how to become a personal trainer?

I've been asked endless of time how to become a personal trainer. Believe it or not I was suppose to start my training for SIA as a stewardess but I always knew I was made for something greater.

So upon graduation in 2009 I was clueless of what I wanted to set my foot on and very much afraid of what the world had to offer. When I was in school I couldn’t wait to grow up into the “working world” but as soon as I was out of it, I swear I couldn’t afford University and I do not want to take my family’s money to pay for my school, so a diploma was all I could afford.

So I needed a full time job and I was tired of my part time night life that did my eye bags no justice, I work at Zouk for close to 3 years as a “front office department” layman’s term also known as a door bitch to get by school and life. I don’t have a dad and my mom don’t work so my elder brother was supporting me and he gave me all he could but of course being a teenager, I could eat a cow and still not feel full, and also all the expense of my vanity didn’t help either.

I send my resume, to 2 different gyms if I could remember and I didn’t even ask them if I could be a trainer I asked if I could intern for them and learn the ropes in time to come. The first gym that got back to me was Sky Fitness, then it was an “atas” gym all the trainers were highly qualified, I heard so much about them and of course I wanted to be the best, so when I went for an interview I didn’t get the job and the manager, I remembered him saying that I was not qualified even when I offered to work for free. A couple of days later Fitness First called me down for an interview and they open their doors to me!

So I jumped on the bandwagon and join Fitness First, everyone was professional at the start, working for a global gym with many outlets worldwide, there was of course an establish protocol that all trainers, be it new trainers or former trainers from different gym had to go through a 10 days course. You are basically taught “everything” fitness related within the 10 days and there are 2-3 tests I can’t recall. I was always hungry for knowledge and wanted to be topped in everything, doesn’t help with being competitive, I slept with the book, read it million of times, if I could blend it and drink it up I probably would and I top the class second, why its still in my head is because Alex my boyfriend was first he beat me by 1 point, I was bitter then!

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So after passing this 10 days course you are assign to different gyms, I was assign to Fusionopolis as a full timer, means hanging out in the club more than needed. Obligations  full timers are required to do in a global gym or most gym are listed below.

1) Service call to client make sure they come down for their “trial session “ to close them for new sales.

2) Walk the floor and try to help or close more sales.

3) Oil machines.

4) On and off machine

5) Track report of the club for the department when the club closes.

6) Run all sort of errands for the club.

7) Do more stuff your not suppose to do.

8)Do stuff your boss is suppose to do not all maybe some, depends on how lucky you are. True story.

9) Bring in sales

10) Make sure you hit your sales target or be prepared to be reprimanded or not get any new trial session next month.

See its not a pretty job or influential job when you first start it, but since I was new at it I did everything that was told for 1 year and I got bored!

Why? It wasn’t challenging, I wasn’t learn anything new, my job was rudimentary, I didn’t like my working environment, I didn’t like the management so I quit!

So I went into fashion and sales for a while, worked for a Pilate gym, didn’t quite feel right. For me if I am not learning and growing, losing my competitive edge not having thirst for knowledge doing things without any passion then its time to move on.


Remember the first gym I wanted to join, Sky Fitness, I had an opportunity to work for them once again and it came knocking at my door at the right time! 

Joining Sky wasn’t an easy fit, being the only female instructor, I had to take direction from all these men and my former manager then bullied me called me names and toughen me up, taught me everything at the same time showed me the ugly side of the industry. I work hard every month, I clock in at least 10k -15k worth of sales every month on the bad month I would bring in 6k or so for the company clocking in 75-125 session or so per month, I was in fact on a roll all thanks to the same person who put me down he also raised me up and made sure I work smart, and so I did I took up all sort of course so I could be the best! I didn’t do any sales they just came to me. Maybe being the only female also helped then.  

2013 was when I couldn’t take it anymore, I was exhausted just finding numbers, making my clients renew in advance, making sure I sell more packages and making sure I gave the company more than what they are paying me. I became unhappy.

So once again I stop and now I am on my own, never been happier, being your own boss, I get to manage my own time, no “ sales talk” not getting reprimanded for not hitting “numbers”

What I am trying to say is, personal training is all about sales. Anyone can be a trainer for a global gym, and if you can sell yourself in your own “package” on a social media platform you can also be a successful personal trainer. At the end of the day its all about hitting numbers, and fitness first isn’t so bad, there is other gym whereby if you do not hit your numbers you are basically fired the next month. Do u ever ask yourself why is there new trainers in my gym always?

What happened to the old ones? Sorry folks they are being recycle, the industry only appreciate you if you put in numbers who cares if you have a Degree in kinesiology or a doctorate in sport science if you cant sell a package, you basically are a waste of time, they would rather get someone who looks buff and walk like they’re drive a bus, look intimidating, and able to close sales. 

I’ll talk about some of the good certification to get if you do want to work in the fitness industry in my next post but if you cant sale and if u cant talk to people and have no soft skills in trying to get people to trust you and have an attitude and always giving up then I suggest you pursue something else, but then again every job is a sales job, everyone have to sell be it fitness, cars, insurance, food or even ideas. 

So if you do want to be a trainer do join global gym they are willing to take anyone who is serious about being a trainer and yes they will help you but along the way you need to help yourself. Everyone got to start somewhere, suck it up and be humble and learn, it’s coming to 5 years and I am still learning everyday.

Ps: this is a very exposed post to people to know what the fitness industry is like, then some of you may be lucky and have a smooth journey in the industry I am sharing my experience from where I came from and I am proud to be where I am today.