THE WIN-WIN'S OF HAVING PERSONAL TRAINERS TEACH GROUP TRAINING

ANTHONY OXFORD

The biggest benefit of being a group fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer is that teaching expands your scope of potential clients. When most people start off as a PT, they have to walk the gym floor to search for clients and offer free taster sessions. I rarely had to do that. Not only did some of my participants turn into clients, but I got a huge number of referrals via the people in my classes – telling their friends who didn’t do group fitness about me. Of course, it’s great when people come to your classes as well as train with you because you’re then seeing them for a week’s worth of sessions and they’re really getting great value for money. What I love the most is the friendships I’ve formed with my clients. You really do get to know a person when you train them – you know their strengths and weaknesses, see them on their good and bad days. It’s an amazing journey when you start with a client, especially one who’s not had much exercise experience. To see them transition from doing a pushup on their knees to doing one on their toes or being able to do a squat jump is an amazing feeling.

The key for Instructors wanting to become a PT is to focus on one or two types of training, or types of client they’re trying to attract. For example, rehabilitation or endurance training or HIIT. Picking a couple of things to specialize in makes the running of your business so much easier. Also, check out the gyms in your area to see whether they want you to pay rent or work a certain number of hours on the gym floor. Paying rent can often be more financially viable – but it depends on your situation.

I’d highly recommend working on your communication and sales skills. You need to be able to communicate well to explain and listen to understand. Your client base will have different personalities, limitations and barriers and a great coach can connect with them, responding and reacting to individual needs. Always be confident about your skillset and when setting your price structure, beware of underselling yourself.

KAYLAH-BLAYR FITZSIMONS-NU’U

Being a group fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer go hand in hand because they’re both about having a positive impact on people’s lives. One of the advantages you’ll have as a group fitness Instructor is that you already know how to coach people through the movements. You’ll already be familiar with the fundamentals of getting people to move well.

What’s the key to success? Les Mills Auckland City has between 8K – 12K members at any time, and I noticed that those who didn’t already have a community or following in the gym were the ones who’d struggle to get clients. If people didn’t already know who they were, they wouldn’t last. Being seen in the gym makes a big difference, because the members can see your behavior. For example, Des Helu is not only great at what he does and comes from a very credible background of sports conditioning; he’s also a super friendly guy who makes everyone feel seen.

It’s important to create a safe space for your clients to be honest with you about how they’re enjoying the training. I always ask for feedback and if they’d like to do more or less of something. You need to be able to read them and be prepared to pivot. You might have a whole hour of stuff planned out but if they’re not feeling up to it, it might be a stretching kind of day instead. There are many times I’ve canned a session and bought my client a coffee or taken them for a walk because that’s what they actually needed.

To get new clients, being active on social media can be really helpful. Definitely use your position as a group fitness Instructor to pitch your business and I’d also make friends with the membership consultants and receptionists because they’ll be the ones suggesting you as a Trainer to new people.

There can be a risk of burnout for sure. Just before COVID, I was pumping out 32 sessions a week and that was probably too much. Be smart with your hours so you’re not always in early mornings and late nights, and make sure you lock in regular time off. Burnout can make you look as though you’re uninterested in clients, so be careful to take a break before that happens.

DES HELU

Being a Personal Trainer benefits you so much when it comes to teaching group fitness. Your ability to coach technique will be at another level! I’m so much more confident in what I’m saying and the reasons behind why we do certain movements because I'm also a PT.

When I first became a Personal Trainer, I thought it would be just be about getting people to look fit and amazing, but it’s so much more than that. You develop amazing relationships with clients, sometimes it can feel more like you’re their therapist! You get to know so many different people, learn about their lives and who they really are.

One of the big benefits is that you’ll have patches of time throughout the year where you’ll have more time for yourself. Setting your own schedule means a lot more flexibility than a 9-5. You can take a longer lunch break if you want, go home to spend time with your partner and kids, know you can fit in your own workout at some point in the day.

Are there any downsides? Sometimes you’ll have clients wanting to train at the same time you teach. My advice would be to play the long game and take the class. You don’t know how long the client will be with you whereas a class is permanent, so generally more financially secure.

My advice for Instructors looking to transition to PT’ing is to know what their strengths are. Confidence also plays a big role. Use your position as a group fitness Instructor to become friends with the members and become a well-known face in the club. You’ll be surprised by the number of people that will get back to you when you start telling your classes you’re now also a PT. It’s so much easier to get clients when you’re also teaching group fitness.