“Is personal training right for me?” Interestingly enough, I’ve actually received a handful of questions lately about my personal training days, and I’ve had a post idea addressing this very subject in the back of my mind for a long time.
Those of you who have been reading for some time now may remember some of this, but for those of you who are a bit newer, let me do a quick recap…
Back in 2011, I decided to make a career move. I purchased the materials to study for a personal training certification through NASM, and after about 3-1/2 months, I passed my exam and was “officially” a personal trainer.
Not long after receiving my certification, I was lucky enough to be able to land a job as a personal trainer at a local gym (which was actually a Golds Gym at the time, which I used to be a member of – MAN I miss BodyPump…but anyways…) and started taking on both group classes and one-on-one sessions with members.
Shortly after I started, I openly shared some of my challenges with personal training, but it was still so new at that point that I knew I needed to give it more time and really figure the whole thing out.
In June of 2012, I also decided that I wanted to offer online personal training services and started Courtney’s Total Body Wellness (<– which, funny enough, is actually still a page on this blog, it’s just hidden from any menus now). I had a BLAST getting to work with many of you and really enjoyed taking on that role.
Fast forward a bit to July of that year (2012) and that’s when I was diagnosed with Hypothalamic Amenorrhea. It was around this time that I really started thinking that I wasn’t in the right spot for me, right then. I was significantly cutting back on exercise and looking at “health and fitness” in an entirely different way. Ultimately, through all of this, I found it really hard to constantly be in that gym setting…it was almost like a constant reminder of what I was trying to avoid. So by August of 2012, I decided to leave my role as a personal trainer from the gym.
A few months after leaving the gym, I started my new 8-5 job and ultimately decided that I just didn’t have the time to commit to the online training.
I’ve been asked many times if I think I’d still be personal training, had I not had those significant changes in my health, and the answer is, no. At least, I’m about 99% sure it’d still be a no. And it’s for a number of reasons…
1. I’m not a great salesperson. At least at the gym I worked at, a lot of your clientele came from you seeking it out. And maybe it’s just me, but I had a really hard time going up to someone in the middle of their workout and saying, “Hey, I think you should come pay me to train you.” It just didn’t feel natural to me in any way, and in turn, my one-on-one clientele suffered.
2. The hours were ALL over the place. Before I even started as a trainer, I thought that the schedule was going to be amazing. I figured, hey, I make my own schedule! This will be amazing! But that’s really not how it works. Most days, I’d be there super early (say, 5:15am to maybe 7-8am), have a few hours at home, and then I’d be back in the late afternoons/evenings for a few hours). For some people, this may be great. But for me, it just didn’t work, and I knew it wouldn’t in the long term, especially when kids were in the picture. I didn’t get to see Jay most evenings, I was exhausted from early mornings, and I missed out on some of my favorite things like getting together with friends and softball games.
3. Schedules were too unpredictable. Another thing I learned fairly quickly after starting is that, in some areas (certainly not all), I’m more Type A than I realized. Not knowing what my schedule was going to be from week to week drove me crazy, and I felt like I could never really plan things in advance.
4. …and the pay was unpredictable, too. I used to get amazing emails from readers, commending me for taking a leap and making a career move the way I did. They’d explain how they, too, were also considering doing the same, and they’d want to ask my advice. Should they go for it? I was always honest and upfront in my responses, and I’d say that life is too short to always be wondering “what if,” especially if they weren’t happy in their current situation. But I’d also explain that (at least in my experience) personal training was tricky. And honestly, had I not had Jay to help support me during that time, I really don’t think I would have been able to support myself on that income.
5. There was too much self-imposed pressure. It can be pretty intimidating to have amazingly fit co-workers. I worked with a handful of guys who took fitness to an entirely new level, and I was always in awe of the dedication they put into their work – not only on themselves, but also their clients. Again, I can only speak from my own experience, but I always felt like there was SO much comparing/sizing one another up/competing with one another, that I often found myself somewhat pressured to do this or that, or that I wasn’t good enough. I’d get asked ALL the time why I wasn’t working out out on the floor (I’d do my workouts in the morning most days, but still) and I sometimes felt like people didn’t really take me seriously. It got to the point where I was actually starting to feel anxious just about going to work, and that’s when I knew something wasn’t right.
So do I regret being a personal trainer and taking the time to become certified? Absolutely NOT.
I learned so. much. information. that I still use and value to this day. It got me out of my comfort zone a bit and allowed me to try new things. And I should also add that, once I was in a session with a client or a group, that was my sweet spot. I absolutely loved working with others and helping them attain their health and fitness goals. Ultimately, though, it just wasn’t the best fit for me, and it was all a wonderful learning experience.
So now, I’d love to hear from you guys! Can you relate? Have you ever made a career change? Maybe made a big move and decided it wasn’t the best fit?
I haven’t had a similar experience but I feel like I can definitely relate to everything you wrote. I feel like I wouldn’t make a good personal trainer either for exactly the reasons you mentioned. What a wonderful post and thank you for sharing!
Very interesting post! And it makes total sense. Honestly, I’ve never once thought about your past role as a personal trainer and whether or not you’ll go back. You seem so happy now – with your 8-3 job and your job as a mama – that I think those are the jobs that really suit you. But, I’m sure it’s nice to have that “personal training” knowledge tucked away if you ever need it. :-)
Great post, I appreciate you being so open with your personal experience. I was also thinking about becoming certified and then not long after found out I have HA and was struggling to conceive. However, I did always love your online workouts and would love to see them make a return!
So right there with you. I was going to make the big change (and I basically did, just short of getting officially hired at a gym) and then randomly got my current job. For me the issue lay in the fact that they wanted me to do group classes, and I am way better one on one. But I agree with you–basically pimping yourself out and being that “used car salesman” is so difficult, and something that I’m glad I avoided! I still train clients, but online and one on one, so much more my speed!
i actually studied to become a personal trainer through afaa a couple years ago, but then they cancelled the class/test the weekend i was supposed to take it. they gave me the option to reschedule, take it online, or get a refund. i knew taking it online wouldn’t work for me as i’m much more hands on than that. i rescheduled for the following weekend but they cancelled AGAIN! at that point i decided there was a reason and it wasn’t the right time in my life for many of the reasons you mentioned above. someday i’d still like to do it, just not now :)
Great post, and SO very true. I went the 4 year bachelors degree route to become a personal trainer, imagining I’d have my college loans paid off in no time. HA! As you said the pay, the hours, the clientele …it is all so very unpredictable. However, I personally stick with it because it is my passion. I too cringe when people tell me they are wanting to leave their 9-5 steady income job. In most cases it takes a lot of time and A LOT of work to build up the clientele to earn a steady, regular income in this industry. It’s certainly not for everyone.
This post just made me realize that I have absolutely zero sense of time. I honestly thought you took your personal training test and everything like two years ago. How was all of that in 2011/2012. Where is my life going? Ok, enough of my freak out. I think it was so brave of you to try out a new career. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t, but it sounds like personal training would not have been a good fit for your family now, so it sounds like you made a good decision in the long run.
I have been thinking of being a personal trainer for a while, but never made the plunge. Most of it is due to everything you mentioned. I’m not a car salesman and I just can’t get behind telling someone they need to hire me. I am a group fitness instructor, and love helping others that way. However, the unpredictable times also makes it hard. I would love to study and take the test just for the knowledge, though. I think it’d help me with my classes, too. I am a teacher, and have been trying to find something else I could do as teaching just isn’t doing it for me anymore. I’d love to hear what you made the switch to and how you did it, as I think that’s something I might be nearing in the future.
Thank you for this! I’m currently studying the nasm book to become certified. Reading your thoughts gives me heads up on some issues I may face. What pros did you get from becoming a CPT?
Yes, Yes, and Yes. I was a personal trainer for almost 8 years and all of the things you listed above just wore on me. Especially the erratic schedule, pay, and not knowing what week to week would look like. For those reasons I strictly do online work now, but I also went back to school for nursing for a more stable career.
The only way to know if you like your job is to commit to it. Then, it all just pans out the way it is for you. You have to experience something to really get a grasp of it, so I’m glad you took a plunge a lot of people would never do! It’s hard to look back and know you spent a lot of time on something which didn’t work out, but I’m sure you learned a lot about anatomy, nutrition, etc. just studying for the exam! Knowledge is power, so it didn’t all go to waste!!
I feel like a lot of the bloggers I enjoy reading are or have struggled with HA. Right or wrong, I have often wondered if some of the healthy living styles including exercise and recipes they were boasting was actually the cause of such an unhealthy reality. To be good at anything, you have to throw yourself into the job so stands to reason if you throw yourself into being a good personal trainer, there is a risk of going to far for your own sake. I’m so glad you made the right decision for yourself. Your family is adorable, your blog is inspiring and motivating but most importantly, it is real and relatable. Between your fashion posts, the planner you showed us, and now the new meal planning tab, I find such good suggestions.
I’m so glad you’ve found what works for you! I don’t think I’d like the salesperson aspect of personal training either, or being in the gym setting all the time. Thank you for sharing your honest experiences with the job!
I had a very similar experience to you, and echo all the same thoughts. I think it’s a great career for some people and I give them a lot of credit for making it work. It did NOT work for me at all. I’m still a group fitness instructor and love it. The sales aspect was totally not me, and I quit when I started to dread going to the gym.
But there’s always something to be said for trying something new and challenging. Life lessons, never failures! Thanks for sharing :)
Great post! I think you addressed all the questions I had about becoming a trainer. I’m still on the fence but this really helped. Thanks!
Thank you for sharing Courtney! I love reading the “truths” about things, specifically fitness career related. I think it is easy to assuming personal training, group exercise instructing, and blog writing are the easy “flexible schedule/work from home” deal, but in reality there is a lot more to it! I just started a blog about losing a the last few pounds from after my wedding and pregnancy, and it is having me wonder what I want to do moving forward in the fitness industry! Definitely eye opening. Great post!!
Thanks for sharing this! Very interesting to hear more about people’s personal journeys!
This post couldn’t be any more spot on with what I experienced as well! (Even down to the Gold’s Gym part!) I felt exactly the same way about all of it (my most stable hours were 8-12 and then back 4-8 – and even still, that makes for such a strange day!). I’m thinking about possibly starting some online training services, but I know that a full-time, in the gym training job is no longer for me! Thanks for posting! I feel a little less guilty lol :)
You are so awesome! So glad you stuck with your guns and did what was right for you.
i think it’s awesome that you pursued something that made you happy at the time — that’s all we can do in life, i believe: make our life one long succession of “tries,” where we figure out by experience what works for us and what we need to change or drop. i’ve done this with careers, with moves to different cities (there was that snowboard bum phase in Colorado after college…lol), with graduate programs, with just plain old “for now” jobs and hobbies. it makes me a more resilient, well-rounded, “risk-taking” person, i think, and i’m happy for every single thing i tried because it was what i wanted at the time. let’s just hope my current Master’s program turns into a great career. :)
This is such a great post because it’s so honest! And I have to say, for many reasons that is why I chose to not go the PT route in the long run. I have my M.S. degree and could’ve just taken the tests right out of my undergrad or grad school, but for some reason it just didn’t appeal to me. I have the training/education but not the ‘cert’ and that is okay with me.
I will say though, girl, you should totally consider becoming a fitness instructor! It’s the best of the best b/c you still get that sweet spot of training/helping others but the hours are way more predictable and you get to choose when you teach. You could just teach 1 class a week if you want! Plus there is a much better camaraderie IMO & no extra drama/comparing/sizing up. I totally love it. Something to think about, but you can now train as an LM BODYPUMP instructor without first being an instructor! ;) check their site out lesmills.com // sorry if that was too much info, hah.
Yup, left law school after realizing that even though I was great at it, I couldn’t handle the pressure and the stress of it. It’s still my first love but it was either dropping out or giving up my sanity and well-being. It was tough and I still miss it but I know it was the best choice.
Thank you so much for this post Courtney, I had almost the exact same experience in becoming a Personal Trainer. I wasn’t able to quit my 9-5, but did personal training on nights and weekends. While parts were definitely rewarding, it ultimately wasn’t for me for the same reasons you shared. Right now I’m transitioning to a career in nutrition (which I’m much more passionate about) and becoming an RD. So far this has been a much better path!
Hey Courtney-
I’m just curious how your current job is going. Do you like it better? I am currently a teacher, but I sometimes feel that I lack the passion as well. My husband and I have been discussing me staying home for a bit with our baby until I can figure out what path I want to head. I guess I don’t fully understand what your current job is, but it seems like something I would like. I do like working at a desk, being organized, responding to emails, etc… Again not totally sure if that’s what your job entails, but maybe? Either way, I would be interested in knowing your thoughts about it and learning about how you got into it!
wow, all of these are reasons why i’m sure being a personal trainer wouldn’t work for me either! i am so not a good sales person and would also hate the all over the place hours. i am a total 9-5, predictable hours kinda gal. at least you went for it, you never know til you try!
Around the same time that you were studying, I was graduating university and thinking about my future. Most bloggers I was reading were getting their NASM training and I thought I’d do it too, having just lost 50lbs and loved working out. Everything that you brought up were the exact same reasons I never pursued it. I realized my passion for working out wouldn’t translate to training other people for pay.
I can relate to so much of this. I obtained my NASM cert. over a year agor and while I tried to break into it, it never went anywhere. I still love fitness and working out, but I’m not a self-salesman. I have to decided whether or not to re-up this December. I doubt I will, due to costs and practicality. There’s definitely an appeal to being a trainer, but the reality is a lot tougher. I’ve also started a baking company (that I let go of when my Dad was diganosed with cancer), and I thoguht people would think I was flakey or couldn’t commit, but I think it’s good to continue to try things and learn something new. In my early 20s I was trying to find my passion, and I think I have in my career- or I’m headed there. I think that it’s possible to have varied interests even if we just keep them to hobbies.
Interesting post to read, I can totally relate, though my situation is/was a bit different. I was working a 9-5, but it was in a very toxic environment and I was in the process of moving about an hour away (this is super common where I live, everyone commutes). Also my finacee works afternoons/evenings (in TV) so working the 9-5 plus a commute meant we barely saw each other. So after 10+ years practice, I did my Pilates instructor certification, got a teaching job supplemented with a restaurant job and quit the 9-5. But I too hated the sales aspect of teaching, loveloveloved my students but hated feeling like I was forcing them to pay and all my free time being spent trying to recruit. So I am not teaching anymore, save for a few subs and privates here and there, and mostly just work at the restaurant. I feel like I really want to get back into an office or even retail environment, but it is so tough. I feel like my resume/timeline looks a little wonky now, you know? And I worry about never seeing my man, which is why I thought retail might strike a good compromise. Anyhow, long story but I understand and am in the midst of trying to find my balance myself.
I totally understand, Courtney! I am a certified personal trainer as well, but I love it for the knowledge rather than using it for the profession. I worked on board a cruise ship as the personal trainer, group fitness instructor, and fitness director but really found the personal training bit to be a bit high stress due to the sales and self imposed pressure. Great post!!
Thanks so much for this post! I have my undergrad degree in Exercise Science and started doing some personal training right after college in a gym and freaked out b/c I didn’t know how I could make a living doing soley that. It was/is a great part-time gig but takes a lot of time to build up to be full-time. Right now my plan is to teach a couple group ex classes a week and I really enjoy that!
This is so interesting! I never really knew the full story. I made a huge career change decision. I worked as an attorney at a law firm and then decided that I hated being a litigator and representing clients so I moved to a legal position in-house that didn’t require me to represent clients. It was a big switch but it made me so much happier!
Hi…I’ve been thinking about personal training for awhile. However, you do raise some great points about training. I too want to help people, but I am not a sales man, and I do need to make a secure income. Also, I love having a set schedule, so I can make plans. Currently, I’m an Elementary teacher, but I took the school year off, after giving birth to my second son (10 months old). Teaching is great because of the schedule. (I also have an 8 year old son). However, the passion is gone. I’ve been teaching for 9 years and I want more for my life. I would really like to know what field/job you are currently in? I want to expand my horizons, and you seem to enjoy what you are doing. Hope I’m not being too nosy.
Hi Courtney! I’m so happy to see this post, because as you know from my questions, I wondered why you left being a personal trainer. I agree with all the points you made above, as I worked as a personal trainer at a corporate gym (Equinox) for a while. It’s an AWESOME experience, but it’s a tough role to stay in long-term because of what you mentioned above. Lots of pressure for little monetary return. Now I write from home, teach tons of group fitness classes, and I like this combination much more (of course, I also spent many years in the corporate world before going the PT route, which was hard in other ways as well!). I may take on some private clients again soon, but not in the corporate gym setting again. Thanks for sharing your experience!
I literally feel like I could’ve written this post myself! I can totally relate to everything you’re saying (from the HA stuff, to the sales stuff, to the weird hours, etc.). I’m so glad you’ve found something you enjoy and works for you now! xo
Thanks so much for sharing! I think I belong to your former gym haha. The group exercise room looks verrry familiar and I live in the area. I basically joined for BodyPump!
I have a VERY similar experience with personal training. For one the hours killed me. Getting up at 4 to train then some random breaks and not being officially done with work until 8 was not fun. I felt like I was never actually off of work.
I also began to feel anxious and like I needed to hold myself to some standard just because I was a personal trainer. Ironically, I was going through outpatient therapy for an eating disorder the same time that I began my personal training job. I developed a lot of anxiety and confliction about the gym and exercise because I was supposed to be telling people to exercise more, while I was trying to rid myself of those types of thoughts.
I eventually quit my job and I now work work at an eating disorder treatment center helping with nutrition therapy while I am back in school pursuing a nursing career :) Even though working at the gym was very tough I learned lots of lessons and am very grateful, because it brought me to where I am today.
What a great post! I’ve done some combination of personal training, teaching group fitness, and/or group fitness management since graduating college and I can agree with a lot that you had to say. The hours can be grueling (I teach 6 AM classes 4 days a week), and I AM NOT a sales person. For me, the key was finding the right balance of the three so I didn’t get bored and was financially stable. Also finding a great studio really made a huge difference. Having somewhere you love going every day is key!
I am “retired” Group Ex., Yoga Teacher and PT and I retired for many of the reasons just listed. I’m sure I’ll return in some capacity one day (and I still volunteer teach with youth) but for now I am putting it on hold. It just overtook my life too much!
I’m so glad you reiterated the message in this post! I’m considering going for the certification for PT online, but I want to do it part time, and NOT through my local gym. I was trained in the gym by someone and I have been approached before by trainers and it’s so awkward! I don’t know how they feel they can approach me and tell me I should think about training. I would not be able to do that. I plan on starting out with a bootcamp with some of my coworkers, so it’s more like I want to impart enthusiasm and encourage them out of their comfort zones rather than feeling like I deserve to be paid for the work I plan to do with them. Any other pearls of wisdom are welcomed!
Thanks so much!
I am actually in the middle of my career change right now. I am getting my certification through NASM too, but I do not want to work in a commercial gym. I have been interning at a local studio that teaches bootcamp/HIIT type classes and I will graduate this weekend! I am much more interested in things like that than selling myself one on one. I agree with all your cons that you listed and I couldn’t handle the unpredictability. This way I know what my schedule will be and can plan!
I seriously relate to this post– I passed my NASM CPT in December 2012, a few months after I graduated college, thinking that fitness full-time would be the right choice for me.
I loathed prospecting at my big box gym (ironically I work in sales now, but over the phone is a totally different experience than awkwardly approaching people on treadmills!) and found the hours really tough. At one point I was working 6 part time jobs to make ends meet from 5AM-9pm on any given day.
I also felt like I no longer had this thing I loved– fitness. Working out felt like work. I’m now much happier to have it as a side passion (and my blog) instead of all day every day.
Loved to read this perspective! I have a 9-5 but do online and in-person training as a passion project, and to help pay down student loans. I never wanted to be a personal trainer, but a fitness writer, hence why I got my CSCS last August. But since it’s good to practice what you preach, I’ve taken on a few clients and found it to be really fulfilling :) I’m just crazy busy now, and need to work on finding balance and time to do what I love (yoga, weight lifting and running!)
I can completely relate to what you’re saying. This post couldn’t have come at a better time. Two years ago, I changed careers, cities, and companies. Crazy. Definitely understand what you’re saying. I just found your blog now – so not sure what you went back to after personal training?? Hope you are happier now – and you would have never known unless you tried!
Hi Courtner! I haven’t had a career change but that’s exactly what I want to do. I have been an employee for years and I thought of retiring and start my own business. I wanted to have my own gym but Im still preparing for it.
Steve P… Let me know when you start your gym… I will be happy to join it.
Hi Courtney! I’m so happy to see this post, because as you know from my questions, I wondered why you left being a personal trainer. I agree with all the points you made above, as I worked as a personal trainer at a corporate gym (Equinox) for a while. It’s an AWESOME experience, but it’s a tough role to stay in long-term because of what you mentioned above. Lots of pressure for little monetary return. Now I write from home, teach tons of group fitness classes, and I like this combination much more (of course, I also spent many years in the corporate world before going the PT route, which was hard in other ways as well!). I may take on some private clients again soon, but not in the corporate gym setting again. Thanks for sharing your experience!
great post but you forgot a key element. A 4 year degree in exercise science or kinesiology as well as a nationally recognized certification is ideal. I’ve been a trainer over 25 years and a group exercise teacher for 29 years but that doesn’t mean as much as my degree. Also- one more note: get references and actually call them. I think that is really important. Make sure their references are not from one specific segment of the population. Thanks for reading!
What a great post! I’ve done some combination of personal training, teaching group fitness, and/or group fitness management since graduating college and I can agree with a lot that you had to say.
Many have the same problems. You can’t know until you try them. But you can’t try them all. So the best way is to learn from the others experience. Your article can help. Thanks!
Hi Courtney,
Being a personal training wasn’t in my head a minute after I read you blog. But now it seems really good career and fun. You seem really happy what you you were in now. Thank you for sharing your journey it is very inspirational.
The best professio in the world is your hobby. So make your hobby your work.
Many people believe that personal training is an easy profession. But the reality is completely different. You have to learn a lot. The most important is that you must have the willing to help other people.
Personal training is not a profession. It is a passion for life. The willing to make difficult things that are can’t or don’t want to do.
You have written this post with the reader in your mind. This post provides some helpful processes and resources to help me get started.