Personal Training body image.

Cobbe354

Hi everyone.

I'm heading to DIT this year to study Leisure Management in hopes that I'll come out with a personal training cert.

I'm a 70kg male and still DYEL skeleton mode. Working on it at the gym and one hell of a diet.

Just a quick question about personal training. What do most people look for in personal trainers bodywise?

Do I need to be absolutely XBOX huge shredded? Or otter-mode and very healthy in terms of cardio and whatnot?

I'm just trying to gain weight and lean muscle mass.

Thanks!

LuckyLloyd

I think a better question might be what type of training do you prefer doing yourself? My only concern would be that the trainer knows their stuff - i.e. has worked hard / is working hard at whatever they are demonstrating / coaching me in.

Let's say a guy wasn't an action figure looking guy but was able to demonstrate and coach olympic lifts to an obviously competent level, I'd absolutely listen to him. On the other hand, a physical specimen could be telling me not to stick my knees out when I squat and I would ignore anything more he had to say to me.

Train hard at what you like training in and do what you do well and practice whatever you intend to preach on nutrition / sleep / etc and I'd imagine it'll work itself out.

amazingemmet

Cobbe354 wrote: »

Hi everyone.

Just a quick question about personal training. What do most people look for in personal trainers bodywise?

Do I need to be absolutely XBOX huge shredded? Or otter-mode and very healthy in terms of cardio and whatnot?

I'm just trying to gain weight and lean muscle mass.

Thanks!

In my experience of working in commercial gyms its generally true that the better you look the easier it is for you to get clients.

One major example springs to mind of a new young trainer who started in the last gym I worked out of. He literally knows Sfa when it comes to training and diet but he spent some money to work with another coach for a physique contest. He made the change from in shape to shredded with the help of this coach and he went from billing 8hours a week to 35 hours with a waiting list. He still knows sfa and is unable to repeat the results on someone else but people see the image. This is just one example there was loads of trainers taking roids and claiming natural and they were just as busy.

Now the main problem with relying on your image versus knowledge is you don't get client retention so you'll constantly be looking for leads. Where as if you know your stuff and can get results you'll find it a much slower start but will have better retention and more referrals.

The best thing to do would be to look savage and have the knowledge to back it up.

Cobbe354

Ah I see now, cheers for the info LuckyLloyd!

I'm just concerned that by the time I'm qualified I won't be much bigger as my metabolism is pretty crazy. I burn more calories than I eat more of the time. And in turn that would turn off possible future clients if I wasn't very big.

amazingemmet

Cobbe354 wrote: »

I'm just concerned that by the time I'm qualified I won't be much bigger as my metabolism is pretty crazy. I burn more calories than I eat more of the time. And in turn that would turn off possible future clients if I wasn't very big.

One thing came to mind, we had one PT who looked like skeletor, great athlete in the lowest BJJ weightclass, and he had the market cornered on land whale type women. He had a couple of guys for MMA/BJJ conditioning then the rest of his clients were women in the 100-140kg range.

Cobbe354

Cheers for taking the time Emmet.

I definitely want to be the best I can for sure. I'm reading up before I even start my course, have been for the last year or so, gaining a lot of knowledge on nutrition and diet, starting strength, lurking internet fitness forums and boards, the works.

So I may have the knowledge when the time comes. But I really do want the body to go with it. Naturally of course.


Not to sound mean or anything, but would the PT market for larger types of people who are looking to lose weight be harder to work with per se, if they don't stick with the proper diet and workout routine that is given to them?

Obviously people all have different motivations and willpowers to truly get the goals they desire, and I'm not trying to say that overweight people won't be able to stick to the diet and lose the weight they (and the PT) would like to.

amazingemmet

Cobbe354 wrote: »

Cheers for taking the time Emmet.

I definitely want to be the best I can for sure. I'm reading up before I even start my course, have been for the last year or so, gaining a lot of knowledge on nutrition and diet, starting strength, lurking internet fitness forums and boards, the works.

So I may have the knowledge when the time comes. But I really do want the body to go with it. Naturally of course.


Not to sound mean or anything, but would the PT market for larger types of people who are looking to lose weight be harder to work with per se, if they don't stick with the proper diet and workout routine that is given to them?

Obviously people all have different motivations and willpowers to truly get the goals they desire, and I'm not trying to say that overweight people won't be able to stick to the diet and lose the weight they (and the PT) would like to.

First things first starting strength lol, Its a waste of most people's time and goals using that as the basis of anything, That's some first hand advice.

The weight loss market for fat people is a big section of the market but its also one I avoid like the plague. Most people who cross the line from fat to obese will be a waste of your time and their money to work with a trainer.

I know others will disagree but in my experience you will be fighting their lack of will power as well as a host of other emotional problems. I only take men over 25% and women 35% bodyfat if they have a near breakdown during our initial consultation as then at least I know I have an emotional response to use as leverage with them. You'll also be dealing with a host of negative hormonal aspects which if you're not working with a functional medicine doctor, despite PT's think they are doctors, you'll have sfa chance of correcting.

It was one of my mistakes taking on some clients like that when I started out in the business. You try tell the advertising exec that maybe he'd start to feel better if he'd cut back on that bottle of wine and 8 beers he had each night and has had for the last 10 years and see how you get on. Or argue with the obese lady that while Tim Ferriss, god how I hate him, says its ok for you to gorge on junk food once a week its probably not the best thing for you to do.

/rant

Cobbe354

amazingemmet wrote: »

First things first starting strength lol, Its a waste of most people's time and goals using that as the basis of anything, That's some first hand advice.

Oh really? ha! I was actually thinking of trying the SS routine out to get my base strength up on my lifts. ATM my squat is 50kg, bench is 45kg, deadlift is 70kg and OHP is 30kg (lol)

You recommend just sticking with the split over SS?

Anyways, cheers for the info!

BTW, as you stated earlier, are there many PT's that started on the roids in order to get more clients?

amazingemmet

Cobbe354 wrote: »

Oh really? ha! I was actually thinking of trying the SS routine out to get my base strength up on my lifts. ATM my squat is 50kg, bench is 45kg, deadlift is 70kg and OHP is 30kg (lol)

You recommend just sticking with the split over SS?

Anyways, cheers for the info!

BTW, as you stated earlier, are there many PT's that started on the roids in order to get more clients?

Personally my go to routine for internet forum dwellers needing size and strength is this:

http://www.defrancostraining.com/articles/38-articles/65-westside-for-skinny-bastards-part3.html

I'm not sure if there is many who specifically started on roids just to get more clients but there is certainly many who realized that looking better will get you more business so its not a big leap to assume there's some who seen it as a business decision.

vard

Knowledge is absolutely paramount. That said, I do think it's important that trainers adhere to some sort of regimen.

danish pasterys

Whats the career of a personal trainer like anyway without a steady wage inal is it a competative market ? I always wanyed to do it but family wore against it an wanted me to go to college an wrecking personal training as a hobbie on top of a main job maybe