Are there any personal trainers on here?
Posted by lisaanddini on Feb 25, 2011 · Member since May 2007 · 2179 posts
Since I've been out of work for a while, I've been considering a change. I'd like to do something that I would rally enjoy. I think being a personal trainer would be a fun job, and I've been working on getting myself into great shape. I was just wondering if there are any personal trainers on her. If so, what is your educational background? Do you think an online certification (like ACE) is sufficient? Do you enjoy the work? And, if you don't mind me asking, how much money do you make at it? Wages seem to vary widely & most people are really vague about it for some reason.
mr. oww may do personal training on the side. He and oww are rocking out at a music fest, so she may not be around to read this.
oki i don't know anything for sure, but a personal trainer i know told me something along the lines of it's easy to like get certified, but you have to study a bit and take classes to be a good personal trainer. i know he goes to seminars and is constantly trying to learn new things about training people. also, it is his 2nd job. it seemed as though it is about the personal trainer's initiative to learn how to cater to a lot of people, and cater to them well. i mean, obviously training an older woman would be like training a younger man. aaanyways, good luck with it! it sounds very rewarding and fun!
I used to be a massage therapist, and I think there a lot of similarities in the field. Schooling/licensing is pretty quick, but it may take FOREVER to get really good at it, build up a clientele and make enough money to live on. If you are self employed it is also similar that they both charge say $80/hour or something. Which sounds awesome but once you pay for your business expenses (which there still are some even if you don't have an office) and then you only have 3 clients per week to start with? Not enough to live on.
I also just quit (to be a stay-at-home foster-adoptive Mom) a 4 year job as an Office Manager for a physical therapy practice. We had 3 physical therapy aides who all had a BS in kinesiology AND were certified personal trainers, and were making $10/hour. Thing is, to be a physical therapy aide in CA you don't need ANY training or education and the other aides made the same money. So I gather it is difficult to find a job in the field.
Not to discourage you, I always say pursue your dreams...just be aware of the reality and hard work it takes, and have some back-up income if you can. Good luck!