Personal Trainers of Ausbb, what is your career like?

[Admin]

1. where abouts did you do your training?
2. Was it difficult to find employment?
3. How do you like being a personal trainer?
4. how do you find your clients?
5. Are you employed in a gym, or somewhere else?
6. Is there any other pertinent information you would feel the need to share?

 

[El Testicle]

I too, am curious.

 

[Shrek]

I'm going become a PT this year. Fuck it why not.

 

[High Road]

http://www.ericcressey.com/want-to-be-a-personal-trainer-or-strength-coach-start-here

 

[GUZZLA]

I'm going become a PT this year. Fuck it why not.

I know you fap, but do you even lift?

 

[Shrek]

Not really.

 

[RyanF]

1. where abouts did you do your training?
2. Was it difficult to find employment?
3. How do you like being a personal trainer?
4. how do you find your clients?
5. Are you employed in a gym, or somewhere else?
6. Is there any other pertinent information you would feel the need to share?

1) I did my Cert III, IV and Diploma of Fitness at Southbank Institute of Technology back in 2008-2009. I've done various short courses since then, including Pilates Matwork, PUNCHfit Trainer and Powerlifting Australia Level 1.

2) Very. The places that wanted more trainers were only interested if you could buy your way into a job. The only accessible places I could find that actually hired trainers instead of sticking trainers on an immediate rental system had a very long waiting list to get hired there. I know one trainer who took over a year after applying to get hired at the gym that initially inspired me to even consider being a trainer. It took me something like 9 months to get employed in a gym after completing my Diploma.

3) I love training people and helping them achieve their goals. I used to have a chip on my shoulder, because I didn't know how to get clients and no one ever gave me any legitimately useful advice in that area. I'd watch the other trainers around me put no sign of effort into their business and have their schedules filling up, while I was working hard and getting nowhere. I stopped training people professionally for about 2 years because of this, but last year I realised I was bored from not training people, so instead of sulking about business I should instead start focusing on personal and business development.

4) Facebook, gumtree and word of mouth/getting to know people as I meet them in person. There are other avenues that I know I could use to generate more (and better) business, but right now anxiety over that being such new ground for me is getting in the way of actually pursuing those avenues.

5) I'm a contractor at Masterpiece Strength Academy in Brendale. I pay a percentage of my income to the owner, and that gets capped at $400/wk (which is high by rent standards, but the fact that up until that point it's just a percentage, so there's no risk to me, makes it worth the higher top end potential fees. Plus, Masterpiece is just about the perfect studio for me, in terms of who I'm working alongside, target market and location).

6) There's so much I could write about here. Recognise the value you have on offer, recognise the best thing you do for your clients, recognise (and value) the ways in which you're different from other trainers, and honour the ways in which other trainers are different from you.

 

[Admin]

1) I did my Cert III, IV and Diploma of Fitness at Southbank Institute of Technology back in 2008-2009. I've done various short courses since then, including Pilates Matwork, PUNCHfit Trainer and Powerlifting Australia Level 1.

thanks ryan for the detailed reply , was a good read

 

[C_T]

you really need to be a people person to be a trainer

you gotta smile even if you feel like shit and pretend everythings happy as larry, i couldnt do it

 

[Grunta]

1) I did my Cert III, IV and Diploma of Fitness at Southbank Institute of Technology back in 2008-2009. I've done various short courses since then, including Pilates Matwork, PUNCHfit Trainer and Powerlifting Australia Level 1.

2) Very. The places that wanted more trainers were only interested if you could buy your way into a job. The only accessible places I could find that actually hired trainers instead of sticking trainers on an immediate rental system had a very long waiting list to get hired there. I know one trainer who took over a year after applying to get hired at the gym that initially inspired me to even consider being a trainer. It took me something like 9 months to get employed in a gym after completing my Diploma.

3) I love training people and helping them achieve their goals. I used to have a chip on my shoulder, because I didn't know how to get clients and no one ever gave me any legitimately useful advice in that area. I'd watch the other trainers around me put no sign of effort into their business and have their schedules filling up, while I was working hard and getting nowhere. I stopped training people professionally for about 2 years because of this, but last year I realised I was bored from not training people, so instead of sulking about business I should instead start focusing on personal and business development.

4) Facebook, gumtree and word of mouth/getting to know people as I meet them in person. There are other avenues that I know I could use to generate more (and better) business, but right now anxiety over that being such new ground for me is getting in the way of actually pursuing those avenues.

5) I'm a contractor at Masterpiece Strength Academy in Brendale. I pay a percentage of my income to the owner, and that gets capped at $400/wk (which is high by rent standards, but the fact that up until that point it's just a percentage, so there's no risk to me, makes it worth the higher top end potential fees. Plus, Masterpiece is just about the perfect studio for me, in terms of who I'm working alongside, target market and location).

6) There's so much I could write about here. Recognise the value you have on offer, recognise the best thing you do for your clients, recognise (and value) the ways in which you're different from other trainers, and honour the ways in which other trainers are different from you.

any hot chicks as clients?
or are they trying to become hot?
how many clients have you nailed so far?

 

[myst]

you really need to be a people person to be a trainer

you gotta smile even if you feel like shit and pretend everythings happy as larry, i couldnt do it

Definitely, which makes me respect the guys / gals who also compete and keep training clients while approaching clinically dead bodyfat levels, christ I couldn't handle anyone at that point!

 

[RyanF]

any hot chicks as clients?
or are they trying to become hot?
how many clients have you nailed so far?

Haha. My first ever client actually was a good-looking 24yo blonde and I remember the other male trainers around me being jealous of me getting to train her.

I'm training a woman right now who's pretty good looking. She's also married. To one of my other clients. That aside, I'm pretty stern when it comes to code of conduct. Basically, if a female client wants anything non-professional and there's any real mutual intent there, then it's time to arrange for her to train with someone else. "Fraternising" with clients is a big no-no.

 

[Grunta]

Haha. My first ever client actually was a good-looking 24yo blonde and I remember the other male trainers around me being jealous of me getting to train her.

I'm training a woman right now who's pretty good looking. She's also married. To one of my other clients. That aside, I'm pretty stern when it comes to code of conduct. Basically, if a female client wants anything non-professional and there's any real mutual intent there, then it's time to arrange for her to train with someone else. "Fraternising" with clients is a big no-no.

I KNEW the rumours were true, PTs be nailing em flat out.

 

[RyanF]

^ All day, errday, we just keep getting hot 18-21yo's to pay us, and somewhere between spotting them on squats, using golf methods to coach the RDL, and getting them to alternate between child's pose and assisted hamstring stretches, stuff just happens.

 

[Bazza20]

Had a family member studying to be a personal trainer a few years back. Told me I was an idiot for doing what i do, too hard. He would be earning 130k a year. Few years down the track lets just say it didn't pan out that way. Lol.

 

[RyanF]

Had a family member studying to be a personal trainer a few years back. Told me I was an idiot for doing what i do, too hard. He would be earning 130k a year. Few years down the track lets just say it didn't pan out that way. Lol.

There's certainly a lot of potential income as a trainer, but most trainers have some rather dysfunctional views about themselves and others, combined with a general lack of business skills, resulting in the majority of PT's being unemployed and quitting the industry within the first 1-2 years. Of those who making a good living out of PT, the majority aren't any financially better off than the average person. I'd feel pretty safe in estimating that less than 1% of PT's ever actually crack the $100k mark, and even fewer reach that point without burning out (because most will focus on increasing the amount of work they do to get paid more, rather than increasing the value of the work they do and/or setting up passive income streams).