How to become a successful trainer

Author: Maksim Tolkachev - gym trainer.
2014-03-25

My name is Maksim Tolkachev, and I am a competing bodybuilder, personal trainer, and methodologist at the Avocado fitness instructor school in Kharkiv. In this article, I would like to explain how you can become a successful personal trainer.

Remember how hard and long you trained, followed your regimen, never skipped workouts, and lived for this sport. And now you are a personal trainer; you've chosen a profession you love, and you spend most of your time in a place you've always wanted to be. Know that if all of the above applies to you, then you are already obliged to be a successful trainer; you are already halfway to success. However, if you are just making money and nothing more, then unfortunately, it will be very difficult.

Every client will see and feel whether you love your job or just want their money. Unfortunately, the problem with many trainers is that they only want money from the client and don’t care about the results of their work. Remember when a client approached you for help, or you saw someone performing an exercise incorrectly, or even inventing something new. The first thought that comes to many trainers is: "Here’s a potential victim, or here’s my future salary," etc. However, this is a huge mistake. The way you shape your attitude towards your work is how clients will view you.

For comparison, remember how you feel when someone is trying to sell you something at a market and pushes it onto you. It's unpleasant, right? You don't want to return to that seller. The same will happen with you, because a personal trainer is not only a master of their craft and an athlete but, more importantly, a seller of their services. For an employer, you will always be the best trainer and the best athlete if you generate the most sales; nothing else matters. Sports and a healthy lifestyle are great, but the fitness industry is a service sector where the owner builds a business, not a charity. Their goal is to earn as much money as possible, and naturally, they need successful salespeople in this sphere.

So, how can you earn a lot of money and be a successful trainer without pushing yourself onto others like a "salesman" at a market?

1. You must love your work and enjoy doing what you love. Even though, at times, after a tough shift, you might feel like a squeezed lemon from interacting with people. Working with people is always challenging.

2. You shouldn't be intrusive, but you must be sociable. People appreciate this, and they will turn to you for advice rather than someone who is lounging on a comfortable machine, playing on their smartphone, and ignoring them.

3. Assess yourself appropriately, without undervaluing your abilities and strengths. It’s also necessary to understand that selling is an exchange of values, and therefore there’s nothing wrong with your training sessions being expensive. Don't let this be a barrier for you. Those who want to achieve good results and train correctly without harming their health will afford it. As for the "bargain seekers," let them train where it’s cheaper – that’s the result they will get. Everything should be valued accordingly; a clear example is a foreign car versus a cheaper domestic car. I think it's unnecessary to explain the difference; everyone has the right and opportunity to choose.

4. Qualification/Knowledge. It's up to you to decide whether to be a foreign car or a cheap one. Theory without practice is dead, and that is the key to success.

5. Reputation always precedes you. What kind of reputation you have is also solely your decision. Let your actions and work speak for you.

6. Charisma is the high authority of a uniquely gifted individual; the ability to almost hypnotically influence those around you. This is a certain aura that surrounds you and makes it clear to everyone that you are exactly the person they need.

7. Competitiveness. Are you familiar with the saying, "You are judged by your appearance, but remembered by your mind"? Many believe that a trainer doesn’t need to look good and be in good shape, and unfortunately, many trainers think the same way. I completely disagree with this. This is precisely why there are so many "skinny" and "overweight" trainers in fitness clubs. A trainer should exemplify good physical shape and a healthy lifestyle, not to mention smokers hanging out at the entrance to the club. Every client should understand that a trainer can only produce the results they achieved themselves, and not a drop more. If they don’t know how, don’t want to, or can’t, that’s the extent of that trainer's abilities. How can a trainer deliver results if they don't know how to do it or can't? Or how can they motivate you to do something if they can’t even get their lazy butt off the couch to start working?