5 Things You Wish You Knew When You First Started Your Fitness Career

When you walked into your first training session it was tense. Sweat was forming, your mind was racing, and you were nervous; the first time for anything is always difficult because you weren’t accustomed to the ropes. You knew at this point that the only way to conquer this feeling is to keep going and so you rightfully did.

When you walked into your first training session it was tense. Sweat was forming, your mind was racing, and you were nervous; the first time for anything is always difficult because you weren’t accustomed to the ropes. You knew at this point that the only way to conquer this feeling is to keep going and so you rightfully did.

Fast forward a few years, the beginning seemed so far away; you’re an expert now and you not only call the shots, but you command your sessions with vigor and confidence. You learned quite a number of skills along the way or you wouldn’t still be here. Looking back at it all, things could have been a bit smoother had you known what you do now. Sometimes you wished that someone was in your corner to guide you, to tell you how to overcome certain problems or to identify a budding issue before it even took place.

Here are 5 things every seasoned trainer knows, but wish they knew when they first started:

1. Being confident

Clients can tell when you’re unsure about something and lack confidence. Professionals need to radiate a sense of certainty, and look and sound as if they’re comfortable in what they’re doing. Confidence isn’t something you’re born with it’s something you consciously practice. The best of the best are confident, even when they aren’t 100% positive they know how to navigate the conversation and exude confidence.

2. Charging what you’re worth

Money is one of the single biggest issues for any beginner. In this case what to charge can be a problem. You either charge too much or too little. The best practice approach is to find out what the typical professional is charging and use that as a guide. Pros should never be fearful of charging their worth so long as it isn’t exorbitant or else people won’t buy it. There are, however, target audiences who are willing to pay big bucks for what’s being offered, but that usually requires a more specialized approach.

3. Being constantly hungry for education

Education is life long, but most think that once they’ve gotten the degree or certificate that it’s over. Health & fitness information is changing and will continue to change as new breakthroughs happen. With every new development professionals should at least be moderately aware and able to answer questions alongside furthering their educational background every 6 months to a year.

4. Learning the sweet art of communication

If you’re going to sell anything you’re going to have to communicate. Learning how and where to communicate our unique message is a key for success. Keep in mind, this includes the marketing of your offering, reaching out to others when and where you can, and learning to speak professionally to and around your clients. Learn to tailor your message and be respectful with others.

5. Understanding this a people driven industry

Fitness & health is about the people who need the assistance. No one is learning and uncovering all this information to keep it locked away or out of reach from those that need it. Professionals starting their career quickly learn that this isn’t the industry where customer service, consideration, and respect should be lacking. You have to be kind, considerate, and customer service driven.

Regardless of where you stand in your professional career, you can utilize our NPI-Certified Goniometry Specialist™ program. A goniometer is one of the safest and most accurate methods. You could be offering this skill as a separate service for your clients and earn more with it.

Here’s our program: NPI-Certified Goniometry Specialist™