I began working in the fitness industry in 1996, took on my first client in 1999 and have never looked back. However, my day-to-day work is far from the image most people have of working in a gym. It’s actually quite difficult to describe what being a personal trainer is like because there is no fixed career path or one way to do it.
Working in clubs, I had the ‘typical’ PT lifestyle: clients in the morning, followed by a workout, lunch and a couple more clients over lunchtime, another workout or some research/admin time in the afternoon, then more clients from 17:00 until 22:00, before an early night ready to start over the next day. Then, since 2003, I have been involved in PT education, working in a variety of roles with a number of training providers, awarding bodies, and industry trade bodies and regulators.
That was not a career path I would have imagined for myself when I set out to be a PT, but one of the things I love most about the industry is the variety and range of opportunities it offers. These days I mostly write, provide consultancy services within the industry and work with employers to provide a range of workplace well-being services to their teams, such as health MOTs and education seminars.
I still have clients: some come to my home and with others I go to theirs or we meet outdoors. The satisfaction of the trainer-client relationship and seeing people change and grow as they achieve their goals is always immensely rewarding.
Something I have spent a lot of time considering is how well the typical Level 3 PT course prepares a newcomer to the industry. Although many PT education providers claim to give practical tools to set new trainers up for success, very few actually do this effectively. Having taught thousands of people coming into the fitness industry from all kinds of careers, including banking, IT, teaching, nursing and retail, the common question is, “How progressive is the career ladder?” or “How do I go about building a PT business?” The answer is usually that this can vary depending on your desired lifestyle.
PTA Global (Personal Training Academy Global) is one training provider that aims to give PTs the tools needed in order to be successful, as devised by some of the industry’s leading experts. As a result, a systems, sciences and tools approach was developed along with the PTA Global community to provide a support network after the initial course is completed.
The tools learnt within the programmes allow PTs to create transformational experiences for clients that support retention and gain referrals, whether that be at clients’ homes, private studios or within a larger club environment. Of course, there is no guarantee of any PT business being successful, but choosing the right education partner with which to start or continue your development journey is essential.
For more information on the PTA Global Diploma in Personal Training, which incorporates the Active IQ Level 2 Fitness Instructing (Gym) and Level 3 Certificate in Personal Training qualification making it the ideal choice for new entrants to the fitness job market, visit www.ptaglobal.co.uk
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not of Fitness Professionals Ltd or Virtual Magazine. Consult a qualified health or fitness professional before making changes to your diet or exercise.
