Hi i recently passed my personal training exam. What are your thoughts working at corporate gyms like Gold’s vs. private gyms?
I am in a dilemma with 2 options. I recently narrowed down my job searches to 2 places. First, it is Gold’s gym where I can get my feet wet to start off my career. Even though I hear all these negative reviews about working at a corporate gym, I feel like I can gain experiences that can help me in the long run. Second, I have a option of working at a local strength & conditioning club where I have some personal relationship with the owner. I don’t know how the pay will be, but he is very open to the idea of bringing my own customers and conducting a class. Since I specialize in fat loss, he likes the idea of me bringing something different to the table (attracting the general public) so that his gym can attract diverse population (he mostly trains athletes)
Hi Jason,
there is something to be said for both scenarios.
At the Gold’s Gym, you will work with quite a variety of people and will gain a lot of experience. The pay structure (while probably not good) will be known to you, and chances are that there are other trainers who you can observe and learn from; if only what not to do. You also do not have to worry about things like liability insurance. You will probably be paid an hourly rate.
Being in a smaller setting under the tutelage of an experienced trainer can be a great thing. I am wondering, though how you can bring in people if, so far, nobody really knows of you yet. I also wonder how you can make that assertion that you specialize in fat loss when you are just starting. As a small gym owner, he will probably take you on as an independent contractor which means that it costs him absolutely nothing to have you around but you will need to have your own business. As you can see, you have a lot of unanswered questions here.
I would try to clarify the situation with the small gym first, and then look at the whole picture to make a more informed decision.
Good luck to you.
Karin Singleton
www.meltnc.com
What type of work have you done in the fitness industry in the past? And from that previous work, do you have clients who will come to you?
If your interest is fat loss, will you learn more by working at Golds or from working with your friend?
It really depends on your skills and interests. If you already have a following and / or you are a skilled salesperson, you might be better off with the smaller studio. It’s a lot more responsibility and a lot fewer rules.
If you have never trained before, and you need experience with a lot of bodies, a big box chain is an easier way to get that. A lot of places will feed you clients, and you learn how to sell by doing lots and lots and lots of first workouts and assessments on people.
When I first started out I coached swimming/diving and gymnastics at two separate facilities. I also had clients of my own that I worked with at their homes. And I worked a few hours at a local fitness club each week. As time went on I eventaully had to choose to let go of the things that were either not paying well or that I didn’t enjoy as much (both are things that I take into consideration, I do a fair amount of work for little pay with groups like People with Parkinson’s and TBI clients).
And I have relocated a few times and took part time jobs to make ends meet all over again. Unless the facilities won’t let you work with other facilities, work as much as you can/want. When I was younger, I worked hard and played hard. Now I work smart and play hard.