Post Certification, now you’re a trainer. So let’s do this!

Turn your passion for fitness into a career. Thats the promo line that most baseline personal training certifications throw out, and why not? After all, fitness has done something great for anyone who’s aspired to get into this field. Each one of us has a “why”. Mine started with a terrifying incident in my former workplace that made me prioritize my health. So I started running. Fast forward, four marathons in(at the time, 9 total now) I gained a new mindset and enjoyment of fitness. And I wanted others to have that same feeling. So I decided to become a personal trainer in 2019 training part time, independently on the weekends. In mid 2021 I left my day job and joined one of the most luxurious fitness clubs, Equinox where I still work as a personal trainer/coach. I also work with clients independently. So personal training has officially been what I do since.

During my time at Equinox I’ve seen a lot of trainers come and go. If I could estimate, about 70–80 and most of which are gone within about 5–6 months. And I still remember my very first day onboarding. Since. then theres been a ton of turnover around the club. Not just trainers, but management, front desk staff, member advisors, maintenance staff.

Then there’s me, working through the ebbs and flows of adjusting to a new career in fitness. I really do find if saddening to see a new trainer come in on their first day full of energy, excited to be apart of the Equinox team. Four months later, that trainer is walking the floor on a fitness specialist shift with his/ her shoulders slumped, head down and totally zoned out.

What’s kept me along this journey is the education and realistic expectations. I’ve always done whatever I could do to help out the newer trainers. My mantra as a mentor to the newer trainers has always been focusing on your craft. Hone in on what you’re doing & it won’t matter what anyone else is doing. As a team we’ll either make each other look great, or that 1(or more) trainers thats out there unprepared will make us all look bad. But in the end it’s up to the individual.

Now I saw a great question from a new trainer recently on Reddit that I wanted to address in this blog:

“Good morning, thank you for adding me. I’m very new to training. What are some good podcasts, articles, continuing education/ training to help me feel more prepared”.

What I really like about this question is that the individual understands that there a lot more to learn. Most new personal trainers are missing this part, while relying on their athletic background/ physique to guide them. To be fair we should look the part and walk the walk. Education ranges from the book smarts of exercise science to people skills, professionalism and being business savvy. A lot of people in this world have a great product to provide, but lack the ancillary aspects of running a successful business. I feel like thats an area where personal training education could use a lot of improvement.

To address the first aspect of that question regarding continuing education:

• Focus on mentorship. Attending as many personal training seminars as possible. This allows you to learn from other trainers. In addition, build a network around yourself of other health and fitness professionals. Being able to refer a clients to registered dieticians or physical therapists are a great way to get your client’s results while building your own network.

Good articles to read:

* Two that come to mind, “Is post exercise muscle soreness a valid indicator of muscular adaptations” by Bret Contreras and Brad Schoenfeld.

And another blog, “15 common mobility mistakes in 2022 by Eric Cressey”.

Exercise science is based on the most updated research which is always ongoing. So keeping up with the top researchers will keep you up date, and challenge you to think, unlike the most popular personal training certifications.

Podcasts:

Ok maybe I’m a bit biased here, but I know this guy name Chris Hitchko that runs the Show Up Fitness podcast. Chris happens to be my coach. He absolutely gives a damn about personal trainers being successful, enough to stir up the bee’s nest and challenge the typical personal training certifications on a regular basis. I’ve personally been a guest on his podcast talking about life as an Equinox trainer. But he’s had tons of qualified professionals join him in conversation to help us trainers think bigger.

And if I could talk to that individual that asked the above questions I’d mention a few good books to read which to apply to all general aspects of life.

• “The first 90 days” by Michael Watkins
• “Who Moved My Cheese” By Spencer Johnson
• “The traveler’s gift, 7 decisions that determine personal success” by Andy Andrews

None of the above are about fitness, but mind development and keeping a proper perspective. This is equally important to understanding the exercise science. After all, personal training is the service and hospitality industry to which us trainers must and will relate to all people.

As it pertains specifically to fitness:

• Get yourself an anatomy book, and understand movement from the foundation.
• Ok I’m gonna drag my coach into this again, “How to become a successful personal trainer” by Chris Hitchko is an informative, entertaining read(my coach talks a little trash about the most popular certifications once in awhile), while giving aspiring personal trainers the information they need.

If I could sum this blog up in a couple of sentences

• Keep a growth mindset.
• Don’t have an ego

Blaze your own trail and be a successful personal trainer.