Personal training is glamorous on the outside, which is why you can’t know how tough it is until you’re in it. For example, did you know that personal trainers are prone to experiencing burnout and relationship troubles because of their tight schedules?
Now the good news is that there’s a solution to all that; you can have a healthy work-life balance and still be a great personal trainer. One way to be a good personal trainer is to constantly seek knowledge to help you get better.
Thankfully, this article does just that by showing you ten truths about being a personal trainer that you probably never knew. This way, you’re more equipped to tackle the pitfalls, especially if you’re trying to become a successful personal trainer.
1. Weekends are Actually Two extra Week Days
Let’s get this one out of the way right now – you’re likely to be busy on the weekends, just as often as on weekdays. Most clients will schedule their training sessions for weekends because that’s their free time.
Granted, this may make you feel like you have no life outside training, so what you can do is work with your clients to find a schedule that works for both of you. For instance, if you have an event on the weekend, you can meet up with clients in the mornings. It’s crucial that you give yourself a break to prevent burnout.
2. It is Highly Competitive
As interesting as the personal training industry is, building a successful brand takes a lot of work and dedication. The industry is filled with highly skilled and certified personal trainers (who are better equipped to attract clients), and that makes it harder to earn a living as a newbie.
That’s why some advise that you have a side hustle alongside your personal training job. Working for a big box gym may also be a great idea. Why? Because while you can make more money going solo, getting clients will be a hassle.
That’s in stark contrast to working for a gym where you’ll get clients assigned to you. The good news is if you’re good at what you do, many people will refer others to your services, and you’ll slowly build your client base.
3. A Vacation Doesn’t Really Feel Like One
One truth about being a personal trainer is that the days leading up to your vacation will be stressful. You’ll have to think about creating a workout plan for your clients while you’re away. Also, when you get back from your vacation, you’ll have to schedule extra sessions with clients to reassess their progress and make up for the lost time.
As a result of this, it’s really easy to get burnt out as a personal trainer. In addition to taking anti-burnout steps, you also have to think about creating smart routines, especially for lazy clients. That way, you put less strain on yourself.
4. Not Everyone Will Like You, and That’s okay
The fact that you’re their personal trainer doesn’t mean they’ll like you. Some clients will think you’re not the right trainer for them, and others will downright hate your guts, and that’s okay. Even if you make the first sessions with new clients free, some may find you too expensive, too strict, or unfit to train them.
Criticisms and suggestions will come in handy to help you grow as a personal trainer. Rather than throw yourself a pity party, you can ask the client why they won’t be moving on with you. Client feedback can also help you serve better while retaining them.
Remember that you’re the workout nut in their face all the time, telling them what they can’t eat and forcing them to do all these crazy routines. Being disliked comes with the territory.
5. You’ll Be Doing a Lot of Laundries
If you have multiple clients in a day, it’ll be unprofessional of you to show up with sweaty and smelly clothes. That means you’ll have to change into a fresh set of workout clothes after every session, especially in the summer. You should consider investing in a lot of loose change or your own washing machine.
6. You’ll Have to Deal with Challenging Clients
Experienced Workout Pros will tell you that you’ll have to train many lazy clients. They’ll show up late, unmotivated, and with an attitude. It’s also pretty common for clients to ignore the diet plans and exercise routines and then blame you when they don’t develop a six-pack in three weeks.
Here are some of the things personal trainers do to remedy this situation. Before you begin training a client, share the importance of following your instructions regarding what they eat and home workouts. They should understand that results don’t magically appear when they aren’t doing their part.
It’s also important to learn how to keep your training clients motivated, especially if they are doing metabolic exercises or other intense routines.
7. You Become Bestfriends With Coffee
Talk to enough personal trainers with no experience, and you’ll notice one thing – They all hate early shifts so much that they want to quit being a personal trainer. Depending on your clients and niche, you may find yourself up way before the sun rises.
Expect to instinctively reach for that soothing cup of coffee to jumpstart your brain and help you start the day. Before you know it, one cup turns into two, then three, and in a short while, you become addicted to coffee. The key is to try to get in as much regular sleep as you can manage.
8. You Have to be Good at Multitasking
Another thing personal trainers do is multitask. If your training sessions involve leading a class, you’ll need to be a good multitasker. You’ll be responsible for creating the workout, ensuring it’s challenging but not too difficult for all the class to follow, and checking on everyone’s progress. It’s a lot.
Additionally, you’ll have to pay enough individual attention to each member without letting anyone feel left out. The solution is to pay more attention to those who are struggling. That way, the whole class moves at the same pace, and you can help everyone achieve their goals.
9. Your Certification isn’t Everything
It’s not unusual to find gyms that compel personal trainers with years of experience and certifications to charge the same fee as an inexperienced colleague. The reason is that most gyms aren’t interested in your certificates as a personal trainer. Instead, they want to see how well you can interact with and retain clients.
You should definitely get an authentic certificate. But above that, you also need to gather as much knowledge as you can about being a personal trainer. Additionally, it’s wise to learn more about communication, client interaction, and retention. These skills will make you indispensable to the gym.
10. It May Take a While to Build Your Client Base
Building your client base as an independent personal trainer isn’t a walk in the park; it requires consistency, dedication, and genuine love of the job.
Also, bear in mind that it may take a while to get clients or build a regular client base. That’s why you shouldn’t play down the importance of social media and referrals from clients. One way to get around this is to be good at what you do, have a blog where you share exercise content, and have a website.
To Wrap It Up
Like every industry, it’s essential that you have adequate knowledge of the personal training industry before venturing into it. Remember that sometimes your certification may not cut it. You need to improve your skills and offer clients the results they need. With the truths we share in this article, you’re better prepared to begin your journey as a personal trainer.
If you’re eager to become an even better Workout Pro, check out this article on the benefits of training your clients in independent gyms.
