So you want to be a trainer...

If you've ever thought about becoming a personal trainer, this blog is for you.

Maybe you’ve just graduated high school and you're trying to figure out what’s next. Maybe you've been working for a while and you're not too crazy about your current job, and you've been thinking you might like to try out personal training.

Whatever the case, I'm going to help you first figure out if personal training is a good career path for you. After that I'll tell you step by step how to become a certified personal trainer, how to land a job at a gym or fitness center, and how to maximize your success (and income!) once you've done so.

But first, who am I? What qualifies me to give advice on personal training? I’m glad you asked. My name is Tony and I’ve been living in New York City and working in the fitness industry for over a decade. I have multiple certifications including NASM, NCSF and RKC. I've worked with many different types of clients: from ages 17 to 70; clients with injuries; athletes; pregnant women; people with chronic diseases, you name it. It’s actually part of the fun of personal training, getting to meet and work with so many different people. I've also made a lot of money doing it. Before I was a trainer, having no college degree and no real marketable skills, I was living paycheck to paycheck working crummy jobs. Within one year of becoming a certified trainer, those days were gone. I paid off my bills, upgraded my medical and dental insurance, started a 401k, and best of all I had money to spend! Living in NYC all of a sudden got a whole lot more fun!

And the truth is, I am not some kind of prodigy. In fact, I am probably just like you in a lot of ways. So don’t think you can’t be wildly successful as a trainer if it’s really what you want to do.

And that’s the first thing we need to figure out: Is personal training right for you?

Well, guess what, we can figure that out real quick by answering a few simple questions. Let’s get to it!

Time for a pop quiz! (don't worry, there are no wrong answers!)

Please answer yes or no to the following questions:

• Do you like working out or playing sports?
• Do you like working with people?
• Are you self-motivated?
• Do you like helping others?
• Do you like teaching?
• Do you like having flexibility in your schedule?
• Are you talkative and outgoing?
• Do you work well on your own without needing a lot of supervision?

If you answered “yes” to all or most of these questions, training could be a great job for you. If you answered “yes” to less than half of these, training might not be the best option for you.

Check back in tomorrow and I'll discuss what to do once you've decided that training might be a good career path for you. Stay tuned!