Chrisruns his own businessand been involved with the field for about ten years now.
Tell us a bit about your current position, and how long youve been at it.
I am a certified personal trainer and strength coach at a private personal training studio.
What drove you to choose your career path?
In other words, I felt well, but not fully capable.
Personal training and strength coaching fit these desires.
All of these ideas and experiences led to becoming a personal trainer.
How did you go about getting your job?
What kind of education and experience did you need?
Education and experience in this field are secondary to results produced.
Some of the best trainers in the world have no formal education, just a lifetime underneath a barbell.
I started my own business about 5 years ago, creating my own career path.
You are your own billboard, brand ambassador, and business staff rolled into one.
Did you need any licenses or certifications?
Licensing is not required in the field of personal training or strength coaching in the United States.
What kinds of things do you do beyond what most people see?
What do you actually spend the majority of your time doing?
Building training programs typically takes 5-10 minutes to every in-studio training hour for the average training client.
The hours spent on these endeavors are countless.
What misconceptions do people often have about your job?
Even though I wear workout clothes to work every day, this is not an easy job.
We dont scream at everyone.
Its not a television show.
We just keep working.
Its not glamorous, its just consistent hard work.
Also, we are not all ultra-fit, ripped, chicken-and-broccoli-eating trainers.
I live a balanced lifestyle, including resistance training, cardiovascular exercise, and a healthy nutrition plan.
But I also eat ice cream.
And no, I dont have shredded abs year-round.
My appearance has nothing to do with the results I provide nor the knowledge I possess.
What are your average work hours?
I make my own schedule.
I will typically work 8-12 training hours per day, but this varies with client adherence and retention.
An average work-week consists of 40-45 training hours, and 5-10 hours on behind the scenes work.
What personal tips and shortcuts have made your job easier?
Taking care of my own personal health, including mental well-being, is paramount to success in this field.
Aside from this, there are no shortcuts in fitness.
What do you do differently from your coworkers or peers in the same profession?
What do they do instead?
I pride myself on providing a level of professionalism and integrity that the field certainly seems to be lacking.
Whats the worst part of the job and how do you deal with it?
Client adherence is by far the most difficult and frustrating part of working as a trainer.
Whats the most enjoyable part of the job?
The most enjoyable moments are when clients finally show autonomy in their personal drive and motivation.
What kind of money can one expect to make at your job?
Or, whats an average starting salary?
According to many certifying organizations, trainers are making average salaries in excess of $50,000 a year.
This is far from the truth.
TheBureau of Labor Statisticsplaces the median pay at $31,720 annually.
Gross earnings can vary wildly depending on overall sales performance, client retention, and desired work schedule.
All of these factors add up to an unpredictable wage, especially in early years of business.
How do you move up in your field?
The independent trainer and the gym trainer have different evolutions in career advancement.
What do people under/over value about what you do?
What advice would you give to those aspiring to join your profession?
Dont assume that certification is enough.
Read everything, learn from everyone, and learn to separate fact from fiction.
Be prepared to work incessantly.
Finally, have genuine empathy for anyone trying to achieve any fitness goal.
Not everyone wants to be a bodybuilder.
Not everyone wants to reach elite levels of sport.
