I am 18 years old and I am 100% convinced in becoming a fitness trainer…any input?
Hello, I am an 18 year old female and I am dedicated to becoming a fitness trainer not only because its a great career, but also because I love it. I think it would be a great place to start I love working with people and I love fitness. At times it is hard because there are so many different routs to take and so many things to learn but I am convinced in going through with this. I would love any imput that I can get good or bad. Thank You
Go find someone who will let you shadow them. Absorb everything you can and always thank them. If this works out well, see if you can intern with them. If you intern under someone with 10+ years of experience, who is a great teacher, you will be ahead of most trainers.
The other thing I will recommend is keeping an open mind. You can learn something from everyone you interact with. In some cases, you might learn what not to do, but that is still part of the learning process.
Hi Prizma. I would add that it is absolutely necessary that you establish a good base of technical/science based knowledge about exercise, fitness, anatomy etc. In today’s world of training and fitness, this is an absolute requirement if you are to succeed in the industry. You don’t mention your background in these areas in your question so I would recommend taking at least a basic anatomy/physiology course (a local Community College) to get started if that’s possible for you. Absent that, you can do some self-study. You will find that this will bode well for you once you begin studies for a personal training/fitness certification (again, another necessary part of your working in the industry).
I wish you good luck in your pursuit! You seem to already have one of the primary prerequisites to succeed in our industry – a passion for fitness/wellness.
I hope that this helps.
LaRue, CSCS
www.lecfitness.com
Hi Prizma,
In addition to what Steve and LaRue suggested, I would add to always be professional and dependable in whatever you decide to do. Education and continuing search of new ideas is a must if you want to become the best you can be. If you want to succeed as a trainer, make sure people can trust you and follow you by example. Don’t promise things you can’t deliver, and stay within the scope of your practice. Love what you do, and I think you will be great as a trainer or in anything else you decide to do.
Best,
Harris
LaRue and Steve give some great suggestions. You can also look into on-line colleges and universities that partner with certifying agencies (ACE, NASM, ACSM, etc) to further your knowledge and get some additional education, all while preping you for the personal trainer exams. This is a good option if you need to work (a great opportunity to gain experience even if working the front desk at a gym – its a foot in the door and you can learn a lot by asking questions of those you’re working with and learning what to do and what not to do!) and get an education at the same time.
You can also go to the ACE (http://www.acefitness.org/default.aspx) and IDEA (https://www.ideafit.com/fitness-career) websites and look through their career sections. They have great step by step guides on how to get started in the industry.
Have a fun journey,
Jocelyn
Everyone gave very good advice. You also wanted to hear about the bad side. So here it goes: Don’t expect to make a ton of money right away. Don’t get me wrong, it could happen, definitely, but just don’t expect it to. Always remember why you got into the profession to begin with, because you want to help people. The more you are passionate about your job the more people will see that and the more people will want to work with you.
There will be times that you cannot help someone. And that’s ok. Whether it’s because you can’t fit them into your schedule, they are a different personality or they need help outside your scope, or whatever the case may be don’t get discouraged. In the beginning you want to help everyone, but you need to recognize you can’t (and you will burn out quickly trying).
The most important thing is stay passionate about what you love and the rest will fall into place.