One of the most frequently asked questions I get is: how do I become a fitness instructor? And similarly, how do I get a job at a gym or fitness studio as an instructor?
I talked about my own [long] journey to becoming a fitness instructor in this blog post. Today I wanted to dish out some advice on how to get your first (or a new) gig as a fitness instructor or yoga teacher.
Do Your Research: What kind of classes do you want to teach?
The first step is to do your research. What kind of instructor do you want to be?
Do you want to specifically teach at SoulCycle? Start to research their audition process. Want to teach at a gym like Equinox or Lifetime Fitness? Ask your favorite gym what kinds of certifications they require for instructors and what the audition process is like. More interested in yoga? Research yoga teacher training programs that pique your interest or fit your budget.
I currently teach at two studios: yoga at Y7 and barre at Bar Method. For basically any yoga job you’ll need to have done a 200-hour yoga teacher training. With Bar Method there was no experience or previous training required. The studio conducts its own teacher training. I auditioned, got hired and then went through the process of becoming a Bar Method instructor. Most of the people I teach with at Bar Method didn’t have any prior fitness experience.
Get Certified.
Generally speaking if you want to work in the fitness industry you will need a fitness certification of sort. There are a few exceptions: SoulCycle trains it’s own instructors and doesn’t require previous certifications. The same is few for Bar Method and I’m sure a few other niche studios. But generally speaking: ya need to get certified.
Over the years I’ve done my fair share of certifications and workshops: 200-hour yoga teacher training. I am a NASM certified personal trainer. I did my AFAA group fitness certification. Zumba, spin, kettlebells, TRX… the list goes on and on.
To be completely transparent and honest the only certification I’m really using right now and feel like I’ve gotten a return on my investment is the 2oo-hour yoga teacher training. I’m happy I did the other certifications and at one point needed the personal training one especially while I was working one-on-one with private clients. All of this is to say do your research first. Then decide what certifications make the most sense for you.
Create your own opportunities.
I struggled when I first entered the fitness industry. No one would hire me because I had no experience. But in order to gain experience, someone needed to hire me.
It wasn’t until I started teaching my own yoga events that doors started opening for me as a fitness instructor and yoga teacher.
My biggest piece of advice for people just getting started in fitness or who just finished their yoga teacher training is to create your own opportunities while you’re just getting started. Teach a free class for your friends — that’s what I did 1-week post teacher training! Host a meet-up. Create a workshop. Gather some people in a nearby park. Do whatever it takes to start to practice your craft.
I found both my yoga teacher training and fitness certifications didn’t really prepare me for the real thing. It wasn’t until I started actually teaching live humans that I started to gain confidence and get better.
Reach out.
When I heard CorePower Yoga was coming to NYC in 2017 I knew I HAD to be a Yoga Sculpt instructor. I literally said it in a blog post after taking my first CPY class in LA. Ya know how I eventually got the gig? I reached out to the studio manager asking if there were any upcoming instructor auditions. If I hadn’t done that I never would have found out that they were hosting weekend-long intensives to train NYC yoga teachers in the CPY style. And thanks to attending one of those weekend-long intensives I got hired — teaching at CorePower Yoga was the first time I had my own permanent classes at a fitness studio.
Just reach out. The worst thing that could happen? Nothing.
Be a regular.
It’s always really interesting to me when people say they want to be a Bar Method instructor but have never taken a Bar Method class. I know fitness is expensive, especially if you’re in NYC like me, but if there’s a studio you want to teach at be a regular. Maybe that means coming on ClassPass. Maybe that means working front desk so you can take class for free (and get your foot in the door). Be a regular at your dream studio.
When it came time for me to audition for Bar Method – Noho before the studio opened I was already a member at the Williamsburg franchise. I auditioned for Noho though because it’s much closer to where I live but love love love the people at Williamsburg. I knew I could confidently talk about the things I love about the Bar Method and why I specifically wanted to teach this class.
Don’t give up.
If it doesn’t happen right away don’t give up. I’m pretty sure I got rejected by every studio in Manhattan… and some in Brooklyn… when I first started auditioning for fitness positions. It took me 5 years to get my first “Yes” which is when I started teaching at CorePower Yoga. And it took me another 2.5 years to get where I am now: teaching 16 permanent classes a week.
Be patient. Stay passionate. And don’t give up 💗
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