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Your Fitness Business

Personal Training: To Join a Gym or To Fly Solo? That is the Question. Part I

By Sarah Koszyk

March 2011

Now that you have your certifications and are ready to jump into the field of personal training, do you join a gym or do you fly solo? Read on to learn about the ups and downs of working for someone else versus working for yourself in this two part series.

Series #1: Join a Gym.

Advantages of working for a gym:

  • Get an hourly rate or a paid salary. By being on staff at a gym, the trainer can have that needed financial security blanket, states Billy Polson, founder & co-owner of the award winning Diakadi Body Personal Training & Wellness Center in San Francisco, and one of the Top 100 Trainers in America, according to Men's Journal.
  • Credibility. Working for a gym with a quality name gives the trainer more credibility, says Joe Talmadge, owner & founder of World Gym in San Francisco.
  • Access to clients. Both Polson and Talmadge agree that there is constant exposure to new clients which increases opportunity on a consistent basis.
  • Continued education. Polson states that many gyms offer continuing education and may even pay for higher levels of certification.
  • Free Marketing/Advertising. Many gyms advertise for the trainers via newsletters, websites, etc., so these costs are absorbed by the gym.

Disadvantages of working for a gym:

  • Less money.
  • Some gyms only give trainers a percentage of the training fee charged to the client, states Polson. Less flexibility. Gyms have protocols, guidelines, and specific types of activities offered, which could result in less creativity or work-out options, discusses Talmadge.
  • Less choice. Polson and Talmadge remind us that when working for a gym, you get the types of clients that frequent that gym, so there's a random sampling of personalities and goals, which can be positive or challenging. Fixed hours. Talmadge states that gyms have specific hours and schedules for trainers to follow so less flexibility is present.

What personal trainers should look for when considering working for a gym:

  • Number of floor hours the trainers are required to reach each week
  • Average number of clients guaranteed to the trainer each week
  • Percentage fee the trainer gets per client (if not on salary or hourly pay)
  • How can the trainer move up in the ranks within the gym if there is a tier system consisting of hours worked at the gym versus educational level per Polson
  • Does the gym offer continuing education
  • Demographics of clientele frequenting the gym
  • Type of gym facility including space, equipment, vibe, and lighting per Talmadge

Top Tip for all New Trainers entering the field and considering working for a gym:

  • Know your anatomy! Know how the body functions and works in order to increase your client's success, recommends Polson.
  • Be prepared, professional, and have a positive attitude! When you are on top of your game, success follows, asserts Talmadge.

More to come! Stay tuned for Part 2 next month regarding Personal Training: Flying Solo and being your own boss.

Sarah Koszyk is a Registered Dietitian and Nutrition Coach at Eating Free, an online adult weight management program. She also provides in-person nutrition coaching at a private practice, MV Nutrition, in San Francisco, CA, where she specializes in sports nutrition and adult and pediatric weight management.