Just got certified, few questions

[FreddyKrueger]

Hey guys,

I just got done studying the 700+page book and taking the ISSA seminar. I need to tell you that it was pretty darn hard. I had few trainers in my class who said that this was one of the hardest certs they had to work on. I am not sure how valid that is since I only looked at ISSA. Either way I am now ISSA certified. :)

Now, I am trying to apply at my local 24hr fitness, and I am having some trouble. Every trainer I look at there exclusively has clients on swiss balls, leg bands, and boxes. I am yet to see one trainer take the client away to do any free weights, let alone seeing a trainer at the squat rack. Bench press is definitely a no-no as well. Now, on the ISSA cert (with JK Taylor if anyone is familiar), I learned that compound movements (fave five) are something every client should do and that the trainer should strive to give them proper instruction on form and help them with any kind of postural issues.
Now, I trained there with one of their very good trainers and all we did was cable squats with row's, ab work on the swiss balls, hyperextensions on the swis ball, and stability exercises (one legged squat, one legged extensions with bands etc.). While I though those exercises were challenging I kept thinking to myself. What about the good 'ol squat, or dead lift or god forbid a bench press??? Many people (trainers) I talk to outside the gym swear by the big compound exercises, yet here you will NEVER see the trainer venture to the squat rack.

Other than corporate bull-****, why can't any of those trainers ever do squats with their clients???

[HardGainer82]

Some trainers are afraid that their clients are going to break if they give them any real hard work.

[drooks10]

Congrats on your ISSA certification! Welcome to the team. Does the gym where you want to work have a guideline as to what workouts should be done and what exercises should be used? Some gyms only want to do all those crazy, fad-style lifts. I Always make my staples for each of my clients the major compound movements (squats, bench, rows/pulls, etc.) unless they have a specific injury that makes this impossible. Speak with management and find out, but I would definitely encourage you to stay true to the methods that have proven to be the most effective over the longest period of time. Good Luck!

[bigglendiesel]

Hey Freddy, where do you go to get certified to be a personal trainer? Fitness is quickly becoming my passion as I read all I can read and love to share the wealth of knowledge I gain daily! I'm already unoficially training a handful of people at my local gym, but why not get paid for it?? Any direction would be greatly appreciated.

[likebeasts]

NOOB here, great to be here! Hey congrats on the certification! I too am studying for the ISSA certification, hope to take it in a couple of weeks. I noticed the same thing with trainers at my gym. I think its because they want to start them out slow without discouraging them with the big hot draining exercises.

[kserajuddin]

I've heard some bad horror stories with 24 hour fitness so be careful -

Here are a few:
from gischer on the forum:
I currently work for 24 hour fitness as a trainer. I will say they are rediculous in that they will hire trainers with no prior certification and stick them through a 3 day workshop which teaches how to sell their products and a couple of silly ballance exercises, and then call us certified. This results in plenty of very unknowledgeable trainers, but they don't really "tell" us how to train other than that.

this one's from emisgod:
I really like their foolish training habit of training everyone who is doing Calves by having them do raises up and down the stairs to the Cardio section, one Leg at a time, unweighted of course. One day, there were about 4 trainers trying to take people to the stairs, which clotted up the staircase nicely. It was kind of funny watching them have to interrupt their workouts to wait for other people to get out of the way and every time someone wanted to go up to use the Cardio machines or come down from a workout...

But at least it's not LA Fitness!!!

My advice to you and every new trainer is work there until you get your bearings - you feel confident and in control of training sessions, and start to develop your own training style and specialty -

Then get the fu*k out on your own!!!!

[mydamnself]

I would really avoid working at 24 hour fitness if I were you.
Once I decide a client is qualified to do hard work I tend to whip the hell out of them. However, I received some sage advice from a trainer I respect a great deal. "If they're injured they can't pay you."
At the end of the day, you have to make a living. You don't want to be overly cautious to the point where the client doesn't get any results, but you don't want to push too hard either. You have to find a comfortable middle ground. You're a new trainer, and it's best to err on the side of caution. I've been training for almost a decade now, and I realize I know nothing. When I started out I was actively dangerous. :) Back then I was only thrashing Marines though, so it was ok.
Also understand that the average person who is not athletic is not qualified to squat, bench, or deadlift any decent amount of weight. You must teach them. I like to get a client ripping out 50 or so proper bodyweight squats in a set before I load them with weight. Before you scoff at that, stand up and do 50 bodyweight squats with no break.
Now sit down. Good job. That will be $90 please.

[FreddyKrueger]

Thanks guys.

I do plan to make this a career, and getting a job at 24 was a steping stone for me right now. I also understand that you want to take it easy in order to make money and prolong seessions, as well as being careful with clients on squats, deads etc. My nack is about the 'fad' exercises I am seeing. Not that they are not beneficial, I just feel like I also have to make some progress get some results to retain clients. Than again I also understand that the great part of the population does not want to work hard to get results (thank god for begginer gains).

Let me put it this way, I can push myself hard enough to where I puke at the gym. Does that make me a hard ass trainer??? I am just kidding. :)

[Spiceygamble]

Here's a tid bit that was drilled into me by my mentors:
Make something yours.

Another words, screw what everyone is doing, cookie cutter trainers do cookie cutter work. That's not what makes you stand out & them ask about you over the other guys.

Let's take Mydamnself for example(not to put you under the microscope ;)).
If he went to work in a mainstream gym(heaven forbid *snicker, teasing...), his program alone would have people's heads turning & the results of his clients would make quite a few people say "wow".

In the end, that's what will get you noticed... the "wow" factor. You've started up with a very corporate business group. It's no old school boxing gym or martial arts gym so you have to keep the mindset of the clients in your group. People see flashy toys & lots of movements(bright lights~pretty colours) & they think it's where the best trainers will be found. I know it's sick to have to think of it that way, but with so many gyms having become a version of Barnum Bailey's Corporate Monkey Show, sometimes you have to learn how to look flashier in order to compete... or just stay afloat.
You will get your footing & if that means you drag your clients off to the side to do squats & deadlifts while the others are copying each other, so be it.
Just gage what you do with each of your clients on what they truly NEED & don't worry about what the other trainers are doing to impress.


...just my 2 cents, ya know...
:D

[mydamnself]

Let's take Mydamnself for example(not to put you under the microscope ;)).
If he went to work in a mainstream gym(heaven forbid *snicker, teasing...), his program alone would have people's heads turning & the results of his clients would make quite a few people say "wow".

In the end, that's what will get you noticed... the "wow" factor.

Good point. That is actually exactly what happened. I started off working at Equinox Fitness in Palo Alto and was once declared by a member to be "A danger to everyone in the gym."
However, everyone noticed me and I was booked solid. Underneath the kettlebells and clients dragging me around the gym attached to a harness was the postural correction and movement pattern screening, but the 'wow' factor was the key.
If you can find some niche, some thing you do that no one else is doing even if it's walking around the gym on your hands and teaching your clients to do the same, it will make your sales job that much easier.

[Spiceygamble]

Good point. That is actually exactly what happened. I started off working at Equinox Fitness in Palo Alto and was once declared by a member to be "A danger to everyone in the gym."
However, everyone noticed me and I was booked solid. Underneath the kettlebells and clients dragging me around the gym attached to a harness was the postural correction and movement pattern screening, but the 'wow' factor was the key.
If you can find some niche, some thing you do that no one else is doing even if it's walking around the gym on your hands and teaching your clients to do the same, it will make your sales job that much easier.

Exactly.
Check his website out & see for yourself. It's a perfect example.
Clear, clean & easy to understand.

Find your niche & run with scissors.
;p

[kserajuddin]

Exactly.
Check his website out & see for yourself. It's a perfect example.
Clear, clean & easy to understand.

Find your niche & run with scissors.
;p

Yeah that's so important - finding a specialty or niche is vital, and that's where a lot of trainers sabotage themselves from the beginning - by not developing one - look at any largely successful trainer and you'll see that they clearly stand for a specialty, whether it's Cynthia Conde and her Bridal Bootcamps, Jason Ferrugia and training fighters, or David Kirsch, the "assman" -

[FreddyKrueger]

Thanks guys,

I am trying to cover any possible thing in my head right now. However, stuff most of you mentioned I did not cover. However, I am here to learn and help a client. I know its a bussiness, but the reason I like it is because you have to get results to maintain clients. So, if I can help a client they will come back. The niche is very familiar to me, however I am yet to develop it. We'll see how that goes.
I know I will be doing squats with clients, and the squat rack will be something most of them sunday folk (I am the only trainer on sunday) will be seeing. Of course I will always look to minimize/take away any possible risks in any exercise for my clients (what they teach us as ISSA).