No Reputation - No Revenue - Improving the Reputation of a Fitness Professional

For years the field of Personal Training has been non existent. Having received my first national certification in 1993 I struggled to find clientele willing to pay a very qualified instructor who actually cared about the business, wanted to make a difference and actually knew how - I was a near pro cyclist and a member of national team, so the transition was natural, yet ill-planned at the time I suppose.

In the 90's the fitness centers that employed instructors like I paid around 8-10 dollars a session and independent trainers were few and far between...

These days some of the more successful fitness departments are expected to make in excess of 50 and sometimes up to 100K a month in revenue.

What does that such influx of money bring to any industry?

The answer is - a lot of unqualified people trying to make a quick buck; As well as bad management practices that put clients at risk simply to continue and bring in the revenue.

Many new personal training studios open every day, luckily majority of them are opened by people who have spent many years in the field and have shown a track record of success - impossible to open own studio without enough experience, credibility and desire to stay in the field. However gyms that simply need to fill yet another staff trainer position often only seek "energy, drive to succeed, interest in fitness field" - as mentioned in their ads.

One time when I worked at a nationally recognized fitness center I was waiting for a client at the front desk and watched how a young lady walked in off the street and asked for a job application for a position of a receptionist. The front desk person informed her that the gym isn't currently looking for a receptionist, but that "they are hiring trainers". Puzzled by the situation and not understanding what that has to do with her, the young lady informed the receptionist that she's not a trainer and doesn't even workout. "Oh that's ok, they will show you what to do".

After attending a week-long course this young lady was seen training a client 2 weeks later, soon running all of her clients through exact same routine.

Needless to say unqualified trainers like that give our profession and true professionals in it a real black eye. Couple of times I have heard stories from clients of how their friends got sick of paying their trainer(s), achieved no results and have to interest anymore in hiring anyone else.

Industry as a whole and especially fitness managers need to finally understand that most people looking to hire a fitness professional aren't that skilled or knowledgeable in the details of proper fitness training or nutritional protocols. It's easier for them to rely on the supposed credibility of a national brand, fancy website and a recognized name in fitness. We as industry need to show them the same level of respect by only setting up clients with truly qualified trainers and not someone who's been in the industry for a week.

Most gyms are responsible enough to accept only nationally accredited certifications, however it's not enough. This brings about the question of licensing.

Beauticians, hair-stylists, massage therapists all need to take a state exam in order to have a right to work on your body. So why is personal training any different? Personal training is a craft that requires knowledge, skills and dedication, and I could think of a lot more things that can go wrong during a personal training session than at a beauty salon.

If a person possesses a college degree in a related field, this obviously qualifies them to take a certification test and then licensing exam. However when it's someone new to the field entirely, they should be allowed to take the national certification and begin working at the gym, but only as intern and only to tag along on enough training sessions with a licensed trainer in order to qualify for the state licensing exam .

We can't afford to ruin the reputation of the industry that only a few years ago didn't have a reputation to speak of. Taking such steps will keep the bar high for those who consider a vocation of fitness professional and in return will maintain high revenues for the fitness departments.

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