Water has many very important jobs to do in the body. The first is to help the body perform day to day duties. The human body is composed of approximately 70% water, so it would seem obvious that we need sufficient water intake to keep our bodies running smoothly....
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Diets Don’t Work
Diets don't work. Millions of people each year diet and come to the conclusion that diets don't work. Perhaps a new approach is needed. Actually, it is not a new concept, just a different view. With 68% (2012) of all Americans currently overweight, something must not...
Five Surefire Ways To Conquer A Mud Run
As a child, you grew up being told to keep out of the mud. As an adult, the option is yours: stay out…or jump in. Hmm. Decisions, decisions. Mud runs are all the rage for the fittest of fit. It challenges the mind and the body in a way that’s totally different than...
7 Bad Habits for Personal Fitness Trainers
How many nasty habits have you picked up that will sabotage training and leave you or your clients injury prone and underachieving? You probably are not even aware of these habits, but after reading through these you'll notice that you or your clients may have some...
The 12 Best Reasons to Exercise
We've all had them before. Tough clients. Those people that just don't seem to be interested in their own health. The one's where you feel like you're pulling teeth to convince them to come train with you, even for a free session! I've put together these quick 12 best...
Eight Ways to Push Past Fitness & Weight Loss Plateaus Pt. 2
Have you already exercised and lost the weight you wanted to lose? Are you finding that the benefits of your efforts are becoming less obvious? It could be that you are experiencing a fitness slump. Last week I shared with you the first four ways to blow past...
10 Rules for a Successful Home Fitness Trainer’s Marketing
Marketing and client recruitment strategy is one fundamental difference of working as a commercial gym trainer versus working for yourself as a mobile fitness/in-home fitness trainer. Within the gym setting the trainer’s potential clients are walking around the gym...
Eight Ways to Push Past Fitness & Weight Loss Plateaus
Have you already exercised and lost the weight you wanted to lose? Are you finding that the benefits of your efforts are becoming less obvious? It could be that you are experiencing a fitness slump. Here are eight ways to blow past plateaus. Keep Moving First,...
Why Should I Get Professional Liability Insurance?
It is not my intention to scare you into purchasing professional liability insurance as a mobile or gym fitness trainer, but it is important to be aware of reality. In our field, not all accidents and injuries can be prevented. Heck, there are also some crazy people...
Common Form Mistakes When Strength Training
Squats When performing squats or leg press exercises don't let your knees go in front of your toes, this can potentially cause injury to your knees. When squatting or leg pressing, you want to ensure that your legs come to a 90 degree angle with the floor (or platform...
Why Should Clients Train With You?
An important thing to ask yourself as a personal trainer is “Why should people train with me?" This is a question you will inevitably get from potential clients. Answering the following questions can give you more confidence in what you have to offer and will...
Necessary In-Home Personal Training Equipment
These days, there are some really awesome pieces of portable fitness equipment that you can use with your clients. If you're considering working as a personal trainer in a in-home gym setting, then you need to add portable fitness equipment to your trainer toolbelt. A...
Cross-Training to Improve Fitness and Decrease Injury
All too often people want to do only one type of exercise. Runners increase their running mileage. Cyclists bike outside and in spin class. Yoga enthusiasts practice different types of yoga. Body builders focus on strength training. And group exercise fans are loyal...
The Worst Personal Training Advice
A lot of being a personal trainer is educating your clients on what you know. This transfer of knowledge can be a tricky thing. Especially when what you may think you know as fact is actually just bad advice. Usually on Wednesdays we give advice to our trainers. Today...
Can Cancer Patients Improve Their Quality of Life with Fitness?
For many years, medical experts have known that regular exercise can decrease the risk of cancer. But what if you have already received a cancer diagnosis? Recent research indicates that regular exercise can have benefits for nearly all cancer patients and survivors....
The Power of Focus
The personal training industry has evolved dramatically since it formally began over 25 years ago. It originally was based on, and had its roots in, body building. Now, personal trainers have their choice of specialties and niche markets. For example, there are sport-specific training, medical exercise, seniors, over 40 baby boomers, etc. This has created numerous opportunities for trainers, which didn’t exist 20 years ago.
Many trainers have taken advantage of this, and have been successful at building a lucrative training business. Unfortunately, the majority of trainers have not been able to seize these opportunities to create a profitable business for themselves. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average salary of a trainer is between $30 – $40k per year. There are many factors that contribute to this which are out of our control. But there are many other factors that are within our control. With a little bit of business know-how, marketing basics, common sense, and most importantly a plan, a trainer can easily generate a six figure income.
I have owned my own personal training business since 2001. I have done in-home training and have worked at numerous health clubs for years before deciding to take the plunge and open my studio. I have seen it all, and have made every mistake a business owner can make. Starting out, like most trainers, I had a lot of enthusiasm, but very little guidance. I have the scars on my back to prove it! My goal is to help trainers avoid the mistakes that I’ve made over the years, such as two of the most common I illustrate below.
In addition to the specialties and niche markets I mentioned earlier, there is also a wide variety of equipment and modalities to choose from to train clients. One of the biggest mistakes I made early on was to try and take advantage of ALL of this, and try to create my own “new and unique” workout experience for ALL of my clients. EVERYBODY got to use the Bosu and do walking lunges. I departed from what I consider to be the “new” #1 rule of growing a training business in this current environment – it’s called the ability to FOCUS!
The above example illustrates two common mistakes. One is assuming that one modality, or training system, is appropriate for everyone. Two, is focusing on more than one client demographic. Focusing on one or two client demographics, such as women over 40, or overweight teens, has several advantages. For example, marketing to a specific group is much easier and effective than taking a shotgun approach and marketing to everyone with two arms and two legs!! In this environment, where competition is fierce, it is imperative to focus and become an expert in a particular market or demographic. Without it, your business will not grow.
The personal training industry continues to grow and can help you achieve your financial goals. But it will take a new approach and new strategies.