what is your guys input??
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04-27-2006, 06:57 AM #1
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04-27-2006, 07:04 AM #2
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04-27-2006, 07:52 AM #3
- Join Date: Mar 2006
- Location: Guthrie, Oklahoma, United States
- Age: 68
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I personally would not spend 10's of thousands of dollars going to college just to be a personal trainer. You can do that by going to work at a local YMCA and they will usually send you to get certified at thier expence. I know several people who have done this and got some experience at the Y then moved on with a paid for cert.
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04-27-2006, 10:09 AM #4
Check out www.NaturalHealers.com for a nice list of available options. Obviously, if you're going to go for a "traditional" college you'll want to major in Exercise Science.
A word of warning though, all the trainers I've known personally complain about the money. Unless you're training at an elite level (celebrity trainer, pro trainer etc.) or happen to own your own training facility and it happens to be in a great location, you'd better prepare yourself for a paycheck to paycheck kind of life.
This is a generalization, but it is based on empirical evidence. Now that I think about it, of all the trainers I've ever know, only 2 have even experienced a small amount of financial success. 1 is just plainly and simply Supergirl. She totally rocks and was even part of an Oprah weight loss challenge or something. Awesome girl. That being said, based on her apartment, car, clothes and lifestyle, I'd estimate her income to be around $45k-$50k. And again, she's elite, not average.
The second successful trainer I mentioned fell ass backward into a perfect scenario. He was the manager/trainer at a gym that was free for residents of a rather large upper/upper middle class condo building. In other words, tons of "kept" housewives with loads of disposable income. Him being the only trainer meant he always had a full client roster. He tells me that in 2003, made close to $100k. I believe him.
Of course, they tore the condos down to build a harbor in 2004. Now he works at a chain gym as a trainer. He's now making less than $30k and supplementing his income by working at the docks of Baltimore.
So... you can see what I'm getting at. Make sure that if you do decide to make personal training a career that you go into it with realistic expectations. Sure, it's fun if you love fitness, but it does not pay well and the churn rate is astronomical.
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04-27-2006, 12:51 PM #5
- Join Date: Sep 2002
- Location: Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Age: 46
- Posts: 3,254
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This business is what you make of it. If you're smart, you'd get as many tools as possible now for the future. I'd suggest getting a certificate, work as a part time trainer while you're in school, and take your time in building a small clientele. So by the time you get out of college, you'll hopefully hit the ground running. If you don't like promoting yourself, or like marketing, then I'd say you may have to look pretty hard to get yourself in a position where you won't have to. I'd say get a degree in nutrition if you can, and learn as much as you can about how self promoting business works unless you plan on working for a chain gym your whole career. You can be a trainer without having a college degree, but its' everything else that'll determine how well you do. I've seen tons of trainers who can't train worth nothing but are good talkers make some good money. Go figure.
One rep, one set, one meal...one day at a time. You build a fortress brick by brick.
VR-4 Crew
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04-27-2006, 01:12 PM #6
What college? Well that is debatable. I go to Penn State University and we have one of the top programs in the country dedicated to the field you are looking into. The program you would most likely find yourself in is exercise science or now it is aptly name KINESIOLOGY. Just my 2 cents.
IMHO, to become a personal trainer you do not have to go to a 4 year university. But you better make sure that you find a certified company that will give you all the tools to be a successful trainer. Also, college or not, you should be a marketing guru. If you sell it, they will come! Good luck in your endeavors man
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04-27-2006, 06:32 PM #7
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04-27-2006, 09:08 PM #8
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04-27-2006, 09:12 PM #9
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04-27-2006, 09:15 PM #10
GED. Do some online course. Don't need to be a brainiac, just read some bb.com articles and tell people how you are going to gie them the body they always wanted in just 52 easy payments.
The best threads of 2004: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=377096&highlight=2004
The best threads of 2005: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=601510&highlight=2005+best
The best threads of 2006: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=940367&highlight=2006+best
The best threads of 2007: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=5860741&highlight=2007+best
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04-27-2006, 09:57 PM #11
- Join Date: Nov 2004
- Location: Corbin, Kentucky, United States
- Age: 40
- Posts: 1,051
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Originally Posted by bigcalves
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11-15-2016, 08:33 PM #12
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