make sure you verify the price of the test, and if the test is located online or in person. Also, make sure that you have the right prerequisite to take the test. Some certifications want you to be a certain age or already have a previous certification you finished among other things.

Your test-taking skills will become a lot easier after completing the ace study guide. You will learn the in and outs of the ace textbook, giving you a chance of passing the test on the first try. 

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Are You Prepared For Unpredictable Pay?

There are ups and downs to every profession and the influx in pay for a personal trainer is high. No week’s pay may ever be the same, especially if you have a client that doesn’t commit. 

One week you may have a fully booked time schedule and the next week it may be empty. This can cause money issues if you are not disciplined with your finances. You never know what type of clients you are going to get until you meet them so you have to be careful. 

Canceled workouts may happen throughout the week, people are busy and have lives of their own. 

Not only this but you may get tired yourself. Being a personal trainer can take a lot out of you especially if you are in the gym all day training clients. You have to make sure your own well-being is looked after as well. 

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How to Find Work?

When starting out you may struggle to find your own clients so you join a gym as a trainer to get established. This is normal, you can gain clientele and experience at the same time. Or maybe you have a set of previous clients and can start training them professionally. 

Becoming an independent contractor is always an option but it is best to keep your options open especially when first starting out. Commercial gyms, corporate fitness gyms, and wellness centers are usually hiring and you may find work there. 

The downsides of working at places like commercial gyms can be low pay, especially on commission, and having very few clients. People usually start off at gyms and become their own bosses with their own practice. 

The faster you com[lete your certification the sooner you can start your fitness journey. Using your ace study guide will help you complete the test faster because of the breakdown of the material in the guides. 

Specialty Fields and Social Media

As you become well versed in your craft you may have been interested in focusing your training on a specific field. You can be in athletic or sports training, helping athletes in their downtime get faster and stronger when they are not with the team. 

Or you can become a medical specialist with the right certification. They can help those clients who are getting out of rehabilitation and need extra help with post-surgery training. 

You must also know how to use social media, it should be one of your biggest assets. Promoting yourself should become normal and this can increase your clientele. Having a good social media presence is needed when becoming an independent contractor. 

This will later help you start your own business, so you can leave the gym and not work for a commission anymore. 

Conclusion

Personal trainers have many opportunities to expand their presence but it is getting harder as there are more people interested in getting in. That is why if you want to do this you should start immediately. 

First, you need to get those certifications, they are required but they will not be hard as long as you have that ace study guide. Be prepared for unpredictable pay and know where to find work when you need it. 

Understand there are different avenues you can take your career in specific fields. Make sure you have those qualifications they are asking for. Lastly, use social media to your advantage. It will give much-needed business starting off.