Any personal trainers on here? Please chime in

[heavyfuel]

I'm taking an online course through ISSA really hoping for a career change here. Thing is I hate social media with the hottest fiery burning passion from the deepest depths of hell. I started up an Instagram account because apparently that's a crucial part of being a trainer these days and it makes me so fuckin sick to my stomach to see selfie after selfie after selfie of the same people... 3 weeks in and nothing but drama drama drama. Plus having been a heavy cocaine user in the past (now clean for almost 15 years) and being more or less alone all the time with little or no social circles that shit is taking over my life since it targets the same dopamine receptors as addictive drugs and I'm just really not liking anything about that. When I take a good hard honest look at myself I don't feel the need to share my life that way, whether or not I post it I'm gonna do it, and that's what really counts to me, not how many people know about it. But, on the flip side I am alone all the time and really lonely, and at 43 it's not easy to make friends because I'm not on that level of being wifed up and locked down so it is kinda nice, but it's taking over too much and it's gotta go.

So my question is, exactly how crucial is this Instafake bullshit and is it possible to thrive as a trainer without it?

[jwslam]

Sounds like you have more problems than just the career change part. I'm not a PT but here's what I'm reading from your post.

-You're not clear on what you want.
-You're looking to move into PT and believe that Social Media is the only way to make a living. You could start smaller and try to get a job at some big gym like Goodlife or World Health where the clients come through the doors anyways.
-It seems like you already know that social media is bad for you. Maybe you need to figure out how to use it in a different way. Maybe you only use it to post, and respond to messages. Reduce the interactions of making comments and participating in flame wars. Take everything with a grain of salt. i.e. just block that woman who's causing you drama and be done with that; remove her from your life. No different than the people around here who put themselves up against Gesalt.
-When you make posts on IG, they don't remotely need to be personal... they just need to be relatable which is what gets attention. i.e. look at @Thegoodquote.co has 4.3mil followers and not one post is a personal photo.
-It doesn't seem clear whether you enjoy your "solo" life, or if you're looking for more interaction. It's up to you to decide and make a change if necessary. There's many ways to do this; I'm sure it exists in some other thread on here.

some reading:
https://forums.beyond.ca/threads/328...cost-a-fortune
https://www.trainerize.com/blog/the-...professionals/
https://www.theguardian.com/technolo...e-so-miserable

[ExtraSlow]

You need to compartmentalize your problems a bit and try to think about them individually.
1) is personal training a passion for you, or just a job. Both are fine, but that's got to be clear to you.
2) it sounds like social media is a bad plan for you. Just because others in the job use it doesn't mean it's the only way. Know your weaknesses and don't pretend they don't exist.
3) are you in any way serious about this woman? Sounds like she's not a positive influence on you, and she's expecting things from you she isn't willing to give in return. If you aren't serious, keep banging until you can upgrade, but dont let her control your emotions.

Best of luck man, you've always seemed like a genuine guy, and I hope you find fulfillment in all areas of your life. You deserve it.

[heavyfuel]

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You need to compartmentalize your problems a bit and try to think about them individually.
1) is personal training a passion for you, or just a job. Both are fine, but that's got to be clear to you.
2) it sounds like social media is a bad plan for you. Just because others in the job use it doesn't mean it's the only way. Know your weaknesses and don't pretend they don't exist.
3) are you in any way serious about this woman? Sounds like she's not a positive influence on you, and she's expecting things from you she isn't willing to give in return. If you aren't serious, keep banging until you can upgrade, but dont let her control your emotions.

Best of luck man, you've always seemed like a genuine guy, and I hope you find fulfillment in all areas of your life. You deserve it.

Yeah, we're through her and I, at 43 I'm absolutely not dealing with that, and after a more or less year long Tinder rampage with 2 semi serious "relatonships" (if you even wanna call it that) the only thing I wanna bang right now is the books so I can get my credentials to do what I already can probably do better than most clowns in places like Goodlife.

Passion or job? Well, let's put it this way. Most people that do what I do and are 10 years older are among the most miserable negative awful people you will ever meet. And I'm well on my way there. I'm aware and not quite in a freefall yet but very close. I routinely look at job postings here and there, and whether or not I'm qualified for said jobs, all I see is like staring into a big black void, with nothing looking back at me. Not an iota of even remote interest for anything except- I applied with CPS, and got deferred but still don't know for how long. Shit money to start, your life on the line every time you go to work, allegedly dysfunctional hierarchy, workplace politics and drama, list goes on. I wanted all that. I wanted to take that on in that setting. I wanted to give back for all the fucked up shit I've done and put my experience to good use helping people not let their lives be ruined by people like I used to be. So that ship sailed, cool. Next.

Now I figure, if I can inspire, empower and motivate people to embrace a fitness lifestyle with my current experience and capabilities I think that would be the next best thing from being a part of making criminal's lives miserable and pointing at risk youth in the right direction.

[Misterman]

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I'm taking an online course through ISSA really hoping for a career change here. Thing is I hate social media with the hottest fiery burning passion from the deepest depths of hell. I started up an Instagram account because apparently that's a crucial part of being a trainer these days and it makes me so fuckin sick to my stomach to see selfie after selfie after selfie of the same people, and the woman I'm seeing (who ironically is a trainer herself) thinks I'm treating IG as Tinder and now we're in a huge fight because "it makes her insecure" like what the direct fuck is that?? 3 weeks in and nothing but drama drama drama. Plus having been a heavy cocaine user in the past (now clean for almost 15 years) and being more or less alone all the time with little or no social circles that shit is taking over my life since it targets the same dopamine receptors as addictive drugs and I'm just really not liking anything about that. When I take a good hard honest look at myself I don't feel the need to share my life that way, whether or not I post it I'm gonna do it, and that's what really counts to me, not how many people know about it. But, on the flip side I am alone all the time and really lonely, and at 43 it's not easy to make friends because I'm not on that level of being wifed up and locked down so it is kinda nice, but it's taking over too much and it's gotta go.

So my question is, exactly how crucial is this Instafake bullshit and is it possible to thrive as a trainer without it?

It really depends what type of a business you want to build. If you just want to do traditional training and be in a small business trade time for money scenario, then you can do that organically without the social media. It will just be a longer slower road.

If you want to have a big business and make big money. Doing things like running contests and having a big volume of people run your cookie cutter plan. That will be VERY hard to do without social media.

If social media is causing you a bunch of headache, there is an option to just hire someone to manage that aspect of the business for you. But you generally need to be well established already for that, so you have profits coming in to pay for that service.

[scboss]

You have three options
1. Have your own business and pay a flat rate somewhere

This method social media is much more needed but not as important as making your circle bigger. You need to work the floor at the gym you train at, create cold calls and get referrals. You need to create systems to take care of payment methods, accounting, saving for vacation, educating yourself etc. The hardest part about doing your own thing is accountability and you are no longer a trainer, you are a business owner. The payoffs can be huge.

2. Train for a commercial gym

You will NEVER be to smart to train for one of these gyms. You will be shown how to run a successful business, have someone to mentor you, gain experience super fast and worry about being a trainer. As you progress in a company you will slowly gain higher cuts to the point where you are pretty much paying what you would for a flat rate somewhere. The main difference is you will have a receptionist, payroll, manager, continuing ed etc. The only CON is obviously lack of freedom/creative control and the ratio of which you get paid when you first start.

3. Online

I have online training along with in person training and this is obviously the best bang for your buck but dont let this fool you. You are literally getting paid for a program and correcting techniques and you are no longer limited to where your home gym is either. But thats when stuff gets interesting

Most people hire a trainer because they are struggling or have no idea what they are doing. If you are a stickler for technique holding someone accountable online is very hard especially if they have never been in a gym before.


Social media is great but in all of these it really doesnt do what you think because you are competing with tens of thousands of people vs the people in your gym. Your best leads will always come from your natural market and referrals.


If you have any questions dont be afraid to ask

[mr2mike]

Personal trainer = purchased gym friendship.

I'll admit, I spend hours watching personal training and physio therapy videos on youtube for my own training and understanding. Not all are good. Infact, I probably only watch 2 people and that's it. The rest are usually garbage, copycats and can't explain things right or are boring.

At any gym I have been to I see these hired personal trainers and a few don't even count reps for people.
Have yet to see one at my gym correct anyone's form, push them beyond comfort or assist them on the last few reps.
They'll collect their money regardless and most are just paid gym friends.
Did a free session with one a long time ago to see. The plan for me was so basic and would keep you in mediocrity while slowly draining your wallet.

[heavyfuel]

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Personal trainer = purchased gym friendship.

I'll admit, I spend hours watching personal training and physio therapy videos on youtube for my own training and understanding. Not all are good. Infact, I probably only watch 2 people and that's it. The rest are usually garbage, copycats and can't explain things right or are boring.

At any gym I have been to I see these hired personal trainers and a few don't even count reps for people.
Have yet to see one at my gym correct anyone's form, push them beyond comfort or assist them on the last few reps.
They'll collect their money regardless and most are just paid gym friends.
Did a free session with one a long time ago to see. The plan for me was so basic and would keep you in mediocrity while slowly draining your wallet.

I can totally see that, of course some people are more experienced, some people have better people skills but know fuck all about training, to some it might merely be just a job, there's a ton of variables that can most definitely impact your experience with a trainer however the common denominator remains the same and that is,

You!

Put all the above factors together (and any others you can think of) and then take a good, hard honest look in the mirror and ask yourself how bad you want it.

[Lex350]

Instead of the trainer doing the social media route have you considered corporate training? I know it is a bit harder to get in to because it requires some good networking but it sure pays the bills better. I have a friend that went that route. I'd say it took him about 3 years to finally be successful at it. He was doing the typical training people at chain gyms and not really advancing so he changed his focus and started training at private clubs instead. This helped him meet a better clientele that helped him get work in the corporate training environment.

[scboss]

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At any gym I have been to I see these hired personal trainers and a few don't even count reps for people.
Have yet to see one at my gym correct anyone's form, push them beyond comfort or assist them on the last few reps.
They'll collect their money regardless and most are just paid gym friends.

Yep it's sorta sad tbh. The worst is when a trainer whips out his phone during the session. These guys don't realize that they are in a giant fish bowl and everyone is watching

[heavyfuel]

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Yep it's sorta sad tbh. The worst is when a trainer whips out his phone during the session. These guys don't realize that they are in a giant fish bowl and everyone is watching

That is sad... we're all guilty of texting/using our phones at the gym but when it's packed I make an extra effort to only look at it if I need to change my music.

I cannot imagine whipping out my phone while someone is paying me to pay attention to what they're doing

[heavyfuel]

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Instead of the trainer doing the social media route have you considered corporate training? I know it is a bit harder to get in to because it requires some good networking but it sure pays the bills better. I have a friend that went that route. I'd say it took him about 3 years to finally be successful at it. He was doing the typical training people at chain gyms and not really advancing so he changed his focus and started training at private clubs instead. This helped him meet a better clientele that helped him get work in the corporate training environment.

That's a bridge I'm not ready to cross yet, the reality remains that just because I'm going to be certified doesn't mean I'll be able to hold a job not to sound negative but once again- common denominator is me. Only time I held a job for 6 months was when I was on parole 15 years ago, self employment may very well be the only way for me so yeah, I'm open to getting a job at a gym but I'm not holding my breath.

[Disoblige]

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But, on the flip side I am alone all the time and really lonely, and at 43 it's not easy to make friends because I'm not on that level of being wifed up and locked down so it is kinda nice, but it's taking over too much and it's gotta go.

This is the biggest problem you have right here. You need a woman who can stand your shit, someone who truly cares for you. You won't be so jaded any more and it will change your whole life.

As you mentioned, you're 43. Put some hard effort into putting yourself out there, be vulnerable, meet new people and maybe you'll find someone. Invest time into this because it's important.

I think you already know the root of your problems. Everything else will work itself out once you fix this as it will change your outlook on life.

[Lex350]

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That's a bridge I'm not ready to cross yet, the reality remains that just because I'm going to be certified doesn't mean I'll be able to hold a job not to sound negative but once again- common denominator is me. Only time I held a job for 6 months was when I was on parole 15 years ago, self employment may very well be the only way for me so yeah, I'm open to getting a job at a gym but I'm not holding my breath.

My friend does this as a contractor. He isn't directly employed my a business. He contracts his services out to a number of different businesses. Just another way to do things.

[BavarianBeast]

The best PT I know isn’t even on social media. If your good at what you do you don’t need to have a conceited social media page to promote that you know how to build a good body.

[heavyfuel]

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The best PT I know isn’t even on social media. If your good at what you do you don’t need to have a conceited social media page to promote that you know how to build a good body.

THANK YOU!

Jesus H Christ... lol

[Misterman]

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The best PT I know isn’t even on social media. If your good at what you do you don’t need to have a conceited social media page to promote that you know how to build a good body.

"Best" is a subjective term though. The best PT income wise is pretty likely to be on social media. Best PT knowledge wise. That's anybodys guess.

Being a PT on social media, and having a conceited SM page, are not synonymous. That's the beauty of SM marketing, you can grow your presence a million different ways.

[gwill]

all these different posts have been entertaining as hell. Its like a slow motion train wreck in the making... I want to turn away but I cant. Genuinely curious to see how everything goes.

[scboss]

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"Best" is a subjective term though. The best PT income wise is pretty likely to be on social media. Best PT knowledge wise. That's anybodys guess.

Being a PT on social media, and having a conceited SM page, are not synonymous. That's the beauty of SM marketing, you can grow your presence a million different ways.

It's very subjective. If you are doing any job that requires marketing and you are not using FREE advertising you are insane.

Even if it generates 4 free clients in one year it was worth it.

From my experience the biggest struggle all of these guys coming into the industry is they think it's just about training, when it's really about developing and selling your product.

[heavyfuel]

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It's very subjective. If you are doing any job that requires marketing and you are not using FREE advertising you are insane.

Even if it generates 4 free clients in one year it was worth it.

From my experience the biggest struggle all of these guys coming into the industry is they think it's just about training, when it's really about developing and selling your product.

Are you even 30 yet? Do you have any idea what real life experience is? What's the roughest/darkest shit you've been through? Your insta to me comes across like you're just another 20-something kid who lifts, travels and gambles and (thinks he) has life by the balls, everything all figured out, nothing to learn from anybody, future's so bright you gotta wear shades lol And now you're calling out those who feel they can thrive without "free" IG advertising? I'm really curious as to what your clients' goals are.

Instagram is far from free, it's part of the undoing of humanity, you know full well there's nothing Instant in this world. Let alone in the fitness world. (although gear, rented hummers and phony ass photo shoots and people like yourself willing to leverage all that garbage sure convince some otherwise, right?)

I think if you can avoid these "free" advertising platforms you're more genius than insane. Then again the line between genius and insane is pretty thin.