Hire a MFP member as your personal trainer?

stroutman81

Would anyone be interested in a tab on this site with a list of trainers by state/region/zip code/whatever? That way, if anyone seriously wanted to hire a PT, they could reference the list for potentials. It could show certs, area of expretise, rates, etc. Wouldn't hurt to throw some business to our fellow MFPers.

Of course, MFP wouldn't be liable for verifying the info - that would be on the consumer. I just got my PT cert, and I'd love to have some fellow MFPers as clients.

Which cert did you opt for and why did you select it?

Also, are you working for a gym or do you own your own business?

Just curious.

I used AFAA's weekend seminar. I know they're not the highest-rated out there, but they were one of the quickest, the price was right, and and they had a seminar in my area coming up within a few weeks. I just wanted to get some cert, ANY cert, at first, just to get my foot in the door, so to speak. I'd like to follow-up later with a more in-depth cert from one of the big guys, but this will do for now.

I based my choice partly on which certs were accepted by the Air Force for work in their base gyms. They accept AFAA, among others, and I just interviewed for a part-time position at the local base gym. The pay sucks, but it's a start, and there's no high-pressure sales work, which I loathe. There are also a few openings at local gyms, but I hate the thought of having to sell "packages" to clients. I suck at that.

Right now, I'm laid off from my previous career as an engineer, and the market in my area sucks, so I'm looking at a career change. I'm very interested in getting together with another trainer and starting a beach boot camp in my local area. I'm in Florida, so you can do it year-round, the overhead is low, and you can make some decent coin at it if you advertise right.

Can't say that I'm a fan of the weekend seminar courses. But I understand where you're coming from. I'll be the first to admit that even the "big boys" in the certification game (NSCA, ACSM, NASM) leave a lot to be desired. I'm of the opinion that the fitness cert industry needs massive reform and higher hurdles/standards.

At a bare minimum, a future trainer should have a hands-on component such as an internship. As it stands now, far too many people are becoming personal trainers who have absolutely no business supervising anyone's health, body, programming, and even exercise form.

There's no doubt that regardless of the certification or even with a structured 4-year degree, the real education doesn't start until you actually get your feet wet on the gym floor. Which is why I understand your eagerness to get started.

While I loathe the typical commercial chain gym and their standards and practices, such as LA Fitness... there's something to say for using that setting as a platform to garner experience. You don't have to sell much there as they have a sales force that's usually separate from the training force. And since these types of gyms receive a ton of traffic, it gives new trainers a great opportunity to gain experience. Problem is, there's typically no quality trainers on staff to learn from.

Most trainers will have to take it upon themselves to learn this field. Seminars, books, research publications, etc... these have to be prioritized if the training field is going to progress.

Anyhow... rambling a bit. But if you're ever interested in some suggested readings, feel free to hit me up. For anything really. I wish you luck! It can be a very rewarding line of work.

grannygethealthy1111

For me it would be BigRedgw2010, hands down!

coppercurlz

bump