Struggling Trainer

[Nelson Sprague]

Coach, I have been a personal trainer for about 2 years and if I have learned anything over that time its how little the average person knows about working out, myself included. I have read SS, PP, and watched the SS DVD the three of which has taught me 3 times what I learned from ISSA and NSCA together. (I actually got the NSCA cert because of your recommendations in PP and was very disappointed in the suggestion to talk to a Dr first and the suggestion to start people out walking. I understand why you resigned from the organization.) I realize I have a lot left to learn about the human body and working out in general but it seems the more I learn and know the less it benefits me. Every gym I go to if full of idiot trainers crammed on to Arthur Jone's monstrosities and some don't even have a simple barbell set. Its getting to the point where I hate to be associated with such wastes. I can't find a job that pays anything, most gyms are at best 50% of what you sell or you have to go out find your own clients and then pay for your own insurance. I love working out and learning as much as I can about crossfit, strength training, etc. but more and more it seems like all I do is fight against uneducated people promoting crunches and leg extensions. I really want to make a living actually training people in proper methods but it's getting harder and harder to do that. What suggestions do you have get on the right track and really begin to make a difference and a living as a trainer? your advise is much appreaciated SS and PP are two books I wish I had read when I was about 10 years old.

[Mark Rippetoe]

It really depends on where you live. If you're in a small town, it's not going to make a difference how good you are because this type of business is not viable in a very small community. It depends on enough people having enough disposable income that they can afford your services and still get the rest of the overhead met. If you were in a bigger market and you are actually worth a shit as a trainer, and you actually manage to make somebody stronger/faster/leaner/in better shape, it won't be long before you're working enough. Marketing is a small part of it in that if people don't know that you are there then they can't hire you. But primarily this type of business depends on word of mouth. And the mouths that speak these words must be convinced themselves that you can do a good job for other people. I know of only one way to make that happen.

[Blairbob]

Nelson, are you typically working at the Globogyms? Years ago, I remembered what 24HR told me the typical cut was and realized it was crappy. Say 5 years later, I looked at a different one nearby and asked what was the totals of the top grosser and typical ( I think the top grosser was 3-5k/month but typical was 1?! ). It really made sense why they were trying to push so much of their own supplement line and amenities. I never went that route because it didn't seem like there was a great amount of success possible there in the first place. They didn't take it well when I said I typically trained with BB or bumpers only

Currently I'm looking at either the NSCA or ISSA but have to the come to the conclusion that if it doesn't require a hands-on pass all the paper certs are about the same. I'm sure there is a lot of material to read and write and pass but all of the paper certs require no hands-on ( though I think a few can be done at a seminar and test later ). I'm leaning towards ISSA now just to get some legitimacy as I remember Rip's letter about the NSCA and it has stuck with me ever since.

I've been meaning to look at the gyms around if they are hiring but I don't see that they are except one nearby ( a chain called FitnessTogether focusing on 1 on 1 private training in small studios that are like 3 or 4 mini studios with sectioned off areas and cardio equipment in the front ). They're paying 18-24$/hr ( Sacramento, CA ) I think, but they do most of the marketing and what not.

The debate right now is whether to go work at one of these gyms or see about setting up my own gig at the gym I coach gymnastics at in the off hours I don't coach. There is quite a bit of competition around from globogyms to personal training gyms and 9 CF affiliates in the Greater Sac area and like 5 in the area around me.

What I'm thinking is a focus on youth sports is a good target niche namely training for strength and power which is what I prefer anyways.

With some preliminary number crunching, running my own gig could work out better for me in the long run than at some personal training gym even if I didn't work as many hours besides the ability to train how I prefer and to make my own schedule. That's what and why CF always appealed to me because it's not just personal training ( which means it can be rather difficult to take time off and not lose clients ).