One of the great aspects of being a personal trainer is the variety in not only the people you get to work with, but also the settings you get to work within. Personal trainers are no longer just restricted to a gym setting. There is actually a wide variety of locations/settings trainers can work in these days. Generally personal trainers have the following as options for work location:
– Private Health Clubs
– Commercial Health Clubs
– Medically-Based Fitness Facilities
– Community Wellness Centers
– Personal Training Studios
– Physical Therapy Clinics
– Retirement/Senior Centers
– YMCAs/JCCs
– College/University Centers
– Recreational Settings
– Corporate Fitness Centers
– In-Home Training
Each of the above provides a trainer with various perks and benefits. As example, with Commercial Health Clubs you will probably be able to make a decent yearly salary as Commercial Health Clubs (especially franchises like Bally’s) market heavily. This is a plus for you as it helps to bring in a regular amount of potential clients. However the downside is you may feel at times like the company is more about the bottom dollar as opposed to the client and/or trainer.
Another example is Non-Profits such as YMCAs (Young Men’s Christian Association) and JCCs (Jewish Community Centers), which tend to be the opposite. You may find the pay is not comparable to Commercial Health Clubs, but they at times provide better benefits. In addition, the camaraderie is far more evident with non-profits. For some, working in the community for a real cause can be more fulfilling than receiving a big paycheck.
Another option for personal trainers that is somewhat of a balance between commercial health clubs and non-profits is In-Home Training. In home training is great as it provides complete job flexibility (as those who train in-home tend to be their own bosses), the money you collect per session is one hundred percent yours (as opposed to working for a facility and they take 40-60% of the session fee), and you can provide a great service that many people would love to participate in (as many do not go to fitness facilities due to feeling uncomfortable, lack of time, etc).
Overall personal training as a profession has a lot of perks. People can do it full time and make a great living. It is also flexible for those who need it. An example of this would be stay at home parents. By being a trainer, a stay at home mom/dad would be able to earn a small income on the side while still being able to take care of their children (if the gym they are employed at has day care). Finally it provides variety. You will be able to work in the setting of your choice with the type people you want to train. In the end, personal training is a great profession to get into. You will more than likely find exactly what you want and will as a result wake up everyday looking forward to work.