A career in the fitness industry as the very best personal trainer is incredibly rewarding for a number of reasons. You not only help others to realize their fitness goals, but you play a part in the health and wellness of each of your clients, and work to help them build better habits that can lead to them living longer, healthier, and happier lives.
Ready to get started in the industry? Read on to discover how to begin a career as a fitness instructor no matter where you currently are on your own journey.
Get Certified
Before you begin sales prospecting or marketing efforts, it’s important that you gain the proper certifications to safely practice as a fitness coach. Many fitness coaches and personal trainers choose to get a college degree that takes anywhere from two to six years in exercise physiology, anatomy, exercise sciences, sports medicine, or related fields. Others choose to get certified as personal trainers through various programs.
There are even many self-led programs available online that will equip you for a lucrative career as the best personal trainer. Regardless of how you gain credibility and certification, it’s important to make sure you have the proper education and training to be able to properly and safely instruct your clients.
A few of your better, more reputable options will be ACE and NASM.
Network
The key to a successful coaching career is a full client load, and a filled coaching calendar isn’t something that will happen overnight. As soon as you know you want to begin your coaching career, start to create a network of colleagues and potential clients by attending fitness classes, workshops, and retreats, and by reaching out to possible mentors or gym owners to build mutually beneficial relationships.
Offer Freebies
In order to establish a successful client base, and to build a case for why others should hire you, it’s a good idea to start out with a few free training sessions or consultations when you’re first getting started. You may choose to offer a new client special or your first few clients may be completely free as you first get started. Try to strike a good balance between complementary services and paid services until you feel confident enough with your workload and experience.
Establish a Social Media Presence
Digital marketing is a powerful tool for any small business, and it’s a great way to demonstrate your results, fitness plans, promotions, or any relevant client information with low or no-cost posts on social media platforms. Social media is also a wonderful way to network with other fitness-minded people where you can form partnerships and collaborations that could boost your business significantly.
Continue Your Education
Whether you’re already well-versed in the ways of functional nutrition or you still have much to learn about that subject, among others, it’s wise as a fitness coach to continue learning as much as you can about all things fitness throughout your career. The fitness industry is constantly shaped by new and emerging technology, and there are hundreds of fitness products on the market today that could be an asset to the way you run your business.
If you’re not sure how to expand your education, look into programs that will better help you to assist your clients with their dysfunctional movement patterns, their eating habits, or with injury recovery. You can also continue to learn more about interpersonal communication and how to better relate to your clients as a fitness coach.
Build Your Portfolio
One of the biggest selling points for you and your business will be the demonstrated results you’ve helped your clients to achieve. Whether you display your own before and after photos or you get permission from clients to do so, these results are ultimately the product you’re selling. Get as many clients as you can and work hard to help them to achieve their results. In your portfolio, make sure to also include client testimonials about their experience with you as a fitness coach and how their results make them feel. The bigger your portfolio, the bigger your reach and the more clients you’re likely to attract.
Final Thoughts
You can change lives as a personal trainer. Actually, you can save lives as a personal trainer. By helping potential athletes lose fat, get stronger, and fix their physical imbalances, you have been of service to others. Get educated properly, be smart with injuries and identification of illnesses, always use empathy and compassion, but also hold your clients accountable, and you will be successful as a fitness instructor.
Tags: Business, fitness instructor, personal trainer, trainer
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