Questions for Personal Trainers

corsolo

Hi all,

I've been toying with the idea of becoming a certified personal trainer off and on for a number of years, but as a side profession.

I am 25 years old and have both a bachelors and masters degree, but in a field unrelated to exercise or health -- classical music. My work right now goes in periods of being extremely busy and then weeks at a time with not much going on. I would like to become a personal trainer on the side for a little extra money.

So my questions for you are as follows:

Do people do this? Is it really possible to do this part time and get clients or work in a gym?

How much of a hindrance is it to not have a degree in exercise or nutrition?

Which route would you suggest for certification for someone in my shoes?

Thanks in advance for you help!

cantfail

Some good certifying bodies are: National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), The Cooper Institute in Dallas, TX, American Council on Exercise (ACE), and National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). There are probably others that are reputable, but I know these are good. I have certs from NASM and Cooper.

As far as working part time... Yes, it is possible. Some of the big gym chains prefer to have trainers who want full time hours so you would have to ask around. If you just want to go out on your own (independent contractor) you can choose to just have a couple of clients if that is what you want or maybe teach a boot camp type class. Acquiring the clients can be the most challenging part. You have to be able to sell yourself.

Leadfoot_Lewis

I work a Full Time job and decided several years I wanted to do Personal Training on a Part Time basis because I knew I'd love doing it and it turns out I really do. It is a very rewarding job but not one I'm going to get rich over, so that's why I'm keeping the Full Time job. I usually work anywhere from 2-3 nights a week - depends on clientele and what classes I'm instructing (I'm also Spinning & TRX certified.). My Personal Training certification is through NASM and I would highly recommend their certification as it is very respected in the fitness industry. From my experience the really upscale gyms are the only one's I've ever seen that require a college degree. As far as working only Part Time, most gyms prefer this because they don't want you working 40 hours a week (because then they'll have to pay you full benefits - leave, medical, etc.)

If you think it's something you'd like to do then do it!