10 Ways to the Perfect Gym Personal Training Job Interview

 First make sure you have understood that in order to work in a gym as a Personal Trainer you will need to invest in a course or multiple courses. Those are Gym instructor Level 2 & Personal Training. You will also need First Aid, Exercise to music and another class based qualification such as Spin in order to get many of the top positions. The Interview is the final test, before landing your dream job.  So having a good interview with the correct answers is the most important part of finding work. Follow the 11 ways to the perfect job interview:

1. Do your research for the Job Interview

If you want to prove you're the best, you've got to do your homework. Know your industry! Check out their website to find out what they do, where the company is headed and who's who.
You also need to have a good idea of the interview process you're about to experience: will it be a face- to-face meeting with one person or a panel interview? Imagine how you'd feel if you prepared for a straightforward one-on-one meeting, only to find you were in for a 'fun' day of team exercises and video presentations?

Ask the personnel department for more information rather than approaching your interviewer directly. What's the procedure? Who will you meet and when? What's the objective of each meeting or assessment you will undertake? Find out the names and titles of your interviewers and memorize them.

Next, make sure you're up-to-date with the latest fitness news and developments  - especially if you've been out of the job market for a while. Check out the latest trends and buzz words, find out who's up, who's down, what's in and what's out. Look in recent issues of industry magazines and journals. Go along to networking groups or join relevant online newsgroups.

From the moment you get that confirmation letter or call, you need to start thinking also about what you want to say at interview. Interviewers want to know three things: Can this person do the job? Will this person do the job? Will they fit in? Put together a list of questions you might be asked, and include those that you might stumble over if asked on the spot. Jot down some appropriate answers and rehearse
these until you sound convincing.

It might sound artificial if you reproduce these absolutely word for word on the day, but the process will build confidence. And if you're prone to interview stage fright, you'll have something solid to fall back on.

2. Think positively about the Interview

Revisit your CV and take a long, hard look at your mission statement. If you've never written your own profile, however, begin by writing down what you do well and where you want to go in the future. Then in no more than 30 words sum up why you think you should get the job. Be proud of your achievements and ambitions - interviews are not the time for shyness!

Remembering this statement will help you walk into the interview thinking - and believing - 'I'm going to get this job'. You've got to this key stage because the recruiters believe that you've got the skills they want. Now you need to convince them that you're the best person for the job.

3. Look and play the part for the Interview

Arrive early. Some experts suggest checking out the location of the building, before finding a cafe for a pre-interview drink. Use the time to have one last flick through your notes.

Get to the building early, too. Check the noticeboard and read company press releases and brochures - this is a good idea if you're looking to ask up-to-the-minute questions. Go to the loo and draw breath. Don't ever be late - if there are leaves or cattle on the line, call as soon as possible. Take a mobile just in case.

Take the minimum hand luggage so that you look professional - clear out your briefcase and your handbag before you go. Aim to look like a stereotypical employee for the job you want, so don't go for a youth TV job in a pinstripe suit. But if in doubt, dress up, not down. Dark colours tend to look more powerful, and remember to keep jewellery to a minimum. 

Emanate energy: employers want fit, healthy workers who can work hard. Start with a firm handshake and look interviewers in the eye. Don't cross your legs, except at the ankles, and keep your hands away from your face. 

4. Control the interview

Your interviewer won't know how good you are or why you should get the job unless you tell them. Don't boast or keep saying 'I'm brilliant', but stress your strengths by using anecdotes and examples of your achievements.
Use examples to illustrate how you can help make the company more productive and profitable. Talk in terms of 'results' and 'benefits'. Use positive language - 'I can', 'I will', 'I know' rather than tentative words like 'I think I might' or 'I probably would'.
Keep your responses short and to the point. If the interviewer is talking, listen carefully and respond when they've finished. If you don't understand a question, ask for an explanation rather than blunder out an inappropriate answer.

5. Turn your weaknesses into strengths

It's the interviewer's job to probe and ask difficult questions. They need to be able to trust you and be 100 per cent certain that you're the best candidate. If you've prepared properly, you won't be daunted by enquiries about gaps in your CV, problems you encountered in your last job or your reasons for wanting to move on.

Successful candidates are able to turn negatives into positives. If you were unemployed for a short period, tell your interviewer how you used that time productively and what you learned about yourself. Perhaps you used the time to re-evaluate what you wanted out of your career, and the break put you on the path you're on today.

If asked 'What are your main weaknesses?' saying something along the lines of, 'I can be over-committed and tend to push myself too hard', ought to win brownie points rather than do you a disservice. Make sure that all the personality traits you mention are accurate but you don't have to go into details.

• Rehearse your answers to tough interview questions

6. Be enthusiastic

Companies hire people who want to work for them. Tell your interviewers how much you enjoy your work and how wonderful you think their company is. Say you know that it's the right job for you and that you could do it really well. But always make sure that you explain and back up your assertions or your enthusiasm could sound false.

7. Ask intelligent questions

Show you care about your career and that you've taken the time to research the company and its recent successes. Memorise a few key questions before you go into the interview, but use your conversation to generate more.

Ask questions based on the assumption that the company wants you for the job. Say 'What would you expect me to achieve in the first six months after the appointment?' rather than 'What would you expect the appointed candidate to achieve?'

8. Send a short thank-you note

Send a letter to your interviewer/s within 24 hours of your meeting. Some interviewers prefer an email, so check out what form of communication they prefer at the end of the interview.

Keep your note brief and simple, and sound keen and interested. Thank them for taking the time to see you, say how much you enjoyed the meeting, how interested you are in the position and reiterate how your experience matches their requirements. Even if it's not your ideal job, you never know how your interviewer may help you in the future.

'If a candidate is clever, they'll add something that they've found out about the job or company that makes them keener,' advises one employer in the media. Make sure your tone isn't obsequious or schmaltzy. If the job relies on client communication, remember that you're demonstrating your communication skills every time you write, phone or email.

If you secured the interview through a recruitment agency, then contact them immediately and give them some honest feedback.

9. Don't...

There are three key things to avoid during an interview - you might have done brilliantly, but commit one of these sins and you could jeopardise your chances.

So don't:

• Badmouth your last employer. It's a small world and it reflects badly on you
• Pressurise your interviewer for a decision
• Discuss salary or terms of employment - wait until the job's in the bag before the word 'perks' passes your lips

10. Write it down

How you feel as you walk away from your interview is often a good sign of how well you've performed. But we all have off-days, or make mistakes. 'I once kicked an interviewer, who was sitting about three inches away, in the shins,' recalls one embarrassed candidate, who decided to change her posture mid- interview.

Writing down your impressions of the company, the types of questions asked, and how you coped, could reap dividends. Write down what you did well and what you did badly. Did your experience match your expectations? If not, why not?
If you're then invited for a second interview, you'll be able to refresh your memory and use the information to devise more questions. If you're rejected, use it to prepare better next time - no interview experience is ever wasted.

Creating Classes : Fail to Plan Plan To Fail So Prepare!

 You would be surprised by how many professional personal trainers who teach regular classes only organise their class the night before or even worse within hours or minutes of the class happening. While it is entirely possible for you to get away with this for the best result for your clients and for your class numbers and therefore revenue you should plan ahead. There is nothing wrong with writing out classes for the next week, month or even year. 

One of the benefits for doing so is the ability on your part to practice your class, get everything down from the movements, to what you will say and when. 

If you work in a gym the chances are you will have some quiet periods, use this time wisely by planning your classes as far ahead as possible, then use any other quiet periods to practice your routines. Members of a gym feel more comfortable and encouraged when they see Gym Instructors/ PT's doing exercises as opposed to cleaning or just hanging around talking. 

Write your classes on cards or have a separate notebook on your phone / iPad, soon you will have a small library of exercise classes that you can shuffle and re-use. There is nothing wrong with doing the same class a month or two after but you can always adjust the timings if you feel like changing it up a little. 

As a Personal Trainer one of the best ways to earn extra money and build a pipeline of clients is to offer yourself as a freelance class instructor. In fact many PTs prefer this to one on one sessions! And if you have a library of exercise classes that you know like the back of your hand then there is every chance that you can provide fantastic classes that people enjoy, providing you with a good extra income!

The Door to Door principle | Getting Clients

Approaching people can be the most daunting - push yourself and reap the rewards 

Firstly don’t judge people by their autopilot responses. Some people are just silent until they discover that you are ok to talk to. Others a just shy and more still have a million and one things going on that means they just get on with it. Still more are just going on with their day and they just don’t expect someone to talk to them. These people are just waiting for some one like you to make their day more interesting & fun. 

While online advertising is a good way of getting clients many PTs forget that their main selling point is themselves; and their is still no better sales channel that suits PTs than the personal introduction. 

Get to know people in your area, Talk to them about their lives and interests - be interested and interesting. 

Aim for 1 out of 100 successful approaches. Not that you won’t get lots of interest straight away so look to make your first goals about getting it right through practice and failure. When the number of people you have approached reaches the thousands you should have a good idea on what you are saying and how you say it. You should notice an overall improvement in your delivery and success rate, and you should also be able to spot potential clients more easily - and to avoid those who are unlikely to be interested in changing their lives for the better. 

 

guide to Starting an online fitness store

PT Resources: Personal Training Gym Workout Induction/ Orientation Programme

This is a post for you to develop your own exercise routine. First, choose your set type from the selection below and then the exercises to create your own custom routine.

Single Set

Choose 4 routines 2 upper body and 2 lower body, with a moderate to heavy weight. Perform one set of 15 reps with one minute rest at the end. Now move on to the second routine.

Circuit

Choose 6 routines, 3 upper body and 3 lower. Perform 2 circuits of sets of 6-14 reps of moderate to heavy weight, no rest between sets.

Basic

3 sets of 8-14 reps with 40 seconds rest between each set. use moderate to heavy weights.

Alpha Reps

work out your 4 rep maximum. now perform 4 sets with 4 reps in each. take 4 minutes rest between sets.

Pyramids

With an exercise of your choice, perform a set of 12 reps with a weight close to your 12 rep maximum. Rest for a few minutes then increase the weight, and perform 10 reps. rest for 2 then increase the weight and perform 8 reps. continue in this form until you reach your AlphaCaveman 4 Rep Max.

Now work your way back up. Start with your alpha 4 reps and continue until you reach your 12 reps.

Drop sets

Perform a set of reps until failure then decrease the weight and do another set of reps until failure. Continue until failure.

Perform these exercises as one set with no rest between each exercise. Have a brief rest (no longer than one minute) and start again. You may continue for as long as you feel necessary, but do not over extend yourself. Aquire patience in your exercise, if you cannot last the full exercise do what you can.

1 The Cat-Camel Position yourself on your hands and knees and very slowly lower your head a little between your arms as you raise your upper back, rounding your back bone. Briefly hold. Now, Return to your starting position and extend your neck a little while arching your lower back.

2 The Bird-Dog Remaining on your hands and knees, keep your back straight this time, while straightening your right arm and left leg. Hold for 10 seconds, then slowly lower to the original position. Now, repeat with your left arm and right leg. That is one rep done, birdie.

3 The Curl-Up Lay on the floor, with your right leg laying straight, and your left knee bent. Now, place your hands under the arch of your lower back. Can you raise now, your head and shoulders without bending your back? Hold this position for 10 seconds. Now switch legs and that is one rep.

4 The Side Bridge Lay on your left side with your legs straight, propping yourself up with your forearm. Your body should form a curve, with your forearm across the floor. You may support your shoulder with your free arm. Now, tense your core muscles and raise your hips until your body forms a straight line. Hold for 10 seconds, breathing deeply, now switch side. A rep is now done.

Seated Row

Choose your preferred Rowing machine (You can use a stationary rower if desired). Hold the bar with your arms almost straight, and lean very slightly backwards, while keeping your back straight and your legs slightly bent.

First draw your shoulder blades back, then, bend your arms and row. Keep the bar at waist level do not raise. Perform this exercise for a few minutes or perform the movement 8-15 times with a comfortable weight. You can always add extra resistance if needed.

Javorek Complex

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart with some light dumbbells. Arms down by your side. Raise your arms forward until they are in a straight line in front of you, gripping the weights vertically. Perform this movement 5 times.

Now raise your arms out to your sides until parallel with the floor. The dumbbells should be horizontal. Perform this movement 5 times.

With a bend in your knee, bend forwards keeping your back straight, and raise your arms out to your sides as in the last movement. Squeeze your shoulder blades. Perform this movement 5 times.

With your hands in front of your thighs, pull your dumbbells up until they are just below your chin. Keeping the weights close to your body at all times. Perform this movement 5 times.

1. Standing scaption

Stand with your legs shoulder width apart, with light dumbbells by your thighs with an overhand grip. Keep your arms straight but don't lock them out. Then slowly raise them infront of you up to eye level and point them at the 10 oclock and 2 oclock position. slowly lower back down. perform this movement 5 times.

2. Cross shoulder extension

Lie back on an incline bench at about 30 degrees and hold a weight over your head in your left hand, palms facing in. Support your elbow with your right hand. bend you left arm to lower the dumbell to your right shoulder. don't bend your wrists. now raise it back up. perform this 5 times and then swap to your right arm.

3. Hammer curl

perform standing or sat on a bench. hold a weight in each hand and let your arms hang by your sides. keep your back supported and your core strong. Now curl the weights up until your thumbs are near your  shoulders. Now slowly lower. curl again do 5 of these

4. wrist curl

Sit or stand in your preferred position. hold a weight in each hand arms bent, with palms facing up If sat down, alow your forearms to rest on your knees. Now curl the weights using your wrists only. Lower, rotate to a palms down position and bend your wrists up. perform 5.

5. Tricep extension

stand or sit up straight. and grab a dumbbell with both hands raise it above and over your head, it should now be inline with your spine. brace your core and lower your hands behind your head as far as you can while still being comfortable. bring back up and this is one movement. repeat at least five times.

Tips on being a mobile personal trainer

As a mobile PT you may very well find yourself driving to many destinations and therefore covering many miles, you want to limit your client base to within walking distance if you cannot afford a car at this point. But a car will help you cover a wider area and you will be able take with you any equipment that you may need. This may also form part of your specialisation by taking the equipment to your client.

Car Dash Cams on amazon

Dash Cams on Aliexpress

As you will be covering many miles you may find it appropriate to buy a dash cam to cover you in case of any accidents or false claims made against you. Many can also track your journeys via GPS which could help you to work out your mileage, your hotspot areas where most of your clients come from; so you can market to that area, and you will be surprised what your dash cam can capture!

A dedicated Sat Nav will also free up your phone and help you get the most economical routes to and from your clients. Again many will allow you to see where your hotspots are so you can build a client base in one particular area and save both money and time travelling - maximising your revenue.

Sat Navs on amazon

Sat Navs on Aliexpress

Having a decent Care will provide you with the opportunity to being equipment to your clients which may add extra value to your services depending on your chosen routines. Mobile Equipment to consider:

Kettlebells

Free weights

Resistance Bands

Massage Boards

Decks

Skipping ropes

You can shop a wide range of fitness equipment on amazon

Speakers

Unless you or your client require a music free environment a good speaker will help motivate your client and bring some fun to your sessions. I have worked in gyms where they thought they could just put the radio on and that will be fine. When we introduced a decent speaker and played good music the atmosphere in the gym lifted with clients much happier and more energetic.

Speakers on amazon

 

GUIDE TO STARTING AN ONLINE FITNESS STORE

Tips on Becoming a Indoor Cycling / Spin Instructor An An addition to your Personal Training Career

Adding classes to your repertoire may be a good source of extra income and may help build a pipeline of interested clients that you can upsell your personal training to, one of the most popular by far is indoor cycling otherwise popularly known as Spin Class. 

These classes can draw many people and if you get the mix of exercise and music right you I can build a very loyal following. Use this to upsell your personal training or you can freelance to multiple gyms and have an alternative fitness income to supplement your personal training.

A typical class can be from 30 minutes to 60 minutes long,  and is usually a mix of sprints, climbs and jumps while seated or standing.  You ride to 'inspirational' music over the equivalent of 20-25 kilometres of varied terrain, controlling the intensity of your workout with a resistance dial and pedal speed. Your RPM instructor will lead your ride through nine music tracks, using various riding positions and speeds to suit the terrain.


Warm-up: Increases core temperature. The pace is easy and with light resistance.

Sprints: Speed and intensity increases as riders work towards top personal pace. With little resistance you will need to push your class members to their limits.

Climbing / Hills: Adding high resistance to challenge their muscles ( exactly like hill climbs). Keeping them to a high pace will build power, ultra slow revolutions will build strength.
Standing: Used during climbs or sprints to offer a different challenge and build endurance. 


What will it do for your clients?


Increase your cardiovascular fitness.
Burn Fat
Tone and shape your legs and bum.
Gain strength and endurance

Please make sure if you are using music that you seek the appropriate  license to use the music for commercial reasons.

Tips to consider:

Know your playlist! It is important to really know and practice your playlist. You will want it to be almost second nature - every beat, when you will transition into sprints, climbs etc. You will want to be able to count people into the next sprint.

Know your script: You will be responsible for motivation and pushing your clients to their limits. It’s best to know your lines and also be aware during the class what works and what doesn’t so you can change and adapt accordingly.

Practice: You want as much to become second nature so you can be more aware of your members and consecrate on them. Know their names, what motivates them who they are etc.

Ignore the hecklers: You are not going to please everyone, so don’t take it personally especially if you are covering or taking over someone else’s class. It’s best to be yourself and really enjoy your classes. 

Adding Meditation to your PT Sessions Charge Extra or Provide Extra Value

  

Meditation may bring your clients huge benefits, from relieving stress, helping recovery, bringing forward lost memories, or helping them make important decisions. The act of meditation is not always about emptying your mind. But bringing all your focus to bear unto one subject. Thus if your clients goal is to lose weight, meditating on weight loss, and everything that will help in achieving this goal, is a powerful assistance and one that will cost you nothing but is something which can add extra value to your sessions or something for which you can charge extra for. It will be a worthwhile investment to study as much as you can all the aspects of meditation. For an introductory understanding follow this simple guide on how to meditate. Meditation should not be confused with relaxation. You will be relaxed, but it is deeper than that. Proper meditation is like an act of prayer that helps to realign your goals, and your values. Whenever your client needs answers, to overcome negative emotion, or just to discover new ideas  just give them the simple guide below to follow:

 

The 12 Steps to Meditation

1. Choose a location free from any distractions, including TV and the Internet
2. Either have some soothing music in the background or no music at all
3. Select a comfortable place to sit, a good option is putting a cushion on the floor and sitting against the wall
4. Close your eyes gently
5. Breathe in, slowly
6. Breathe out, slowly
7. Concentrate on your breathing, notice each breathe in and out
8. Be aware of feeling relaxed and the feelings of warmth spreading through your body
9. Be aware of what you want to meditate about, allow the subject to come forward
10. Allow any thoughts relating to your subject to come and focus on them, any other thoughts allow to simply pass through your mind
11. Open your eyes once you feel relaxed and you feel good that you have exhausted every thought about your subject
12. Take 5-10 minutes twice a day to meditate. You may meditate for as long as you can or need to, but 5-10 minutes is a good start

 

Meditate, Meditate, Meditate

If your clients can follow this simple guide on how to meditate they could find it helps improve many areas of their lives, if they have a lot of anxiety or stress simply meditating once in the morning and then not giving it another thought all day is not good enough, so it is important to teach them to give it a good effort, I would say at least 5 times a day, then instruct them to act on their meditations and not to simply think about them, this is the true power of meditation- when you act on it. The dictionary definition of Power is the ability to act or do. And where as you will receive great benefit from meditation, the true success that will come from meditation is your will and ability to act on the subject of your mind.

Simple Ideas for Meditation

Below are a collection of ideas that may help you instruct your client

• Try sitting in different positions; on your knees, cross-legged,  Seiza (Seiza (正座, literally "propersitting") is the Japanese term for one of the traditional formal ways of sitting in Japan.)
• If you have access to a park or the countryside sit and meditate near birdsong, or where you will be able to hear the wind through the trees
• If you live in the City, listen to the hustle and bustle. The sound of people and cars. Pick out certain sounds and hear new ones to help you focus
• Find a tape of running water to listen to
• Go to the sea or the local pool and let the water relax you and guid your meditation
• Hold an object that will help you direct you meditation to your chosen subject

Meditation takes concentration - and daily meditation will strengthen this valuable skill.