# So I was hired at Equinox Fitness...



## Soul of Sol (Jan 17, 2007)

... and talk about thrown into the fire. My first few days I wondered if I was in over my head, since I have never been a personal trainer before. But I had a good long talk with myself and says " Self, if you don't pursure this opportunity to the hilt, you are gonna regret for the rest of your life."
 I pickedup a client on my first floor shift. I HATE the freaking floor shift...HATE HATE HATE. But I have to think of it as possible new clients. The Kinesology classes are intense, they really through the book at you, no?
 Anyways, life is hard, might as well work at a gym, since it's my second home anyways. I did learn I have been benching wrong all this time


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## Double D (Jan 17, 2007)

So they hired you as a PT without any experience and your not certified?


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## Dale Mabry (Jan 17, 2007)

Double D said:


> So they hired you as a PT without any experience and your not certified?



And apparently have no idea how to bench.


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## Soul of Sol (Jan 17, 2007)

Yep, kinda funny, huh? Actually, from all the reading I did I had my grip way too wide. Too much pressure on the shoulder and all that. 

 Nope, I am not certified and no experiance. I talked a good game


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## goob (Jan 17, 2007)

Soul of Sol said:


> Yep, kinda funny, huh? Actually, from all the reading I did I had my grip way too wide. Too much pressure on the shoulder and all that.
> 
> Nope, I am not certified and no experiance. *I talked a good game * *



Best way to behave in a job interview. Congrats dude.





* Read: Lied my f*****g ass off, and was generally one smooth talking son of a gun.


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## tucker01 (Jan 17, 2007)

And that is why most personal trainers are considered jokes.


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## KelJu (Jan 17, 2007)

Great. You sound really proud of yourself.


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## Arnold (Jan 17, 2007)

Soul of Sol said:


> Yep, kinda funny, huh? Actually, from all the reading I did I had my grip way too wide. Too much pressure on the shoulder and all that.
> 
> Nope, I am not certified and no experience. I talked a good game



nope, not funny at all.... good for you I guess, but that is sad.


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## Soul of Sol (Jan 17, 2007)

Jesus...I didn't lie about one thing. I told them about my experiance and knowledge from the start. I had 2 interviews and a demonstration of my knowledge. I was really hyped to work them and still, they just took a chance on my enthusiasm, that's all.
 Yah, so I am a joke. All I want to do is learn learn learn and be the best I can be. The educational opportunities are huge here, I'm a sponge soaking up knowledge. Yep, I'm a joke.
 Yes, I am pretty proud of myself. I demonstrated enough knowledge to get hired at a pretty high end gym where it seems everyone is CSCS. I mean the top trainer last month is a dancer for the Golden State Warriors. 

 Damn you guys are hostile. Wish I could erase this thead now.


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## largepkg (Jan 17, 2007)

Partner, you have to understand that this audience is going to rip you apart for this. Please tell me you understand why???

There are to many trainers out there that lack the proper knowledge & experience to train people properly. For that matter there are trainers out there with experience that don't know what the hell they're doing. Let alone you, whom has zero experience nor academic achievement.

Get it?


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## Arnold (Jan 17, 2007)

I don't think you're a joke, I just think it's sad that a club is charging customers good money to be trained by someone that has no certification and little knowledge. When someone hires a PT they are expecting an expert to teach them them.


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## goandykid (Jan 17, 2007)

I bet any cheerleader would have the most clients, trained or not. 

 grats on the job, I think its good for you.


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## Brachiisaurus (Jan 17, 2007)

Well most clients won't know jack shit anyway.
So having someone who is not qualified, yet has some experience is better than nothing.

Good luck Sol.


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## tucker01 (Jan 18, 2007)

Brachiisaurus said:


> Well most clients won't know jack shit anyway.
> So having someone who is not qualified, yet has some experience is better than nothing.
> 
> Good luck Sol.




Ok with that lets start making it easier to be a doctor as well.  since most clients don't know shit, and are better off with someone with a little more knowledge anyway.


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## tucker01 (Jan 18, 2007)

Prince said:


> I don't think you're a joke, I just think it's sad that a club is charging customers good money to be trained by someone that has no certification and little knowledge. When someone hires a PT they are expecting an expert to teach them them.



Exactly No one has said you are a joke. The business is a joke, and any "good" trainer would verify that.


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## P-funk (Jan 18, 2007)

most large gyms will hire anyone without a certification provided you show that you are passionate during the interview, with a willingness to learn and that you are going to get your certification within 90 days of employment.

Not saying that is right.  In fact I think it is stupid as shit.  But that is how it is.

I think if they hire someone like that, they should make you do floor shifts for all 90 days and just gain experience talking to people and watching movement.  But they don't.  They don't care.  All they care about is that they can charge more people for personal training.

When I used to work for Equinox, it was a smaller club and our education was run by Dr. Paul Juris and it was tough to get a job.  You had to interview, then train the training manager, then you were hired.  Then you had to walk the floor and you had to take the first level biomechanics class taught by Dr. Juris and pass it in order to get clients.

Now that they have sold the company big time, all they give a shit about is getting more training clients and ripping people off.  the people in charge have no interest in the fitness industry and only care about money and not quality.  I hate that place.

It is reasons like this that the industry of personal training is still so immature and why we have so many shitty trainers.


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## Double D (Jan 18, 2007)

While you say you are a sponge and you soak up info and things like that, well you shouldnt be doing that by being a personal trainer. You ought to be doing that studing and working hard at getting certified then becomming a pt. But I cant say I blame you for taking the job. However be careful the advice you give people. If you have to run it by some guys here do so. Just play it safe. The gym that hired you has to be a bunch of morons, but it doesnt make you one. In no way am I saying anything against you because its not fair to you! However, its pretty crappy for them to just throw personal trainers out there and expect them to pay their cash for someone who knows very little. Again this is not a rip on you!!!!


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## AKIRA (Jan 18, 2007)

I want to hear some updates.  My clientel sucks since I train clients at their homes and all the gym around here arent in need of more trainers..


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## ponyboy (Jan 18, 2007)

Okay, we all jumped down his throat but I started eight years ago just like that.  I was in school at the time, and the gym I was volunteering at decided to hire me without cert or experience.  I totally agree that it is wrong, but it is how the system works unfortunately.  If gyms only hired people with experience and degrees they would never hire anyone because people with degrees and experience who want to just be trainers are few and far between.  I love it but I also am planning on going to med school as soon as possible.    

My advice to the OP is to read, read, read and if you really want to learn, study independently and try to get as much knowledge as you can so that you can help your clients out.  Also, don't take on someone that you know you shouldn't be working with - have the integrity to pass them onto someone more qualified.  Learn to establish good interpersonal relationships with your clients and they will return again and again.  Take courses about things you are interested in and find a niche for yourself.


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## Double D (Jan 18, 2007)

Hell its simple just become certified.


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## Arnold (Jan 18, 2007)

ponyboy said:


> If gyms only hired people with experience and degrees they would never hire anyone because people with degrees and experience who want to just be trainers are few and far between.



not sure I agree with this.

but even if this were true the gyms and clubs could put them through a certification after they hire them and have them shadow an experienced trainer until they get certified.


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## KelJu (Jan 18, 2007)

Maybe if the customer was informed before signing a contract that the trainer is not certified, it might be ok.

Client: "I am in terrible shape, I would like a trainer... hey does your gym offer personal training services?"
Desk Worker: "Yes we do. Our trainer is very good, but we have to inform you that he isn't certified"

If the client still signs up for services, then I see nothing wrong with it.


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## Jarhed (Jan 18, 2007)

I recently got hired part-time as a PT for Bally's, and I had to take a 4 page quiz. I figured Equinox would be harder to get in...

...and yes, I have a diploma from the National Personal Training Institute (NPTI)
http://www.nationalpersonaltraininginstitute.com/


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## Dale Mabry (Jan 18, 2007)

ponyboy said:


> If gyms only hired people with experience and degrees they would never hire anyone because people with degrees and experience who want to just be trainers are few and far between.  I love it but I also am planning on going to med school as soon as possible.



Perhaps if they paid a decent wage, their would be more people willing to do that.

I don't think anyone should ever be trained by an uncertified trainer without their knowledge.  People assume someone is certified and knows what they are doing.

I got hired at a Bally's years back and didn't train anyone until I was certified.  The certification was shit, but I knew what i was doing and had the cert.  I always felt bad taking people's money back then because of the shit cert, but in the end it was because my knowledge wasn't as good as it is now.


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## studen77 (Jan 18, 2007)

IainDaniel said:


> And that is why most personal trainers are considered jokes.



I saw this personal trainer at LA fitness actually screw this lady's back up not even teaching here proper squat form. Another reason why i go to sites like this one to get by BB education


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## studen77 (Jan 18, 2007)

Uneducationed/poor PT's can actually cause personal injury to their clients- Oh hell did I open a can a worms for you aspiring lawyers out there? If someone gets injured due to a personal trainer's ignorance- that company that hired him would be liable, would they not?


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## Dale Mabry (Jan 18, 2007)

Yes, that is why they are insured.


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## CowPimp (Jan 18, 2007)

I started just like this.  I didn't have experience or a certification either.  However, they knew I was on my way to getting a certification, and I showed them that I knew what the Hell I was talking about.  The only thing I had to show them was a good GPA in my major exercise science (Yet to complete the degree).

Honestly, I feel a lot of the certifications out there are a joke anyway.  A lot of trainers have certifications and still couldn't train their way out of a paper bag.  

At the same time I don't really condone hiring practices like that, but that's the way it is.  I'm glad to see that this particular fellow is interested in learning what he can.  He sounds like he will be a good trainer once he gets some experience under his belt and continues to learn.


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## Pianomahnn (Jan 18, 2007)

P-funk said:


> most large gyms will hire anyone without a certification provided you show that you are passionate during the interview, with a willingness to learn and that you are going to get your certification within 90 days of employment.


My guess is he person was hired because of his sales techniques.  That's how the gyms make money...selling supplements to the n00bs, right?


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