I got asked the following question on my Facebook Page today and I thought it would be worth writing more about.
The question was ” I’m looking at starting at a new Gym here in Town, because I don’t have my own location. How can I set myself apart from the ” trainers ” on strength training”.
At the moment “fitness business” is booming. Everyone these days wants to be a personal trainer or coach, and this is a great thing because with the obesity rates in North America and the world and the impact that health and fitness can have to prevent health problems down the road, eating right, working out and being healthy is a great business to be in.
I have been in the fitness field since 1998 so I am not “new” to the fitness industry.
However if you want to “make it” in the fitness industry as a trainer here are 5 ways you can stand out as a personal trainer/coach.
1. LOVE What You Do
I love health, fitness and strength training. I started loving it at 15 years old and I never looked back. As a kid I bought every fitness and bodybuilding magazine I could my hands on. I hit every book store and bought every book on fitness, martial arts, nutrition, or anything related (this goes back before Amazon.com).
At one point I even worked in a book store in a mall because I could get 30% off books and also order books via micro film that they never had in the store.
Outside of that I lived in the gym. I was there to train, I was there to volunteer, I was there to help and to learn. Everything I did revolved around training, fitness and the gym.
At 40 years of age I still feel the same way.
It’s important to LOVE what you do because this isn’t a job, it’s my passion. Always will be.
Be sure that you LOVE what you do because if you don’t when time get rough and you question “why am I doing this” your passion and love for fitness will be something that gets you through the rough times.
Passion Trumps Everything – Dave Tate
2. Never Stop Learning, But Always Stick To What Works
Once you become a fitness professional it’s easy to stop learning. It’s easy to think that you know as much as you need to know. It’s easy to stop learning.
But that is the wrong thing to do.
One of the things I teach at my gym HeavyWeights is to “always be a student” and to always keep learning.
Always be improving and adding new skills to your training and your business.
Over the last 4 years at HeavyWeights I have done countless certifications, work shops, seminars, I have competed, I have coached new areas, I am always trying to improve and learn more.
It’s important to stay current but always remember this quote “If you want to learn something new read an old book”.
One thing about the fitness field is that people are always looking for something new.
New sells.
The newest diet fad, the newest fitness gadget, the newest supplement, everyone wants new.
Here is what works.
Eating good healthy real food, working out 4-5 days a week, lifting weights, sprinting, being positive, setting goals and getting your goals.
That’s not “new”.
But it works.
As a coach or trainer your job and will make you stand out from the rest is your belief in your clients and your ability to challenge them, to bring out their best and to believe in them.
Always be learning, but remember it’s not how much INFO you have but the RESULTS you get.
Which leads me into my next point.
3. Get Amazing Results
Bottom line you need to get results.
You don’t want to be that trainer that has clients for years that are making no gains or even worse they are worse with you than you joined. You don’t want to be that trainer. You know the one that becomes friends with their clients, that takes it easy on them, the one that let’s them slide on their nutrition, that doesn’t push them to get stronger. You DON’T want to be that trainer.
You know why?
Sooner or later they are going to ask what are they paying for and go somewhere else.
We are in the business of RESULTS and if you don’t get results then you won’t be in business long.
You can offer a variety of results for your clients. Maybe it’s strength, fat loss, body transformation, nutrition programs, and more.
The list is endless for getting results for your clients.
But come the end of the day you need to get RESULTS and your their trainer/coach not their friend.
We live in a busy, hectic time of life. Right now we all have less time and free time than anything. So if you can get results in a shorter period of time most of your clients will want this. We always make it clear that our programs and results are something you do forever not just for 21 or 42 days, but in the end it’s about getting results for your clients, showing them what you can do for them and getting results for THEM.
Get amazing results and no matter what people will talk about you and tell their friends.
If you want to see some amazing results check out our RESULTS at HeavyWeights Training Center.
“Anyone can give you a workout, but not everyone can make you better” – Coach Martin Rooney
4. Remember It’s Not About YOU
A lot of people who become personal trainers or coaches do so because they may at some point do a program, or a competition and get hooked on their results, and their accomplishments.
In our industry it’s somewhat of a narcissistic field Your judged on how you look, how strong you are, how lean you are, and in many ways how good you look.
Many times someone will do a competition or two and then think “I love working out so I am going to do this for my job”, and they decide to become a personal trainer. The problem is that these trainers think everything is about them, but it’s not, it’s NEVER about you, it’s ALWAYS about YOUR CLIENT.
Never, ever ever forget that.
If you spend your whole session talking about your competition, your training, your goals and your results sooner or later your client is going to go find someone who will help them with their competition, their resiults and their goals, they are paying money for YOU to help them.
It’s not about YOU, it’s about your CLIENT.
5. Improve Your Business/Marketing Knowledge
This one is hard for a lot of personal trainers to get, and it was really hard for me for years as well.
I was a personal trainer, not a marketer, I don’t want to market, I want to train people!
Well that is great and you can be the best trainer in your area, but if no one knows about you then you have no way of helping people and letting them know just how good of a trainer you really are.
So it’s important to learn marketing, sales, and to not be afraid to sell yourself.
The better results you get, the more people you help, and the better you are at what you do the more money you can make.
This is a good thing.
Never be afraid to spread the word about you, your business and your desire to help others.
Looking to grow and improve your fitness business? Click HERE to sign up for a free 30 minute phone consult with me so I can help you grow your fitness business.
If you enjoyed this blog post please be sure to check out my “Grow Your Fitness Business” Facebook page for more information to help you become a better trainer and grow your fitness business.
Cheers.
Coach Rob
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