Things I Wish I Knew Before Becoming a Personal Trainer

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BUT FIRST...

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Personal training certifications don’t prepare you to work with clients. While you will learn a lot studying for a personal training certification like NASM or AFAA, it still won't fully prepare you to work with clients and creating programs for individuals.

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Most jobs you’ll be offered are glorified sales positions. At many big box gyms, a big part of being a personal trainer is selling new clients. This includes also approaching potential clients.

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You will work awkward and sporadic hours. Working in the fitness industry often times means starting your day as early as 6AM and finishing up as late as 9:30PM, but with breaks in between.

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Some places will only hire people with experience. Getting your first "big break" in the fitness industry can sometimes take awhile because gyms are looking for people that already have experience or a following.

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Despite all this, it can be SO rewarding. There is nothing more incredible than watching a client grow more confident and become stronger right before your very eyes. The connections you make are an amazing part of the job.

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