We help people passionate about fitness start their careers as personal trainers. Once qualified we nurture their talent and help develop their careers. We’re recognised as “outstanding” by the leading awarding body in the active leisure sector, Active IQ.
Becoming a personal trainer can be an incredibly rewarding career. By helping clients achieve their fitness goals, you get to positively impact lives while doing work you’re passionate about.
But how exactly can you gain success as a personal trainer? This comprehensive guide covers 8 key tips:
1. Provide a Safe and Welcoming Environment
Ensuring clients feel comfortable and secure is foundational Provide a clean, inviting space for sessions. Maintain properly working equipment and monitor form to prevent injury.
Welcome clients warmly while respecting preferences on things like touching and personal space New clients likely feel some uncertainty; proactively put them at ease
Safety extends outside the gym too. Keep client data and conversations private. Follow all facility and industry regulations. Clients who feel unsafe or micromanaged will disengage quickly.
2. Invest in Continuing Education
The fitness industry evolves constantly. Ongoing learning is imperative for delivering effective, up-to-date programming.
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Take continuing education workshops on exercise science, nutrition, training techniques, and working with special populations.
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Read industry magazines, blogs, and new research studies.
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Attend fitness conferences to expand your expertise.
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Earn specialty certifications in areas like pre- and post-natal training, senior fitness, or strength and conditioning.
Knowledge fuels better client experiences and results. Lifelong learning also shows clients your dedication to the work.
3. Lead by Example
The most inspiring personal trainers walk the talk living the healthy, fit lifestyle they promote. Client motivation hinges hugely on your modeling.
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Maintain stellar fitness habits yourself like exercising, hydrating, and eating well.
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Let your passion for fitness shine through in sessions. Energy is contagious!
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Share your health journey and how you overcome obstacles all face.
No one expects perfection. But clients invest in trainers who authentically live what they teach.
4. Be Professional
Running a personal training business requires professionalism. Show up on time for appointments in neat, athletic attire. Communicate schedule changes promptly. Keep studio space organized.
Maintain professional boundaries with clients. Avoid oversharing personal problems or inappropriate attempts to befriend clients. Handle scheduling, payments, and cancellations professionally.
Back up advice with credible sources, not opinions. Pursue ethical practices regarding insurance billing and referrals. Professionalism earns client trust and respect.
5. Empower Clients
Effective personal training isn’t about bossing clients around. Nurture self-efficacy by:
- Collaboratively setting goals based on client preferences
- Encouraging questions and input on activities
- Explaining the “why” behind exercise choices
- Affirming effort and celebrating each achievement
- Avoiding judgmental language if clients struggle
- Making workouts progressively challenging vs. overwhelming
Empowered clients gain confidence and skills to eventually exercise independently.
6. Encourage a Healthy Lifestyle
Fitness happens outside the gym too. Help clients:
- Adopt nutritious eating habits through guidance, not demands
- Reduce stress and prioritize self-care
- Set step goals and find activities they enjoy
- Pursue other healthy outlets like community sports teams
- Modify environment to make good choices easier
Support clients in developing sustainable healthy lifestyles, not just gym-focused programs.
7. Show That You Care
Some trainers view clients as just transactions. The most successful trainers authentically care. How?
- Ask about their day and actively listen
- Notice and praise signs of progress
- Express concern over illnesses or injuries
- Share meaningful training anniversary recognitions
- Check in if you don’t see them for awhile
- Avoid canceling sessions or showing up late
When clients feel you view them as more than just accounts, they’ll invest more in their fitness journeys.
8. Do What’s Best for Clients
Great personal trainers put client wellbeing first, even over profit. For instance:
- Recommend seeing doctors, physical therapists, or dietitians if concerns arise
- Adjust programs based on new limitations or considerations
- Allow session pausing if clients suffer injuries or burnout
- Suggest switching trainers if the pairing isn’t working optimally
- Avoid pressuring clients into excessive sessions or expenditures
Prioritizing the client over making a sale builds trust and loyalty.
By following these tips, you can build a rewarding personal training career that helps clients succeed while fueling your own professional fulfillment.
Key Skills for Personal Trainer Success
Honing these skills also contributes to fruitful training:
Fitness expertise: Understanding exercise science, anatomy, program design principles, and equipment use.
Coaching ability: Motivating and guiding clients to adopt new fitness behaviors.
Communication skills: Actively listening, explaining concepts clearly, providing feedback effectively.
Organization: Scheduling appointments, tracking progress, managing records efficiently.
Problem-solving: Troubleshooting issues like injuries, plateaus, or lack of motivation.
Marketing: Building client base through promotions, referrals, and digital platforms.
A passion for helping people, business savvy, and enthusiasm for fitness form the foundation.
Maximizing Your Income as a Personal Trainer
You can boost personal training income by:
- Setting competitive session rates based on experience and specialty
- Offering package deals to encourage bulk purchases
- Marketing and expanding your clientele over time
- Developing expertise that allows higher pricing
- Reducing cancellations through excellent service
- Securing consistent client retention and referrals
- Exploring add-ons like small group training or online coaching
- Negotiating higher pay rates from gyms as your brand grows
The most successful trainers bring in six figures by gaining recognition and demand in their niche.
Striving to help clients achieve results, have fun, and build fitness habits for life is the heart of personal training. Follow these tips to gain expertise, exude professionalism, and build a stellar reputation.
Most importantly, remember that passion and care for clients fuels the most fulfilling and prosperous personal training careers. Commit to positivity and your clients’ wellbeing above all else.
Ryan Dunne – Personal Trainer, owner of Fresh4Life Fitness
Before becoming a personal trainer my first career was in healthcare, patients and service users sometimes feel nervous and anxious for various reasons. Communication was a really powerful tool I developed quickly to support people I worked with. It’s not just about talking, it’s being able to listen, the language you use, how you say things and when to say things.
To relate and be able to and communicate with people, is an important skill every trainer should work on. When I changed careers to become a personal trainer. My communication skills helped me feel more relaxed when approaching new gym members. If communication is something you are not confident with, it’s definitely worth investing some time to grow this skill.
Gary Mendoza – Personal Trainer, Educator, Behaviour Change Specialist
I have been a personal trainer for 25 years, the one thing that stands out is how little I was taught about behaviour change. Clients hire personal trainers for a range of health and fitness reasons, losing weight being a large proportion of requests.
As a trainer it is important to not only understand what the client wants, but are they ready to make the changes they will need to make to achieve their goal.
That’s our job, to identify the psychological readiness or willingness in some cases. Once you know this, you can apply the correct and relevant strategies so your client can maintain the changes they will need to make.
What It Takes To Be A Successful Personal Trainer
How can I improve my skills as a personal trainer?
Here are some ways to help you improve your skills as a personal trainer: 1. Earn new certifications Gain new skills by earning new certifications. This may also help you expand your expertise or find a new specialty. Various national professional organizations offer certifications in specialties like: 2. Consider training people for free
How do I become a successful personal trainer?
Building a personal connection with your clients is an important part of being a successful personal trainer. Make casual but professional conversation with your client to get to know them better. This can help develop loyalty and give your client a reason to continue to choose to work with you.
What skills do personal trainers need?
Just like any other specialized field, personal trainers need to have a variety of skills. Between coaching clients and building personalized training plans, a successful personal trainer must be analytical, motivational, and nurturing.
What makes a good personal trainer?
Being a successful personal trainer requires you to provide honest feedback to your clients. It’s important for you to provide helpful critiques to correct your clients to improve their form or habits. However, it’s equally important for you to provide well-earned praise and encouragement.
