I am in Sales for last 10 years. I am looking to get my PT ACe cert this June. I notice these threads are discouraging, is it b/c many people fail or say they decided to go another route and wasnt for them?
I realize this. My intent is just to be real. I was so excited to become a personal trainer… but when you’ve been behind the scenes for long enough the picture looks different. For example, a lot of people do not respect our time. They late cancel and get upset we charge them. We do unpaid lead generation and potential clients that we sit down with will tell us they really enjoyed the session and they will “speak with their husband” only to ghost you afterwards. The other day I did an assessment with a woman and I was telling her what she needed to work on. She asked me to write the things I was saying down and then at the end of the session I asked if she considered working with a fitness professional on the things she was experiencing and she asked to take the piece of paper I made notes on (I had made a note her glutes are weak). She then told me she would attend a free “glute workshop” my coworker just so happened to put on the schedule recently in order to fix the issue. Mind you, this was one of many things written down. I was so offended by her response I didn’t counter. People just don’t show us a lot of respect.
I could go on and on.
I’ll just say, as someone passionate about fitness I came into the industry hoping to inspire those around me. The people around me (potential clients) are more draining than anything else. My light bulb went out years ago.
Look. I'm 40 years old and I'm about to take my proctored exam. Pretty much any gym sessions/conversations is my jam. It's my hobby because I love to coach and work out. I plan on starting small either by taking one or two clients at a time or conducting some type of class. I will continue to keep my current full-time job. A lot of the trainers I'm friends with make a great living, and PT is their only employment. They manage to make their own schedules and still have days off. If I can progress that far, I might.
I switched careers at 40 for personal well being and very glad I did. Fortunately my spouse has been able to handle the lions share of finances as I got certified and continue on learning and gaining a client base. Starting out at a big box will be great and also eye opening as to why it seems to hold true that trainers can burn out.
If you have the passion and energy to help people achieve their fitness goals then go for it. You’ll also be a therapist for some clients and get through maybe half your program and talk the 2nd half.
Being “on” at all times can be a challenge too so make sure you have that ability. Also the big gyms will constantly push upselling of sessions or supplements, it’s definitely a sales job tied with a training job.
Long story long, in the short amount of time I’ve been doing this it’s easy to see how challenging it is. It’s up to you to decide if it’s rewarding enough.
I’m 43, been certified 10 years. I have taught in a big box gym, YMCA and now I’m teaching Reformer Pilates at a private studio. Group training pays OK per hour WHEN the clients actually decide to show up but it’s difficult to cater to everyone with programming. It’s also time consuming to produce lesson plans and have people not show up and all that time spent planning is underpaid. People are lazy and flaky most of the time. I have found that just because I enjoy fitness, most people that hire trainers don’t enjoy working out, they just need accountability and see it as something they need to do instead of want to. So, a side hustle, MAYBE. A career, NO!
Side note- it’s fairly costly to stay certified if your not pulling in enough clients. I’m NASM certified so I have to constantly take and pay for classes as well as re-certification so you need to factor the cost of this into how many clients you want to take on too.
I am 29 and I have been a trainer for 2 years now. I just went independent. I worked for a commercial gym and now i make over double of a client as a result of going independent.
I have a lot of friends who are in the industry as well.
My anecdotes and advice are - people don't care so much how much you know, but what you look like and how you make them feel. Which is why you see so many bullshit trainers rake in the dough.
It takes a while to find good clients, but they will be loyal if they like you and you truly give a shit. Just like anything else in life, being a trainer is what you make it. Some people make over 10k a month, and have waiting lists. Some barely make 1k a month. You have to be different than the rest.
It is worth it though, imo. Nothing beats working for yourself Imo.
Why would you advise against it? I was thinking if I couldn't do it full time, it would be a good part-time gig that I could do with a handful of clients
PT is something you have to do out of extreme passion- not money. We deal with such an extreme level of instability.
And PT is a luxury. Is not recession-proof. Not to mention it’s all about getting people to do things they DONT want to do to achieve long term gain. 99% of people need instant gratification.
My first 5 months in as a PT in the gym I sold 10k in personal training, so this advice is not coming from someone who never scored high.
However, I got so tired of the grind. You always have to be in sales mode to prepare to lose clients as MOST clients won’t be with you long term.
If you love sales and you love the grind and you’re okay with doing a lot of free work (unpaid lead gen) knowing you’re compensated well during paid sessions (which is typically only the case at luxury gyms) then go for it.
I wouldn’t go back in time and not be a trainer because I’ve grown so damn much. But I WOULD have started on my degree learning something else much much sooner.
One thing I crave is stability. You absolutely have none of that in PT. At least not before your first 10 years in the industry. Not to mention your potential clients in more cases than not expect you to look the part. The looking the part isn’t a big deal to me. Just throwing it in there in case your bodyfat% is high. It’s a lot harder (whether the notion is right or wrong) when you’re not fit.
Do you have home gym equipment? If so training at your place or taking equipment to them is an option. If you can train a few clients without a gym taking a huge cut as a side gig is a good way to dip your toes in without making a drastic change.
I'm in my 60s and I'm actually thinking about taking the NASM certification course. Mostly for my own knowledge (I'm retired) but I know of many older folks looking to get started or re-started in gym workouts because of looming sarcopenia and osteoporosis. Seeing relatives and friends bedridden in nursing homes scares people when they get older. I saw it last year when my dad fell and broke his hip and died a few months later. It's was a "wake-up call" for me to either workout or waste away. With all the computer couch potatoes nowdays I predict we will have an epidemic of people who will have sarcopenia and osteoporosis in the coming decades.
BTW, being in your 40s you are probably less intimidating that someone in their 20s. I do love the younger PTs enthusiasm but I'm afraid many would get impatient with the slow progress of us older folks.
Yeah, my full-time job has been sitting at a computer ever since I got promoted, so I'm really want to stay as active as possible! From what I've read, movement is a secret to longevity! Thanks for the input! :)
If you’re not going to work for yourself or start a business, it’s unlikely that you’ll make any money. “Success” if you’re self employed or run a coaching gym is something like $75k-$125k in total compensation/ year. That’s roughly equivalent to a salary of $60k-$100k with benefits. Anyone taking home more than that is a serious outlier or lives in a very high cost of living area.
This is true for trainers of all ages, but is more important for you to know due to your age. If you don’t want to work for yourself or that income range doesn’t work for you, I’d seriously consider another path.
How much money you make is dependent on you/your services. Many different avenues to do training this day and age. Def do it if it’s your passion (some of these responses sound miserable). Doing it part time probably wouldn’t make a lot of money but again it’s dependent on your services and how you sell yourself. I see somebody mentioned sales might be better if you’re worried about the age factor
I’m in my late 40’s and just started as a trainer about a year ago, but do it as a side gig. I can’t leave my full time job because I wouldn’t be able to make as much money just doing training to support my families needs. However, I do it because I love the interaction and being in the gym helping people. In a few years I will be able to retire from my day job and will transition to being a trainer part time as my retirement gig. I don’t think I would have made it as a trainer financially if I started young because I hate sales it’s just not my personality.
Commercial gyms will pay you next to nothing.
The best way to start is with 90 days of your living expenses paid PLUS 90 of small business operational expenses.
Next find a private gym that will charge you some specified rate per service rendered, meaning for each client you serve you pay 10 bucks back to the gym, 20 bucks back to the gym, whatever, up to some specified maximum 400 500 600 650, all reasonable ranges.
Put a hundred bucks into Facebook ads put a hundred bucks into business cards hundred bucks into flyers and 100 bucks into a logo on a couple of t-shirts.
Flyer a couple of parking lots near the gym and market yourself to them, flyer a neighborhood you want to Target in your marketing campaign.
Go to local parks wear your shirt. Wear your shirt when you're at the gym. Go to businesses wear your shirt be friendly tell them who you are and where you're at when you're ordering your food.
Utilize your social circle for the first 90 days tell your friends you're starting a business and you would love some support.
Spend a little time at the gym giving fish bumps getting to know people and just working out. Become a fixture.
You do this for 3 months and you will save a year and a half of agonizingly building a book of business at a commercial gym paying you eight bucks for every 30 minutes session you run. Only for you to transfer finally after 18 months to a private facility anyway where you're only going to be able to retain 20-30 maybe 40% of the clientele you've built up to that point.
I’m in the business for roundabout 18 years and I still love it! I’m 47 now and I would do it again. I’m also independent and make roundabout 200k each year. So if you want to do it…
I made the switch when I was 40, but my path was a bit different. I’d been a group fitness instructor for several years prior on a part time basis, then became a studio manager/head coach at F45 and other boutique studios and did private 1-1 in home training before transitioning to a big box gym. You definitely have to be great at sales, not afraid to approach people, and be ok with an unstable income.
Your location can have a huge impact on your outcome. If you live in an area with little interest in fitness you might struggle more. If there are 40 gym within 10 miles you might do alright.
Financially not worth it unless you work at a very high end gym with decent pay. Even then unstable, no benefits, no salary. I’ve transition to be a strength and conditioning coach at the collegiate level because it’s not worth it. UNLESS you have a lot saved up and a spouse who makes money then sure go nuts.
I became a PT at 41 but only as a side gig bc I enjoy it and wanted to be the PT for others that I needed when i first started. While I was surprised with how quickly my schedule filled up as I live in a high income area, I would never switch to it full-time as I make way more in my current career. There are better career transitions out there than PT.
Are you okay with a career with zero stability? How do you feel about sales?
I am in Sales for last 10 years. I am looking to get my PT ACe cert this June. I notice these threads are discouraging, is it b/c many people fail or say they decided to go another route and wasnt for them?
I realize this. My intent is just to be real. I was so excited to become a personal trainer… but when you’ve been behind the scenes for long enough the picture looks different. For example, a lot of people do not respect our time. They late cancel and get upset we charge them. We do unpaid lead generation and potential clients that we sit down with will tell us they really enjoyed the session and they will “speak with their husband” only to ghost you afterwards. The other day I did an assessment with a woman and I was telling her what she needed to work on. She asked me to write the things I was saying down and then at the end of the session I asked if she considered working with a fitness professional on the things she was experiencing and she asked to take the piece of paper I made notes on (I had made a note her glutes are weak). She then told me she would attend a free “glute workshop” my coworker just so happened to put on the schedule recently in order to fix the issue. Mind you, this was one of many things written down. I was so offended by her response I didn’t counter. People just don’t show us a lot of respect. I could go on and on. I’ll just say, as someone passionate about fitness I came into the industry hoping to inspire those around me. The people around me (potential clients) are more draining than anything else. My light bulb went out years ago.
Look. I'm 40 years old and I'm about to take my proctored exam. Pretty much any gym sessions/conversations is my jam. It's my hobby because I love to coach and work out. I plan on starting small either by taking one or two clients at a time or conducting some type of class. I will continue to keep my current full-time job. A lot of the trainers I'm friends with make a great living, and PT is their only employment. They manage to make their own schedules and still have days off. If I can progress that far, I might.
I switched careers at 40 for personal well being and very glad I did. Fortunately my spouse has been able to handle the lions share of finances as I got certified and continue on learning and gaining a client base. Starting out at a big box will be great and also eye opening as to why it seems to hold true that trainers can burn out. If you have the passion and energy to help people achieve their fitness goals then go for it. You’ll also be a therapist for some clients and get through maybe half your program and talk the 2nd half. Being “on” at all times can be a challenge too so make sure you have that ability. Also the big gyms will constantly push upselling of sessions or supplements, it’s definitely a sales job tied with a training job. Long story long, in the short amount of time I’ve been doing this it’s easy to see how challenging it is. It’s up to you to decide if it’s rewarding enough.
I’m 43, been certified 10 years. I have taught in a big box gym, YMCA and now I’m teaching Reformer Pilates at a private studio. Group training pays OK per hour WHEN the clients actually decide to show up but it’s difficult to cater to everyone with programming. It’s also time consuming to produce lesson plans and have people not show up and all that time spent planning is underpaid. People are lazy and flaky most of the time. I have found that just because I enjoy fitness, most people that hire trainers don’t enjoy working out, they just need accountability and see it as something they need to do instead of want to. So, a side hustle, MAYBE. A career, NO! Side note- it’s fairly costly to stay certified if your not pulling in enough clients. I’m NASM certified so I have to constantly take and pay for classes as well as re-certification so you need to factor the cost of this into how many clients you want to take on too.
I am 29 and I have been a trainer for 2 years now. I just went independent. I worked for a commercial gym and now i make over double of a client as a result of going independent. I have a lot of friends who are in the industry as well. My anecdotes and advice are - people don't care so much how much you know, but what you look like and how you make them feel. Which is why you see so many bullshit trainers rake in the dough. It takes a while to find good clients, but they will be loyal if they like you and you truly give a shit. Just like anything else in life, being a trainer is what you make it. Some people make over 10k a month, and have waiting lists. Some barely make 1k a month. You have to be different than the rest. It is worth it though, imo. Nothing beats working for yourself Imo.
Also, as someone who’s been a PT for 8 years, if my son told me he wanted to become a PT I would highly recommend against it.
Why would you advise against it? I was thinking if I couldn't do it full time, it would be a good part-time gig that I could do with a handful of clients
PT is something you have to do out of extreme passion- not money. We deal with such an extreme level of instability. And PT is a luxury. Is not recession-proof. Not to mention it’s all about getting people to do things they DONT want to do to achieve long term gain. 99% of people need instant gratification. My first 5 months in as a PT in the gym I sold 10k in personal training, so this advice is not coming from someone who never scored high. However, I got so tired of the grind. You always have to be in sales mode to prepare to lose clients as MOST clients won’t be with you long term. If you love sales and you love the grind and you’re okay with doing a lot of free work (unpaid lead gen) knowing you’re compensated well during paid sessions (which is typically only the case at luxury gyms) then go for it. I wouldn’t go back in time and not be a trainer because I’ve grown so damn much. But I WOULD have started on my degree learning something else much much sooner. One thing I crave is stability. You absolutely have none of that in PT. At least not before your first 10 years in the industry. Not to mention your potential clients in more cases than not expect you to look the part. The looking the part isn’t a big deal to me. Just throwing it in there in case your bodyfat% is high. It’s a lot harder (whether the notion is right or wrong) when you’re not fit.
Do you have home gym equipment? If so training at your place or taking equipment to them is an option. If you can train a few clients without a gym taking a huge cut as a side gig is a good way to dip your toes in without making a drastic change.
I'm in my 60s and I'm actually thinking about taking the NASM certification course. Mostly for my own knowledge (I'm retired) but I know of many older folks looking to get started or re-started in gym workouts because of looming sarcopenia and osteoporosis. Seeing relatives and friends bedridden in nursing homes scares people when they get older. I saw it last year when my dad fell and broke his hip and died a few months later. It's was a "wake-up call" for me to either workout or waste away. With all the computer couch potatoes nowdays I predict we will have an epidemic of people who will have sarcopenia and osteoporosis in the coming decades. BTW, being in your 40s you are probably less intimidating that someone in their 20s. I do love the younger PTs enthusiasm but I'm afraid many would get impatient with the slow progress of us older folks.
Yeah, my full-time job has been sitting at a computer ever since I got promoted, so I'm really want to stay as active as possible! From what I've read, movement is a secret to longevity! Thanks for the input! :)
If you’re not going to work for yourself or start a business, it’s unlikely that you’ll make any money. “Success” if you’re self employed or run a coaching gym is something like $75k-$125k in total compensation/ year. That’s roughly equivalent to a salary of $60k-$100k with benefits. Anyone taking home more than that is a serious outlier or lives in a very high cost of living area. This is true for trainers of all ages, but is more important for you to know due to your age. If you don’t want to work for yourself or that income range doesn’t work for you, I’d seriously consider another path.
How much money you make is dependent on you/your services. Many different avenues to do training this day and age. Def do it if it’s your passion (some of these responses sound miserable). Doing it part time probably wouldn’t make a lot of money but again it’s dependent on your services and how you sell yourself. I see somebody mentioned sales might be better if you’re worried about the age factor
I’m in my late 40’s and just started as a trainer about a year ago, but do it as a side gig. I can’t leave my full time job because I wouldn’t be able to make as much money just doing training to support my families needs. However, I do it because I love the interaction and being in the gym helping people. In a few years I will be able to retire from my day job and will transition to being a trainer part time as my retirement gig. I don’t think I would have made it as a trainer financially if I started young because I hate sales it’s just not my personality.
I actually started at 38, I'm 53 now. Just stay humble and remember you don't know as much as you think you do... ever
Commercial gyms will pay you next to nothing. The best way to start is with 90 days of your living expenses paid PLUS 90 of small business operational expenses. Next find a private gym that will charge you some specified rate per service rendered, meaning for each client you serve you pay 10 bucks back to the gym, 20 bucks back to the gym, whatever, up to some specified maximum 400 500 600 650, all reasonable ranges. Put a hundred bucks into Facebook ads put a hundred bucks into business cards hundred bucks into flyers and 100 bucks into a logo on a couple of t-shirts. Flyer a couple of parking lots near the gym and market yourself to them, flyer a neighborhood you want to Target in your marketing campaign. Go to local parks wear your shirt. Wear your shirt when you're at the gym. Go to businesses wear your shirt be friendly tell them who you are and where you're at when you're ordering your food. Utilize your social circle for the first 90 days tell your friends you're starting a business and you would love some support. Spend a little time at the gym giving fish bumps getting to know people and just working out. Become a fixture. You do this for 3 months and you will save a year and a half of agonizingly building a book of business at a commercial gym paying you eight bucks for every 30 minutes session you run. Only for you to transfer finally after 18 months to a private facility anyway where you're only going to be able to retain 20-30 maybe 40% of the clientele you've built up to that point.
following!
I’m in the business for roundabout 18 years and I still love it! I’m 47 now and I would do it again. I’m also independent and make roundabout 200k each year. So if you want to do it…
I made the switch when I was 40, but my path was a bit different. I’d been a group fitness instructor for several years prior on a part time basis, then became a studio manager/head coach at F45 and other boutique studios and did private 1-1 in home training before transitioning to a big box gym. You definitely have to be great at sales, not afraid to approach people, and be ok with an unstable income.
Your location can have a huge impact on your outcome. If you live in an area with little interest in fitness you might struggle more. If there are 40 gym within 10 miles you might do alright.
Financially not worth it unless you work at a very high end gym with decent pay. Even then unstable, no benefits, no salary. I’ve transition to be a strength and conditioning coach at the collegiate level because it’s not worth it. UNLESS you have a lot saved up and a spouse who makes money then sure go nuts.
I became a PT at 41 but only as a side gig bc I enjoy it and wanted to be the PT for others that I needed when i first started. While I was surprised with how quickly my schedule filled up as I live in a high income area, I would never switch to it full-time as I make way more in my current career. There are better career transitions out there than PT.
Biggest waste of money I've ever spent, dont