Ever wondered how to become an online personal trainer?
In-demand trainers across the world have shared their secrets with us and we've broken them down into simple steps.
Read on to find out more!
So you've Caught the Dopamine Bug...
It's that little organic chemical in your brain that gives you tons of energy and makes you feel wonderful!
Some people use stimulants. You use the gym.
You're tops at pumping iron, beating your besties at sprints and maybe even offering unsolicited training advice to others (you couldn't help yourself, we get it).
And now you want to use your first love of working out to inspire others to reach their fittest selves. It's a great goal to have.
Personal trainers across the world use their knowledge and experience to educate their clients on best workout practices, help them regulate their diet, reach goal weight and inspire them to reach personal goals.
Well, I'm here to tell you that the landscape of personal training is changing. With the advancement of technology, you can train clients from all over the world right from the comfort of your personal home gym (or wherever you choose to film)!
I'm Going to Tell you How to Become an Online Personal Trainer and Jump Start your Business.
Before I explain the technology you will use to elevate your online personal trainer business, we're going to cover the basics.
If you already have this covered, then skip to the next section. If not, let's talk education, accreditation, certification - what makes you legit, baby!
While the industry isn't regulated like, say the medical industry, the appropriate education will not only inform your practice, but add a level of professionalism to your whole package.
You wouldn't hire a brain surgeon who hasn't been to medical school, now would you? Why would you trust your safety and exercise regime to somebody who doesn't know the basic muscles in the body or how it metabolizes food?
Part of learning how to become an online personal trainer is achieving accreditation or experience to prove you have the chops to really help your clients.
Based on which specialization you choose, start with one of the major certifications, such as the National Federation of Personal Trainers or the American Council on Exercise.
Depending on which area of exercise you choose to focus, there are endless accreditations and certifications in the fields of yoga, pilates and more.
Identify your Niche and your Ideal Client.
Do you want to rehab injured athletes? Train celebs? Work with new mommies? Be a boot camp queen?
One of the most important steps, when you're learning how to become an online personal trainer, is identifying exactly what you want to be doing and who you want to be training.
Well, I can train anyone, you think. Why do I have to choose a niche?
Because it will affect your bottom line, that's why.
By choosing a specialization, YOU will be the trainer clients go to for their sports rehab or getting back their pre-baby body or reaching their ideal BMI.
And part of learning how to become an online personal trainer is knowing who your target client is.
So think about it. Do you feel happiest when you're returning people to health after an injury? Helping that athlete reach her maximum potential? Inspiring a group of pre-dawn boot campers to rise to the occasion?
This all matters because once you identify your niche, you're going to create your ideal client profile. What does their lifestyle look like? Do they work insane hours? Is their schedule ridiculously demanding?
And that leads us to your marketing plan. It's specific. Unique. Targeted to your ideal client.
Set up your Marketing Plan.
You've gained the education. You know who your target audience is. And you're ready to go.
Or are you?
A KEY factor in learning how to become an online personal trainer (and one most trainers miss) is creating a solid online presence.
Again. SOLID. ONLINE. PRESENCE.
Wash, rinse, repeat.
No seriously, without an online presence, you might as well go back to the 1980's and break out that Richard Simmons videotape.
You've come this far, now go get your clients! What kind of online presence are we talking about?
A solid website!
Look, no one is asking you to drop thousands into a website right off the bat, but this is a necessary step in how to become an online personal trainer. Personal websites are built over time. Get online and get started!
What can you include on your website? How about any of the following:
- Workout tips and examples.
- Video examples of exercise execution.
- Before and after examples of previous clients you've trained.
- Client testimonials (expressing how fabulous you are, of course)
- A blog describing your experience with the latest workout trends and fads.
- Recipe ideas.
- Affiliate links to products you believe in (and can partner with to make some extra dough, possibly?)
- Examples of custom plans you've designed for your clients.
- Links to outside media sources you've attached, such as Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.
- A contact page, for your future clients to sign on to your services.
Remember - in your quest to learn how to become an online personal trainer, your hot bod can't do all the work. You need to have an online presence in order to set it up properly.
Use Technology to Your Advantage and Automate.
The top trainers in the world are taking advantage of new technology to reach the masses. Part of learning how to become an online personal trainer is creating quality workouts, recording them and uploading them to a trusted site that has the capacity to handle such bandwidth.
Why would you want to train one client when you can train one hundred and market your workouts to the masses?
The latest companies utilize online tools to share user-friendly quality workouts that your clients can play on their televisions, iPads or mobile phones.
As I mentioned before, the landscape is changing. As part of learning how to become an online personal trainer, it is your job to keep up with the way information (like your videos and products) are distributed into the world.
The latest tools allow you to focus on spreading your workout passion through appearing at other events, writing your book or building your empire WHILE they are able to work out alongside you at home.
Make sense? Now the most important step to learning how to become an online personal trainer.
You must Create Quality Content.
And why wouldn't you? You started in this business in order to transform your clients' lives. By adding this key element in your journey of how to become an online personal trainer, you are going to get and keep clients.
Want to know why?
Because clients know when they're getting a quality product or service. Part of what makes you successful is making them feel good.
By creating quality workouts or how-to videos where you teach them how to take control of their health, they will always come back for more.
You have the knowledge and experience. Now all you have to do is decide how big of a clientele you want and what you are going to use to spread your message.
- Will you attend conferences? Part of learning how to become an online personal trainer is keeping up with the latest relevant industry news. Conferences are also a fantastic way to spread your message and meet new contacts.
- Will you make media appearances? Some top celeb trainers use their contacts to appear on radio, podcasts, television shows or infomercials to sell their products.
- Write a book that shares your specific message? You've taken the steps to learn how to become an online personal trainer. How about spreading the message and teaching others about your path? You just might inspire them to start their own journey!
- Couple with another healthcare guru? Now that you've built your brand, your path to learning how to become an online personal trainer has reached great heights. Why not pair with another specialist, like a nutritionist, doctor or another care specialist who shares in your specific vision of health. Two is always better than one!
- Create a web series. You know that little show, 'The Biggest Loser?' Well, it just so happened to build the mega-careers of a few top celebrity trainers.
Inspire Others and Spread a Positive Message.
This will come back to you tenfold.
In your journey to learn how to become an online personal trainer, you've surely met some inspiring folks who encouraged you. Now it's your job to do the same.
By spreading a positive message (which got you into this in the first place), you will be affecting the lives of others and paying it forward.
Remember to follow these steps, be clear about what message you want to spread, how big you want your online personal training business to get and utilize your online presence to reach more clients.
If you're interested in learning more about how to expand your presence as an online personal trainer, go here!