Personal trainer certification

[TeaKwonDo]

Hi NF-ers!

In May-June I'm going to try for a NASM certification, hoping to work in a gym over the summer since part-time job openings skyrocket, which is ideal when you're an anthro major who needs to get fieldwork done on the side. Any tips or personal (no pun intended) experiences in the PT business?

[Anivair]

I'm in the PT business right now. I don't really have advice, since I just started doing it and it's going slow. I do suggest you provide a service of some sort regularly. Maybe a group class on weekends that is free so people will show up and get to know you. Also, get your name out where you can. Set aside a professional looking email address for your work.

[TeaKwonDo]

Gotcha, thanks! I'm just a 20-year-old whippersnapper still in college, so building cred is definitely a priority.

[Barbarossa]

Hey KD,

Thanks for starting up this topic; I'm about to take my ACSM test (May, then June if I need a pretest) so I'm right there with you (also 20 something whippersnapper going back to college). From what I've observed/been told, it's all about finding a niche and working on it.

Let me know how your test goes!

Regards,

Perry

[Maggie May]

I got my NASM a couple years ago and worked in a globo-gym. Agree with Anivair - start some sort of class with a free trial or a discounted group training session to have people come and see how you train. I wish I would have done this more. Also, in the gym I worked at, we had to sell, sell, sell... so learn some sales techniques if you also have to do that. Be approachable. Be confident. And be persistent

Don't be afraid to ask for help. I think I learned the most by talking to the other trainers and asking them for training strategies and tips.

Emphasize that you aren't a nutritionist or dietitian, but help guide people with their food choices. My most successful clients were the ones who really kept a good food log and made significant changes to their diet. I kept a binder with a sheet for each of my clients with a weight tracker - AND measurements/body fat tracker. We measured once a month (or every 2 weeks, depending on their contract) and I recorded it. It really helped people to see their results that weren't scale/weight-based.

And finally, don't be afraid to be different. While all the other trainers are doing 3 sets of 10 with 10-lb dumbbells, be the one who's teaching complex movements and deadlifting (if you know how properly). If you can show people you give a tough and credible workout, you'll get clients to notice. I had more gym "regulars" come up to me and compliment my training style because I would actually PUSH people to their limits, do total-body movements, and get results.

Sorry, this was probably a lot more than you wanted to know. But those are things I learned along the way that I should have been doing from the beginning! Good luck!!

[Guest Tigger]

I wish you could have conducted my practical exam on Sunday... The trainer only wanted me to put clients on machines!

[Maggie May]

I wish you could have conducted my practical exam on Sunday... The trainer only wanted me to put clients on machines!

**ahhh!**

[Guest Tigger]

yeah, it was bad...

she claimed that people with disabilities would do better on machines ...O.o? I almost walked out

[Ryan Sannar]

Did you still pass?

[bigm141414]

she claimed that people with disabilities would do better on machines ...O.o? I almost walked out

Well not a completely untrue statement. Those who have had injuries to the back/hips/legs can get some benefit from a leg press machine at the very beginning (basically using it as a weighted stretch for the legs) But mostly those issues should be addressed by a trained physical therapist and not a personal trainer. But other than those cases machines are bad.

[Guest Tigger]

But mostly those issues should be addressed by a trained physical therapist and not a personal trainer.

That's what I was thinking, but I just shut my mouth and resigned myself to putting her on only 2 machines.

I'm not sure if I still passed, but I'm not going to be upset if I didn't :/

[TeaKwonDo]

I got my NASM a couple years ago and worked in a globo-gym. Agree with Anivair - start some sort of class with a free trial or a discounted group training session to have people come and see how you train. I wish I would have done this more. Also, in the gym I worked at, we had to sell, sell, sell... so learn some sales techniques if you also have to do that. Be approachable. Be confident. And be persistent

Don't be afraid to ask for help. I think I learned the most by talking to the other trainers and asking them for training strategies and tips.

Emphasize that you aren't a nutritionist or dietitian, but help guide people with their food choices. My most successful clients were the ones who really kept a good food log and made significant changes to their diet. I kept a binder with a sheet for each of my clients with a weight tracker - AND measurements/body fat tracker. We measured once a month (or every 2 weeks, depending on their contract) and I recorded it. It really helped people to see their results that weren't scale/weight-based.

And finally, don't be afraid to be different. While all the other trainers are doing 3 sets of 10 with 10-lb dumbbells, be the one who's teaching complex movements and deadlifting (if you know how properly). If you can show people you give a tough and credible workout, you'll get clients to notice. I had more gym "regulars" come up to me and compliment my training style because I would actually PUSH people to their limits, do total-body movements, and get results.

Sorry, this was probably a lot more than you wanted to know. But those are things I learned along the way that I should have been doing from the beginning! Good luck!!

Are you kidding? That kind of stuff is exactly what I want to know, in the right amount. =) I plan on incorporating a lot of what I learned through Bodyrock (burpees forEVER) and doing as much functional stuff as I can fit in there while focusing on what the client wants. Also, I've done retail jobs where you HAD to be super personable (if the customer's gonna drop $100+ on an American Girl doll, they better be treated like royalty), so hopefully that experience will come in handy like you mentioned.

[thescrawnycaveman]

I'm actually about to take my NASM test in about 10 days, just a cautionary warning, though I feel like I have learned A LOT from it, it can also be very difficult. If I could have I would have opted to pay the extra money for the weekend workshop they offer. Otherwise, its been known to be one of the best (if not the best) cert. Best of luck completing it!! If you have any questions about the material, lemme know, I'm more than open to helping out. Keeps me on my toes :-D

[aj_rock]

I'm getting certed by the NCSF in about a week, but my plan was to forge my own path outside the gym. I'd much rather teach/coach/consult people outside the gym, so I don't have to put up with a gym's broscience shenanigans...

Not entirely sure how it'll work out though

[llsoszynski@gmail.com]

Aj, how do you plan on advertising yourself?

[Guest Tigger]

I'm hearing many different test 'brand names' as it were.

So which one would you guys say gives you the most bang for your buck? or the one that is most recognized around the country/world?

I'm not trying to start a battle (if there even is one), I just want to see which one may be better for someone on a budget like me

[thescrawnycaveman]

Tigger, they are all pretty expensive but it depends what you want. I know NASM is very science oriented and from what I hear ACE is more business oriented (granted this is hearsay as I've only studied NASM). From what I have seen and heard NASM is one of the, if not the, most respected certification. After reading the textbook and studying I can tell you it gives you all the information you could possibly want (and some you don't). Best of luck looking, I'd say search around the web and make the decision based on what you read about each. While you are at it call up your local gyms and ask em what their most preferred cert is so you can get an idea of what the best really is.

Edit: I also hear great things about NCSF

[Barbarossa]

Hey Tigger,

For what it's worth, I settled on ACSM because it is (I've been told) the hardest exam to pass, and it has the longest history. And, it's very...clinical. From what I've seen/heard, which certification you go for depends on what you want to do. ACSM is good for working in/with the medical field and is focused on training safely, so that works for me. That having been said, I do want to get a more sport-oriented certification (NCSA-CSCS, I'm looking at you).

Regards,

Perry

[Guest Tigger]

Thanks guys!

I think the info is gonna come in handy this year

[Ryan Sannar]

How did you guys all get started on this? College?

[Barbarossa]

How did you guys all get started on this? College?

Hey Ryan,

For me, that's a "yes and no" question. I decided that I want 1.) to work in the industry, and 2.) to go back to school to get a degree in a "human performance" related field, or perhaps go pre-med. Either way, I'm using the ACSM-cPT certification work as a springboard for classes and to get a job that I might actually enjoy.

[Anivair]

Not at all. I got interested a year or so ago, started learning everything I could, and then got a ACTION certification (formerly ACT). It's a free online gig. Not as prestigious as the others, but the info is the same.

[Barbarossa]

Hey Anvair,

How was the ACT/ACTION received by potential employers?

[Nocturnis]

Create your own fitness blog for starters its a great way to attract attention. Find your niche, do you want to train athletes or soccer moms? Whatever your niche is work your ass off to be the best in your area. Get professional business cards made, tshirts are good too when getting clients. If you are looking for custom logos or anything like that go to www.fivrr.com and you can get them for $5. I can go on and on but if you want more info feel free to message me and I can give you some links and pointers.

[TurtIe]

Any tips or personal (no pun intended) experiences in the PT business?

I'll give you three.

1. Get results. Make sure everybody knows it.

Your best source of advertising is your clients. Nothing will generate more referrals for you than satisfied customers so know your stuff, get them the results they want and then advertise the results you got them. If they give you a compliment, ask them to write it down and use it on your facebook. Post before and after photos and compliment them for their hard work. If people see the results and hear it from the customers, they will come to you. After all, nobody wants to pay for a service that might not work.

2. Learn everything

Besides this site I constantly read blogs from the industry leaders (a great list can be found here), I'm constantly downloading and listening to lectures from professionals when I'm travelling, I read an hour before bed and an hour when I wake up. The more you know, the better you are, the better you are the more valuable you'll be to customers.

Look after yourself

As a PT you're a product. You need to sell yourself to get clients and noone wants a poor looking product. You wouldn't buy a cleaning product covered in mud so don't let yourself go. Get plenty of sleep and eat well. I've worked with trainers who have killed themselves with 16 hour days because they thought that's what they needed to do to make a living. If you're burning out, take a break, set some time aside for yourself, don't fall into the beginners trap of trying to train everyone in the world.

EXTRA BONUS TIP

The Personal Training Development Centre is an awesome resource for upcoming trainers. Jon Goodman, the guy who runs it, really knows his stuff inside and out and runs an awesome operation. An absolutely amazing resource that I cannot speak of highly enough is this. Read it, memorise it, apply it. It will put you miles ahead of the competition.