Here’s the next in the series of questions I’ve been answering for Personal Training Academy.
PTA: Why is personal training the best job in the world? What do you get the most enjoyment out of in the industry and with your clients?
This job is the best! I am ‘living the dream’ and I have been for 22 years. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do. An exact ex-script from my first resume age 17 went like this: “I have a genuine desire to pass onto everyone I come into contact with the benefits of a fit and healthy lifestyle!”
Wow – talk about seeing the future! If only I knew just how poignant that would be for my eventual career. For longevity in this industry, you need to find your true motivation. My greatest source of motivation is an absolute passion for a fit, challenging, healthy and rewarding life.
Motivation must be intrinsic, if it’s going to last, it’s got to come from within yourself rather than to please others. It’s the fire that burns deep inside your belly. It can’t be faked or trained into you, it must be real. It’s that accountability and desire to stay true to my beliefs that allows me to get up when it’s cold and wet, with a tired, stiff body and go out and deliver the best session I can, regardless of how I’m feeling. To be a true professional, I see myself as a role model and I must live up to those expectations, no excuses. I must walk my talk!
To avoid burnout, I think you need to be inspired by your clients. It’s part of what makes being a fitness professional ‘The Best Job In The World’.
I am now inspired by my clients and my Biggest Loser contestants. I’m past performing ‘personal bests’ in most competitions (though I do still strive for more achievements), but training clients and contestants on BL now gives me that same rush, that natural high we all crave. The morbidly obese contestants I train on BL exercise for 3-4 hrs / day every day for 12 weeks! They hit PB’s virtually every session! Watching them triumph and achieve the unachievable inspires me, boosts my energy and recharges my soul.
It’s the other energy equation: ENERGY OUT = ENERGY IN. What I mean by that is the energy and emotional investment you put into your clients, you get back and more. Seeing the success, achievements and happiness of your clients gives energy abundantly back to you!
The Fitness Industry can be a wonderful, rewarding place to work, I’ve spent my life there. You never know where it will take you, but you must be ready when that opportunity comes knocking. It may be only once in your life. Be patient. Learn all the skills you can, regardless of how daunting or confronting they might be. Master the science behind exercise prescription because one day you will need it. Your qualification should be way more than ‘a piece of paper’. Most importantly be professional; be a proud, highly skilled Fitness Professional.
Want to learn more about making the leap to a rewarding, professional career in Fitness? Call PT Academy on 1300 556 540.