Thinking about Switching Careers-- And pay structure for GYMS

[GetHuge50]

After being certified for almost a month now I have been on a bunch of interviews and there are only so many gyms (atleast where one lives).

NYSC didn't call me back, but I didn't really want to work there either. 8/hr + 35$ each training session I believe. If you don't meet a certain number of clients though your fired.

Equinox - You start off for 5-6 months making 8/hr and have to do 5 of the 3 hour floor shifts for a total of 15 hours a week. The other 17 hours you are in meetings and/or in classes trying to go from a tier one trainer to tier three (and you get paid around 8/hr or close for the education). You take quizes, go to seminars, lectors, etc. So for 32 hours a week you make 256 dollars give or take. During this 5-6 months you can build up your name, and try to get clients and make 23$ per session/hour, and then once you move up tiers and get more clients you make more. They showed me the salary sheet there and the top sallary of 113,000 -- in order to get that you had to train 180 clients a month. Thats 45 a week, so in a 5 day weeek thats 9 sessions a day. I mean really? Who the hell is going to get that many clients?? The other more realistic money (between 33,000-94,000 but hell to get 94,000 I don't remmber how many clients you need but its certainly got to be a lot).. So EVEN if I thought I could hustle my ass off here to make a living, to work for 5-6 months for $256 is a joke!

YMCA/JCC - They pay 10-11/hr, and then 25-30$ a session. But honeslty the facilitys here both suck. Not that I care too much, except for the fact I wouldn't/couldn't work out there to meet more clients-- but, they each only have like a few shifts a week and a shift is 2-4 hours. I can't live off that.

Best opportunity I got was a job making 12/hr as a floor trainer until you get advnced to a personal trainer but that takes 6 months to a year and it would have meant quitting my current job where I make tons more.

After all of this I have realized a few things. First off, the job security w/ training is terrible. I mean, you have to sell yourself, you aren't just normally handed clients. So, what if it a slow day and not a lot of people in the gym? What if there are a lot of other trainers on the floor trying to fight for clients? What if people just don't want any personal training? Well, in any of those cases we're screwed financially. If we don't get clients we make, what 8-11/hr? (atleast from my experiences)--Its a sales job, your income is based on your selling ability and also time, luck, economy, etc.

So, at this point after going to all the gyms I can think of I don't know what to do. I am debating whether or not I just go into a different career with my Business degree (w/ a specilization in the music biz actually). I want to do something I love which is why I picked PTing, but I also need to be able to pay my bills. I just don't know how safe of a future this is based on my experiences...

Any advice/input would be appreciated.

[WoofieNugget]

I wish that every new trainer got told that they will make little money for the first six months or so, because that is how long it takes to get busy with clients, no matter what facility you are in. They always seem to come into the job with stars in their eyes thinking that they will be training NFL superstars in no time and making 100k a year.

Personally, I do this because I love it and I know after trying other careers that it is something I'm meant to do. The money is somewhat irrelevant at that point. If you are only looking for a decent salary and job security, then you are thinking of going into the wrong field and should go into business like you said.

Also, if you're not willing to put in the time and effort (from the sounds of your post you expect to make a lot of money right away without earning anything) then you probably won't make any effort with your clients either and should also avoid getting into the industry. You have been certified for a month and have no practical experience - you have to start at the bottom and work your way up, like in any other industry.

[Nate R.]

You can consider going independent, 256 a week is pretty pathetic for that many hours. If you did in home training and charged each client 50 dollars, you make that in only 5 sessions lol I am still employed at a gym along with going to peoples homes but am seriously considering dropping the gym. I dont make like anything over there, get 65 percent of 40 for an hour session, 30 for a 45 minutes session which most people decide. And I am getting pretty busy with the independent route, making way more for less hours. Maybe start at the gym for a little bit and on the side try to get some in home clients, and once you are starting to get enough drop the gym and focus solely on that.

[bigw10921]

After being certified for almost a month now I have been on a bunch of interviews and there are only so many gyms (atleast where one lives).

NYSC didn't call me back, but I didn't really want to work there either. 8/hr + 35$ each training session I believe. If you don't meet a certain number of clients though your fired.

Equinox - You start off for 5-6 months making 8/hr and have to do 5 of the 3 hour floor shifts for a total of 15 hours a week. The other 17 hours you are in meetings and/or in classes trying to go from a tier one trainer to tier three (and you get paid around 8/hr or close for the education). You take quizes, go to seminars, lectors, etc. So for 32 hours a week you make 256 dollars give or take. During this 5-6 months you can build up your name, and try to get clients and make 23$ per session/hour, and then once you move up tiers and get more clients you make more. They showed me the salary sheet there and the top sallary of 113,000 -- in order to get that you had to train 180 clients a month. Thats 45 a week, so in a 5 day weeek thats 9 sessions a day. I mean really? Who the hell is going to get that many clients?? The other more realistic money (between 33,000-94,000 but hell to get 94,000 I don't remmber how many clients you need but its certainly got to be a lot).. So EVEN if I thought I could hustle my ass off here to make a living, to work for 5-6 months for $256 is a joke!

YMCA/JCC - They pay 10-11/hr, and then 25-30$ a session. But honeslty the facilitys here both suck. Not that I care too much, except for the fact I wouldn't/couldn't work out there to meet more clients-- but, they each only have like a few shifts a week and a shift is 2-4 hours. I can't live off that.

Best opportunity I got was a job making 12/hr as a floor trainer until you get advnced to a personal trainer but that takes 6 months to a year and it would have meant quitting my current job where I make tons more.

After all of this I have realized a few things. First off, the job security w/ training is terrible. I mean, you have to sell yourself, you aren't just normally handed clients. So, what if it a slow day and not a lot of people in the gym? What if there are a lot of other trainers on the floor trying to fight for clients? What if people just don't want any personal training? Well, in any of those cases we're screwed financially. If we don't get clients we make, what 8-11/hr? (atleast from my experiences)--Its a sales job, your income is based on your selling ability and also time, luck, economy, etc.

So, at this point after going to all the gyms I can think of I don't know what to do. I am debating whether or not I just go into a different career with my Business degree (w/ a specilization in the music biz actually). I want to do something I love which is why I picked PTing, but I also need to be able to pay my bills. I just don't know how safe of a future this is based on my experiences...

Any advice/input would be appreciated.

NYSC is a mill,,,they run through trainers faster than I can change my underwear..Equinox is not bad,,considering they pay you to learn..Most small gyms will not pay for CEC's and you need those to renew your *****...The Y's are all non profit and can't pay as well...You need to get experience somewhere...As for sales..PT's are like dentists,,everyone needs one at some point,,but nobody wants one...You have to sell value,,you need to convince people that what you bring to the table is worth money. I have managed health clubs and training depts for 20 years. Gyms need to turn a profit. Can't do that if salaries are high..sorry, doesn't work...That's why floor hours pay sucks...Most gym owners would prefer to do away with floor hours if they could,,but it might cost them members..so they deal with the expense and bitch about it all day...The gyms we manage pay trainers 10/hr for floor time,,plus $$per session based on the number of sessions per week..the more sessions per week..the more money per session..Some trainers make $25/session,,,some make $40/session...We also run contests and give bonuses...Not all gyms are horrible

[GetHuge50]

I wish that every new trainer got told that they will make little money for the first six months or so, because that is how long it takes to get busy with clients, no matter what facility you are in. They always seem to come into the job with stars in their eyes thinking that they will be training NFL superstars in no time and making 100k a year.

Personally, I do this because I love it and I know after trying other careers that it is something I'm meant to do. The money is somewhat irrelevant at that point. If you are only looking for a decent salary and job security, then you are thinking of going into the wrong field and should go into business like you said.

Also, if you're not willing to put in the time and effort (from the sounds of your post you expect to make a lot of money right away without earning anything) then you probably won't make any effort with your clients either and should also avoid getting into the industry. You have been certified for a month and have no practical experience - you have to start at the bottom and work your way up, like in any other industry.

Yes, I understand I'm not going to make a fourtane as a personal trainer, especially when just starting out. But $256 for 32 hours is a joke, I don't care if i'm starting off that is pretty sh*tty. I know I won't make a heck of a lot of money in the beggining, but I do need to do atleast halfway decent. As much as I want to do something I love if I can't pay my bills then its not going to work.

[GetHuge50]

Yes, I understand I'm not going to make a fourtane as a personal trainer, especially when just starting out. But $256 for 32 hours is a joke, I don't care if i'm starting off that is pretty sh*tty. I know I won't make a heck of a lot of money in the beggining, but I do need to do atleast halfway decent. As much as I want to do something I love if I can't pay my bills then its not going to work.

Okay guys. I'm done. I can't live my life as a salesman hoping to get clients. No offense or disrespect to ANY personal trainers at all -- don't get me wrong at ALL! I have the upmost respect for all of you. Its just I can't live like this. Even if I open my own business-- to make 62,000 a year before taxes i'd have to have around 25 clients a week. I mean how likely is this, ya know?

And working for a gym.. Shoot, if Its a slow day, or I don't get clients forwhatever reason i'm stuck making minimum wage (9-12) on the floor.. I really think its time to find another career

[WoofieNugget]

Okay guys. I'm done. I can't live my life as a salesman hoping to get clients. No offense or disrespect to ANY personal trainers at all -- don't get me wrong at ALL! I have the upmost respect for all of you. Its just I can't live like this. Even if I open my own business-- to make 62,000 a year before taxes i'd have to have around 25 clients a week. I mean how likely is this, ya know?

And working for a gym.. Shoot, if Its a slow day, or I don't get clients forwhatever reason i'm stuck making minimum wage (9-12) on the floor.. I really think its time to find another career

Good call. Find something else to do.

[dirtydozen614]

Okay guys. I'm done. I can't live my life as a salesman hoping to get clients. No offense or disrespect to ANY personal trainers at all -- don't get me wrong at ALL! I have the upmost respect for all of you. Its just I can't live like this. Even if I open my own business-- to make 62,000 a year before taxes i'd have to have around 25 clients a week. I mean how likely is this, ya know?

And working for a gym.. Shoot, if Its a slow day, or I don't get clients forwhatever reason i'm stuck making minimum wage (9-12) on the floor.. I really think its time to find another career

No offense, but I think no matter what you do, you will struggle with this kind of attitude. You don't seem to want to put any work at all into your business/trade and simply have it handed to you. Everyone who starts any business suffers at the beginning.

Your success is only "likely" if you work hard. Hell, get some clients on your own while working at a gym and go from there. If you do good, they'll tell their friends and you'll get more clients. Do as much cheap advertising as you can. After a while if you work hard your referrels will get you business and you're set.