Career Path for Group Fitness Instructors
Cross-Training for the Career Win
A seasoned high school soccer player who has excellent shooting, passing, dribbling and heading skills walks into your office looking for a personal trainer to help her boost her game. To reach the next level—say, collegiate-quality—making her ball skills even better may not be what’s most important. To further excel, she will need to hold her own at control, speed, agility and strength. If she improves these abilities and combines them with her already exceptional ball skills, she’ll have the tools to become a strong, well-rounded college recruit.
Adaptable Program Design
A perfect match. Sometimes, in what seems a stroke of kismet, a
perfect client-trainer relationship begins. Several years ago, Eran, a
longtime dancer for Paul Taylor’s American Modern Dance Company, moved
to Brooklyn in New York City. She had been working with a personal
trainer in Harlem until the commute from Brooklyn became too much of a
struggle.
Building Positive Client Experiences
Pete McCall, MS, CSCS, is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and longtime educator in the fitness industry. For the past 15 years, he has dedicated himself to helping clients improve their fitness levels and educating fitness professionals in countries ranging from Russia to Thailand. Prior to starting his own personal training and consulting business, McCall served as an exercise physiologist for ACE, where he was instrumental in helping to develop the ACE Integrated Fitness Training® Model and contributing to the ACE Personal Trainer Manual (4th Edition).
A Teaching Kitchen in Your Studio?
Those of us who know how to cook typically learned by helping our
parents in the kitchen when we were growing up. We picked up on little
pointers, burned some toast, learned how to eyeball a measurement and
prepared recipes passed down through the generations. Developing a
comfort level in the kitchen requires practice—spending time there
planning, preparing and serving meals (and washing the dirty dishes!).
2015 Personal Training Trend Watch
Personal training has become a power-
house in the fitness industry.
With $10 billion in annual revenue and a projected 2.5% growth
(IBISWorld 2015), this profession has planted deep, strong roots.
Despite being a comparatively new industry (it got its start in the late
1980s/early 1990s), personal training has seen its share of change over
the past several decades. What was once a luxury for the wealthy has
become increasingly accessible to those with less disposable income—and
Add Power to Your Purpose
If knowledge is power, then IDEA Personal Trainer Institute is like a windmill farm of education. For the past many years, personal trainers, wellness professionals and entrepreneurs have come to this knowledge hub to learn from the industry’s top change agents so that they can gain inspiration, insights and the purpose necessary for a fulfilling and financially rewarding career.
Safety for Pregnant Instructors
Many years ago, while I was pregnant with my second child, something happened that I hope no other group fitness instructor goes through. As I was driving to teach class,…
Toward a Minimum Standard of Practice
Cliff Collins serves as director of programmes for EuropeActive (formerly the European Health and Fitness Association) and the European Register of Exercise Professionals, an independent registry of all instructors, trainers…
Personal Transformation Practices
Use a three-pronged approach to help frail participants move better, get stronger and improve their balance.
Do you strive to be a leader in your life? To successfully lead others with authenticity, you must first acquire the tools to lead yourself. Self-mastery and self-?management are fast becoming valued attributes in our outer-directed society. How do you manage your thoughts and practice mindfulness from moment to moment?
How to Make the Most of Internships
Internships are a fact of life in the fitness industry. All major degree programs related to fitness or exercise science require that students complete an internship prior to earning a degree. Colleges and universities want their students to have real-life work experience when they graduate. Internships help students discover their likes and dislikes; the work also helps them to form professional relationships and to differentiate themselves from the hundreds of other recent graduates vying for the same jobs.
Lessons From the Trenches, Part Three: How to Become a Better Leader
Every day, leaders are faced with new challenges and learning opportunities. Good leaders don’t simply sit back and assume the position of leadership; they embody it. They set a good example, they evolve and they lead through thick or thin. In the third and final installment of this series, we identify ways to lead with greater impact.
Be Empathetic
How Do Personal Trainers Stay Motivated?
IDEA asked two personal trainers this question: “How do you stay motivated as a personal trainer?” Here are their answers:
Profiles of Pain and Perseverance
In February 2006, Danny Strong was on top of the world. After years of working as a gym manager, he had opened his own personal training gym, making his dream a reality. The husband and father was also eager to welcome a second child into the family. A month after receiving the keys to his new facility, he took his family on a trip to visit his godmother. While on the road, Strong lost control of his vehicle and was hit by a tractor-trailer traveling at full speed. His pregnant wife, Sandra Urbano Strong, was killed instantly.
10 Signs You Are Suffering From Burnout
Generally, group fitness instructors are known for their upbeat, can-do attitude. It can be challenging to admit that you’re feeling burned out. The following signs of job-related burnout may give you clues about your own performance, so you can take steps to keep yourself inspired and motivated.?
Thinking of Opening a Studio?
Many fitness professionals dream of designing a studio that reflects their unique perspective and approach to health and fitness—a place where they can grow their business, their brand and their client base (and, of course, their paycheck!) on their own terms.
There’s a huge appeal to running your own space, especially if you’ve been working long enough to imagine how you might design a space specifically suited to your clients’ needs and your vision.
Building a Teaching Kitchen in a Studio
ave your clients ever asked:
“What should I cook for dinner?”
“How should I prepare it?”
“What if I have to cook a healthy
meal for my family?”
The Best Interview Questions You’re Not Asking
The search for top talent can be difficult and is often made no easier during the interview process. How do you choose questions that will elicit the information you need to select the right person for the job?
Educate Yourself, Evolve Your Business
The most successful entrepreneurs know that education is a cornerstone of building a strong business. Your chance to elevate your game is right around the corner at IDEA World Fitness Convention™.
How to Get (and Keep!) Online Training Clients
Once you’ve determined the kinds of online products you plan to offer, the next step is to attract and maintain a healthy virtual clientele. Learn how to do just that.
GROOMing Habits, Part Two
If you’ve ever struggled to fill open classes or you’ve ever wanted more qualified fitness pros on your staff, it’s time to get proactive and ensure that you have the team of your dreams. GROOMing Habits is designed to arm you with the tools to make it happen. In the first installment, we covered Groundwork and Recruitment. Now let’s explore the final components: Options, Opportunity, and Manage & Meet Expectations.
