So You Want to Become a Personal Trainer

Heads up + full disclosure: This blog post is sponsored by SocialMoms and ACE Fitness campaign. All text and opinions are mine.

You guys know I love what I do, right? I feel so lucky to have found a career about which I’m so passionate and to have established a successful business doing it. #GetACEcertified

(#TBT /old picture alert!!)

Back before I ventured into fitness, I actually remember feeling “stuck” at my desk job.

Fresh out of college, while working at a  corporate insurance job, I longed to be back in the gym helping others feel better and get in the shape of their dreams.

As an athlete in high school and college I was no stranger to the weight room, and I helped many friends and colleagues turn toward fitness and better health to see results in the gym.

I’d been missing that, so I started a little blog (were any of you around for “Running Around Normal”?) documenting my running and training endeavors.

Then in 2009, I went for it. I went back to school and took a night class to become a certified personal trainer. Before going back to school, I did quite a bit of research to decide which certification program was best for me.

I chose  ACE not only because it’s nationally accredited and very highly regarded, but also because the education and study course was much more comprehensive than any of the others I considered.

The program I chose was a partnership between ACE and a local college; it was an eight-week classroom course , with two all-day weekend workshops for hands-on learning. Online programs are fine, but I knew I wanted this to be my career and wanted to take it as seriously as possible.

The course ended up being invaluable, with many hours logged in the classroom, as well as in “the field” doing mock training sessions, learning how to perform assessments, take body fat measurements with calipers, and identify proper form and execution of exercise and movement.

When it came time to take the certification test, I felt very well-prepared. Being a nervous test-taker by nature, my heart was beating a million beats per minute, but at the same time I knew I was ready.

After earning my certificate, I trained clients from five to eight every morning, worked at my office job all day,  then worked with clients again  from five to eight at night. Sure, I was overworked and overstressed and to be honest, not all that happy, but it was back: my passion. And I knew that schedule wouldn’t continue forever.

I eventually went on to become the manager of the gym where  I trained clients,  started training clients online, and quit my corporate job.

As I’ve mentioned in many posts, I wouldn’t trade my job as a personal trainer for the world. Being able to help women transform both their bodies and their lives is  incredibly  rewarding. This is why I’m running a beta program for female trainers and fitness professionals who want to ramp up their online fitness businesses.The  program isn’t available yet, but should be by early May (!!!)

Of course, becoming a personal trainer isn’t for everyone and as in any career, there are struggles along the way. But the benefits  outweigh the downsides  by a landslide.

If you’re toying with the idea of pursuing  a career in the fitness field, I recommend taking a look at ACE’s career guide. And if you’re serious about pursuing a career in personal training, you can check out ACE’s different study programs, which are in line price-wise with other nationally accredited certification programs.