How to Set Yourself Apart as a Personal Trainer

Fitness careers have exploded in popularity in Australia, making the personal training field highly competitive. Starting a personal training business in such a crowded market can be tough, but there are ways to give yourself a fighting chance of success.

If you’re aiming to build your client base by setting yourself apart, these tips will give your fitness business a boost. 

Find Your Passion

From circuit training and aerobics to yoga and CrossFit, the fitness industry is made up of countless specialisations. Choosing to focus your career on a form of exercise you genuinely enjoy will improve your authenticity.

Your clients will lose faith in your training abilities if they can tell you don’t enjoy what you do. Whether you prefer building strength and endurance, or you’re more interested in mind and body workouts such as yoga, finding your passion will help you succeed as a personal trainer.

Set a Healthy Example

People are drawn to personal trainers who live and breathe fitness but still understand the importance of balance. Personal trainers who clearly don’t lead a healthy lifestyle themselves may struggle to motivate clients, whereas those who take an overly obsessive approach to fitness could scare people away.

Many clients will be looking for a happy medium – someone who can provide a good example of health and fitness without putting too much pressure on them to be perfect.

Define Your Ideal Client

What kind of people do you want to work with as a personal trainer? Are you looking to train elite athletes? Or maybe you’d rather help beginners achieve their fitness goals? Identifying your ideal demographic will allow you to target it more effectively.

Once you’ve determined who you want to work with, you can use this decision to guide your career choices. If it’s your goal to train beginners, working in a gym will provide you with access to a large client base. But if you’d rather offer your services to professional athletes, you could aim to secure employment with a sports team.

Show Off Your Qualifications

What’s the point in studying a fitness course if you don’t use it to set yourself apart? Advertising yourself as a qualified personal trainer will add to your credibility, making clients more likely to trust you. Even though all personal trainers are now required to complete formal training, reminding clients that you’re an expert in your field will help you stand out from other fitness professionals.

Qualified personal trainers know how to provide training services in sport, fitness and recreation environments, create unique programs, organise workout schedules and use social media tools to increase client engagement. With such a broad skillset under you belt, you might as well show it off.

If you don’t have a personal training qualification yet, consider enrolling in a health and fitness course with AIPT.

Setting yourself apart as a personal trainer takes a lot of work, but you’ll be rewarded with a loyal client base. Find more tips on how to succeed in the fitness industry in our article A Guide to Building Your Personal Training Client Base.