What Makes A Successful Personal Trainer?

You might have the qualifications to work as a personal trainer, but do you have the skill set that will skyrocket you to long-term success? We dive deep into the competitive industry and discover what separates the high fliers from the slow rollers. 

The fitness industry is full of opportunities for passionate personal trainers

While there was a decrease in the demand for personal trainers during the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s steadily recovering, and estimates suggest it will continue to grow.

According to research from Future Market Insights, the global personal trainer industry is worth $41.8 billion today and will rise to $65.5 billion by 2023.

Furthermore, Payscale estimates that most personal trainers in the UK earn between £24 to £50 per hour, making it one of the higher-paying careers.

Becoming a personal trainer gives you job satisfaction, progression opportunities, and earning potential. With the forecasted industry growth, surely anyone can be a successful personal trainer—right?

Wrong. The sheer popularity of the industry means there’s a lot of competition. If you want to be among the ranks of the elite trainers, you need to put a lot of work in and focus on developing your career.

Why do some personal trainers fail to build a successful career?

Personal training is a career requiring a lot of passion and dedication. As with all industries, you have to be willing to put the work in and develop your career, with most individuals starting in an entry-level role.

While some newly qualified trainers rise through the ranks and make a great living, others fail and leave their career for a job that requires less commitment and passion.

The common reasons why some personal trainers fail include: 

• A lack of motivation: You must be passionate about the industry and take a proactive approach to professional development.
• Zero commitment: Personal trainers go on a continual learning journey and must be willing to update their skills.
• Too many expectations: That celeb personal trainer you idolise starter at the bottom too. Nobody will go straight into a top-tier position, earning £60,000 a year without experience.
• Poor attitude: Fitness professionals must have strong customer service skills. Without them, you can’t build relationships with clients.

Developing your personal training career

So, now you know how to lay the foundations to become a successful personal trainer – but how do you become one of the top personal training professionals? Well, it takes a lot of dedication and work, but the results far outweigh the time and effort you put into building your career.

Here are our top tips for becoming a top-tier health and fitness professional.

Consider finding a niche

One of the ways to set you apart from other trainers is to become an expert in a particular fitness field. For example, you could work with certain groups or specialise in strength training.

Niche trainers have many opportunities to develop a loyal client base and set themselves apart from other professionals. Popular niches include:

• Training and coaching professional athletes
• Working with seniors
• Running fitness classes for pre and post-natal women
• Training bodybuilders

• Working with individuals with disabilities

• Training obese people

As you can see, these niches allow you to become an expert in your field, which can open doors to higher earning potential.

Learn how to create effective training programmes 

Every client is different and successful trainers understand the importance of tailoring workouts to suit their needs. For example, certain health conditions such as heart disease or arthritis might limit a person’s ability to do specific movements.

As a trainer, you’ll assess each client’s situation and ensure the exercise selection pushes their limits but doesn’t compromise their health.

When you can help individuals find ways to improve their health and make a real difference in their lives, you’ll attract more clients and be able to move up the career ladder.

Adopt a results-orientated mindset

Nobody wants to hit the gym floor every week and see no progress, so focusing on delivering measurable results for your clients is essential. Whether it’s teaching new skills, achieving weight loss goals or changing habits, being able to track progress makes you a better personal trainer.

By celebrating achievements and helping clients overcome setbacks, trainers create a positive and results-oriented mindset that fosters success.

Focus on professional development

The fitness industry is so exciting because it constantly evolves. New research emerges regularly, so trainers must adopt new techniques and build their skills to continue offering a client-focused service.

If you want to succeed and become one of the top earners, ongoing learning and professional development are necessary.

The best way to do this is by updating your skills and gaining new certifications. For example, many clients now expect a full-service solution, so a PT with nutrition qualifications can provide a more comprehensive service.

Marketing savviness

One of the best ways to skyrocket your earning potential is by starting your own business. Many personal fitness trainers go this route once they have some experience, as it allows for more freedom and flexibility.

If your personal training business succeeds, you could earn up to £100,000 annually – but it does take work.

Business and marketing skills are essential to thrive as a personal trainer because potential clients want to know that you can help them meet their health and fitness goals.

Understanding basic business principles and having a strategic marketing plan can make a significant difference in building a booming personal training career.

The ability to run a business

Lastly, learning how to manage your business effectively is also beneficial. Successful personal trainers have busy schedules and juggle multiple clients daily. Being adept at time management and organisation is crucial to ensure the smooth running of your business.

Successful trainers efficiently schedule sessions, prepare each training session in advance and maintain accurate client records.

If you can implement technology into your business, you’ll also provide a better user experience which means more clients.

Ensuring you’re always on time and giving people the right attention builds positive relationships and ensures you can retain clients instead of losing them.

Are you ready to join the ranks of the best personal trainers?

The great thing about becoming a personal trainer is that you don’t need a degree or any advanced qualifications. Anyone can enjoy a fulfilling career by obtaining a personal trainer certification and finding employment.

Whether you’re a school leaver passionate about fitness or want to change career, there’s never been a better time to become a fitness professional.

Studying with The Fitness Circle gives you access to CIMSPA-accredited courses and an expert team of tutors with real experience in the industry.

Better still, you can study at your own pace with our online courses, giving you absolute flexibility. We also have a range of specialist courses for qualified personal trainers to build their skills, including Children’s Fitness and Group Training certifications.

With flexible payment options, nothing will hold you back from this exciting and rewarding career.

The bottom line

As with all professional careers, becoming a personal trainer requires qualifications and dedication—but it’s absolutely worth the hard work. Once you gain some experience, you can plan effective training sessions and work with clients from all backgrounds, helping them reach their health and fitness goals.

Remember, the personal trainers that fail do so because they don’t put the work in, so focus on studying, and you’ll soon reap the rewards of your efforts.

If you’d like to speak to a specialist about course options, please don’t hesitate to contact our friendly team. We work hard to make all of our courses as engaging and interactive as possible and offer ongoing support and advice so you can achieve your goals.