Is Personal Training a career for the unemployable?

[Humble Narcissist]

Lots of hours at the gym for little pay. Charles Glass is one of the best and isn't he homeless? To be really successful it would help to have a gimmick like Peter C. Siegel's hypnosis stuff for clients.

[Royalty]

Hi GetBig

I have been a lurker here for a while (years) and it took a long time for my profile to be approved so I missed the opportunity to contribute and participate in a lot of threads. So I thought I would start one.

My question goes to personal trainers and former personal trainers/strength coaches and if they have had more than 15-20 years plus in the job and now with the prevalence of Instagram, YouTube and social media if they have been able to compete and keep up with the trends? I am guessing for gym owners and staff things have changed significantly since the 1980s, 1990s and even early 2000s and how they have survived? There is a argument that why hire a PT if you can learn how to program your training and work out your macro nutrients and calories etc yourself? the other side of the argument is that PT's provide an valuable service and their work is impactful etc. What are you experiences as PT working in gyms and/or opinions of PT's in general?

Who talks like this? I stopped reading.

[DS Phil Hunter]

I wouldn’t equate these two professions.

I have worked as a strength and conditioning coach too for institutions and sports clubs but the point is career wise are they sustainable?

[DS Phil Hunter]

Who talks like this? I stopped reading.

It was an introduction. Nice to meet you to sir.

[DS Phil Hunter]

There will always be a need for PT's. The typical person (general clientele) who have regular jobs, families, etc generally won't take the time to research how to put a program together or get an in-depth knowledge of nutrition. Being an actual strength coach (strength and conditioning coach) is an entirely different world that just being a personal trainer.

Strength coaches have to deal with a whole load of politricks at institutions and sports clubs. Some sports coaches are great to get along with others not so much, also some the assistant coaches or head coaches can be a pain to work with at least with PT you only have to deal with the client and in most cases just pay your rent to the gym owner.

[DS Phil Hunter]

I was the Director Of Personal Training at Fitness America (now Busy Body Fitness) you get sick of being in the gym all the time ... so your own fitness goals and training go in the shitter! ( In addition to training clients I had to oversee the staff of around 10-12 personal trainers ) I need a straight "9-5 job" with a steady paycheck and set hours! ( I was in the gym at all times of day and night)

I know a lot of people quit the fitness industry and go and get a standard issue job because typically you are working when everyone else isn't like early in the mornings, lunchtimes and after everyone else finishes work so you maybe in the gym from 7am in morning to 8 or 9pm in the evening and that doesn't include all the clients at the weekends!

[DS Phil Hunter]

i competed in the Canadians in 1991 and bought a gym 8 months later.  that was the last contest i ever trained serious for.

How long did you own your gym for?

[DS Phil Hunter]

Usually have the worst cars in the gym parking lot. Not that cars automatically mean wealth status, but I’ve noticed this unless they’re former pros and/or slinging anabolics. I’d do it part-time if I had the time, but I prefer to spend it on Getbig instead

Ironically they make more money selling gear than do training people!

[DS Phil Hunter]

Did it for 2 decades off and on......I felt like a psychologist in some cases.

Did you feel like you had any lasting impact on people's behavioural changes and habits? I know unless you get the client the results (if they really want to change) and they are just going through the motions it can be really frustrating!

[DS Phil Hunter]

Darrem C. drives a beater.

An underrated bodybuilder if there ever was one. Him and Troy Alves.

[DS Phil Hunter]

Lots of hours at the gym for little pay. Charles Glass is one of the best and isn't he homeless? To be really successful it would help to have a gimmick like Peter C. Siegel's hypnosis stuff for clients.

I didn't know he was homeless. I knew he competed and went out become Gold's Gym most sought after trainer. I do remember the articles he used to write in Robert Kennedy's Muscle Mag International.

[Taffin]

Hi GetBig

I have been a lurker here for a while (years) and it took a long time for my profile to be approved so I missed the opportunity to contribute and participate in a lot of threads. So I thought I would start one.

WELCOME TO THE THUNDERDOME FUCKFACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111111111111111

Did it for 2 decades off and on......I felt like a psychologist in some cases.

                                                                                                                          ^^^
Dude!  (Since you've been picking up Whirlpool of C0ck duty I thought I'd catch this one above for you  )

[Karpaasi]

Charles has a youtube channel and over 800k followers so you probably don't catch him living in the tent next to Golds 

[IroNat]

Taffy funny!

[ProudVirgin69]

It's all middle aged housewives who want to tell you all their secrets ...desires and thoughts lol (seriously tho it's mostly middle aged woman who's husbands make too much money and they are glad to pay you to entertain their wives and give them a break!)

QFT

When I did it, I would find ways to keep them moving literally the entire session so they would shut their yapping mouth.  If they were too tired to do something like bodyweight calf raises, I’d have them stretch.  Anything to keep them from talking

Anyways, in my experience it’s all about salesmanship.  Take a great car salesman w a gut and put him on the gym floor and he’ll have more clients than the other trainers in short order.  I’m not much of a salesman, hence I didn’t make much money with it.

[wes]

Did you feel like you had any lasting impact on people's behavioural changes and habits? I know unless you get the client the results (if they really want to change) and they are just going through the motions it can be really frustrating!

A few people stuck with it and made it their lifestyle....Hell if I know about the rest.

[wes]

Dave Mass was one of the earliest PT`s ever........per se`.

He trained Leonard Nimoy,Jane Fonda,and lots of others,known,and not so well known.

One lady he told me about was older and very wealthy.....Dave said she basically did nada,but loved to brag about having a PT.

Dave also told me this broad paid him very well......idiots!!

[wes]

WELCOME TO THE THUNDERDOME FUCKFACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111111111111111

                                                                                                                          ^^^
Dude!  (Since you've been picking up Whirlpool of C0ck duty I thought I'd catch this one above for you  )

My nikka.....thanks brother.....I seldom miss one but it does happen on occasion.

Stay alert!! 

[Humble Narcissist]

I didn't know he was homeless. I knew he competed and went out become Gold's Gym most sought after trainer. I do remember the articles he used to write in Robert Kennedy's Muscle Mag International.

Hi Charles.

[kreator]

Never enjoyed  training people myself. One of the most boring things. Especially in the social media era where you have to whore yourself online to lure clients in.  Despite the money being good everything else was a headache. And you get fed up with the gym as well. Makes you feel like a babysitter

[DS Phil Hunter]

  maybe me and Mr Glass are the only ones who remember him writing those articles! I think around 2001 or 2002 I used to buy a lot of Muscle Mag Internationals.

[galain]

I know a lot of people quit the fitness industry and go and get a standard issue job because typically you are working when everyone else isn't like early in the mornings, lunchtimes and after everyone else finishes work so you maybe in the gym from 7am in morning to 8 or 9pm in the evening and that doesn't include all the clients at the weekends!

Exactly what my godson has been complaining of. Got his license last November, started out with all the enthusiasm in the world, now he's looking to do something else. Early mornings, late nights, weekends, same basic stuff every day.....and he's really not making much money either.

better he worked this out at 18 than 35 I reckon.

[Gym Rat]

A guy who was at our gym for years training clients in the AM finally bailed, he's probably mid-30's.
Works in a prison now (screw) from what I'm told... I guess prisoners are less annoying than gym gen-pop...

[Thin Lizzy]

A guy who was at our gym for years training clients in the AM finally bailed, he's probably mid-30's.
Works in a prison now (screw) from what I'm told... I guess prisoners are less annoying than gym gen-pop...

Yeah, it’s not that most are unemployable. It’s just a bad career choice.

[Flexacon]

I don't really get why people do it, both hire and become a trainer.

But I came to the conclusion that wimpy men who hire jacked bodybuilder types as trainers are 100% playing out their cuck/homo fantasies. Brad Rowe for example had some very "interesting" client interactions.