their home gym, or organising a team for
the Blackmore’s Sydney Running Festival.
I know how challenging it can be for many
people to adopt an active, healthy lifestyle,
and will use whatever resources I have to
support my clients in doing so.
What is the best thing about being
a PT?
The best thing about being a PT is being a
part of so many people’s lives, and having
the privilege to get to know them and be
trusted by them. It’s an honour – our clients
are making a leap of faith to let us train them,
and we need to do our best by them.
And the hardest?
What hours do you work?
My hours vary day-to-day, but I work five
days a week. I typically start training clients
by about 7:30am, with sessions through to
1:30pm. Three days a week I train clients
again in the afternoon/evening, with the
other afternoons and one or two evenings
devoted to admin, marketing and learning.
What do you do in any downtime?
I use non-work time for my own exercise
(gym, running, bushwalking, learning to play
tennis), reading for pleasure and – especially
if I’ve started early – the occasional nanna
nap!
What do you do in terms of your
professional development?
I attend the FILEX convention most years, as
well as reading widely on fitness and related
issues and attending occasional workshops.
I scan the major newspapers and online
news sites for articles about fitness and
exercise, and try to keep up with the latest
research in fitness so I can give clients the
best information possible. I have done some
useful online courses, but when possible, I
prefer face-to-face learning.
How much do you charge?
My fees vary depending on session length
(I offer half-hour, 45-minute and hour-long
sessions) and frequency of training (regular
clients pay less than occasional ones), but
the range is generally from $45 to $80.
How many clients do you have?
I have about 35 regular clients, and a handful
of people who see me occasionally for
program updates or just to get some new
ideas and variety for their training.
How long do they stay?
It varies, but I have several clients who have
been with me for 10 years, and over a dozen
who have been training with me for five
years.
How do you get new clients?
The hardest is that, while training clients,
we have to be 100% present; unlike a desk
job, it is all face-to-face and personal, and
it is about the client, not the trainer. We
can’t take it out on our clients if we are tired,
stressed or preoccupied.
What is the biggest misconception
about working in fitness?
New clients come from a range of sources,
with word of mouth and observation (people
who see me at the gym) being the most
common. I have also gotten clients from
my group fitness classes and from casual
conversations – sometimes from totally
unexpected sources. I think there are a couple of major
misconceptions about trainers – one, that
if you are fit, active and athletic, you can
automatically be a good/successful trainer,
and two, that all your clients will be motivated
to make dramatic lifestyle changes, and
successful in doing so.
Do you vet clients before you
agree to train them? Where would you like your career
to take you?
I meet every prospective client for a
conversation, at which point I determine
their needs and goals, explain my approach
and costs, and talk about how we might
work together. I am not so much accepting
or rejecting them, but giving both of us a
chance to make sure we feel comfortable
with each other and that they understand my
commitment to them and my expectations
of them.
Do you ever turn clients away or
refer them to other PTs?
On a few occasions, I have suggested
that another PT would be a better fit and/
or better qualified to work with someone.
I have referred some clients with complex
situations to a physio or other health
professional because I consider their needs
to be beyond personal training.
What differentiates you from
other trainers?
I chose my business name because I
genuinely do go the ‘extra mile’ in client
care, whether it is weekly phone calls
to a client’s dietitian or physiotherapist,
helping someone choose equipment for
I hope that more and more people come
to realise the importance of exercise for
people with special needs, chronic health
conditions and disabilities. With the rolling
out of the NDIS (National Disability Insurance
Scheme), for example, more people with
disabilities will potentially be able to receive
funding for personal training, and I hope to
be able to serve more of them. I would also
like to potentially mentor new trainers, and
maybe help them learn some of the lessons
that took me years to learn, a little faster.
What is your fitness philosophy?
It’s never too late to start.
What key piece of advice would you
give to someone starting out as a PT?
Don’t expect quick results in building a PT
business, any more than our clients should
expect instant success in losing weight,
building muscle or whatever their aim is:
establishing trust and a good reputation
takes time. Becoming a successful trainer
is more like marathon running than it is
sprinting!
Want to be a future featured Real World PT? For
details, email [email protected]
NETWORK SPRING 2018 | 21