5 Things I didn’t know before becoming a Personal Trainer

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5 Things I didn’t know before becoming a Personal Trainer.

1) It is a LOT more “personal” than I thought it would be. I had no idea just how close I would get with each of my clients. You get to know each person so well and experience their achievements and failures right beside them.

2) It is SO rewarding. After only 3 months of training my very first client and doing her reevaluation fitness assessment did I realise just how far she had come. WOW it was so incredible to see her face light up when she saw her body fat percentage had gone down by 4% and she was able to double all of her reps from a few months back. I was riding on a high all afternoon.

Everybody has “off” days.

3) I always tell my clients to be honest about how they are feeling before the session starts and I take that into consideration when setting up for them, but what I didn’t expect was having to push myself through the tough days too. As a dancer we are trained to continue through the pain and discomfort and quite honestly by dancing non stop your mind tends to forget what was wrong. But on days when I feel like my energy is just non existent is is STILL MY JOB to motivate and push my clients to their full potential.

4) Everybody trains for a different reason. One of the best things I hear at work is when someone says “I really didn’t feel like exercising today but I’m SO glad that I did.” For a lot of people exercise is a way of releasing frustration or stresses and lifting their mood. Never assume that people want to change their body in the gym!!

Psychology was a requirement for a reason!

5) I don’t know why I was so shocked when I was told I would have to take psychology during Exercise Science and now it ALL MAKES SENSE…obviously. As a PT we are dealing with real people, with real problem & stresses everyday. You have to know how to deal with and motivate clients through a wild mix of emotions. This is why getting to know them is so essential in the beginning. Establishing a professional relationship from day one is SO important, making sure that you’re both open and honest is essential of optimal results.