What makes a great personal trainer?
Some people see being a personal trainer as a job, but it’s truly a calling. Great personal trainers change people’s lives — and sometimes save lives as well. If you’ve considered fitness as a career, you should know that it takes a certain type of personality to to make it in the training business (especially in Nashville). Personal training is a people-oriented business, so you have to first make sure that you’re good with people. But there is much more that comes with being a great personal trainer, and, while you may think you have everything it takes for keeping yourself in great physical shape, you may be missing a few things when it comes to coaching others. Here are some of the signs that you would make a great personal trainer:
Great personal trainers are curious and eager to learn
The world of fitness thrives on innovation, and some principles and techniques that were taught not too long ago are completely obsolete today. So, as a personal trainer, you will have to be willing and ready to constantly learn about the exercise and wellness fields so you can stay current with your advice and coaching.
You should also know that it takes time to become a great personal trainer, and that you will have to go through multiple courses and certifications just to get started.
The good part, however, is that personal training is a field where you can specialize and work with niche clients. So, if you have a particular passion for a specific type if fitness training:
If you’re the kind of person who has actually likes to learn, then you’ll always find something new in this field to learn about.
If you want to start doing your research on different personal training paths, you should check out the courses for personal trainers that Stay Active offers. They have basic gym instructor and personal trainer courses, but also tons of specialized modules you could check out as well. They have education courses for people who’d like to work with postnatal training clients, for instance, and courses specifically on nutrition. Give them a look today and see if something interests you!
Great personal trainers are empathetic, but firm
One of the most difficult things when you’re a personal trainer is being able to understand and listen to your clients’ concerns while still keeping them on track with exercise, nutrition, and other lifestyle improvements.
You can’t get too involved in their personal lives, but you will still need to be there to support them if (when!) they break down. It’s a very difficult balance to strike, but if you’ve always been able to compartmentalize your emotions and bring people back to the task at hand during tough times, then you might be tailor-made to be a personal trainer.
Great personal trainers pay attention to detail
You cannot be a good personal trainer if you don’t have a good sense of observation and great attention to detail. Proper exercise form is mainly about biomechanics, and you must be able to tell when someone is compensating (or cheating!) on a movement. To prevent injuries, you also must know how to correct them when they have bad exercise form.
Besides that, you also need to be able to gauge the mental and emotional state of your trainees. So, you have to be able to get a good read on people, and sometimes have to pick up non-verbal cues. If you’re the person in your group that always notices when someone is not doing well, and you’re the one constantly patting people on the back so they can get back to their normal selves, then “personal trainer” might be the job for you.
While personal training can be a great career, it is not for everybody. If you have the right set of traits, skills, and aptitude, however, then you could flourish in this field. If you think you have what it takes to become a great personal trainer, you should look at what you’d need to do to get started in the personal fitness business. Check out this presentation on the pros and cons of being a personal trainer. If you’d like to discuss personal training as a career in Nashville, just drop us a note and we can talk! We’re always on the lookout for new training talent.