Personal trainers work off a different schedule to most professionals from other industries.
One of the major reasons for this is that they have to work around the needs and schedules of their clients, who, for the most part, already have tightly packed routines.
They have careers to work on, families to look after; their own set of commitments that trainers need to work around.
Because of this, those looking to become fitness professionals need to embrace flexibility with regards to their schedules, and also need to be prepared to work longer hours each day, than is expected from other professions.
To give you a clearer view of the daily expectations placed on trainers, let’s take a walk through the average instructor’s day. This should help you get a better idea of whether or not completing a personal trainer course is something you might be interested in.
Personal Trainers are Early Starters
First and foremost, to be a personal trainer, you need to be able to start your day earlier than most other people.
As a trainer, you will need to accommodate clients who have little time to train throughout the day.
This might be because they have busy work schedules, need to commute to work on time, or have commitments to family members such as dropping their kids off at school.
Because of this, your average morning will have you out of bed and on the move by about 5:30am.
In fact, by the time 8:00am arrives, you will likely have seen your first handful of clients already.
The Mid-Morning Rush
Gyms are typically at their fullest between mid-morning and afternoon, which means that this is the time where personal trainers will be at their busiest, particularly if they conduct sessions or classes at a gym.
These clients are generally parents who have already dropped their kids off at school, or any others that, because of a flexible schedule, can take time to get a good start to the morning with vigorous physical activity.
On average, this stream of clients will start to die down at about lunch-time each day; so, by lunch, it is time for you to take a break.
But at a trainer, your breaks don’t exactly equate to downtime; there is a lot to do each day.
The Active Lunch Break
During lunch-time, you should take some time to refuel, either with a wholesome meal or a protein shake. Once that’s done, there are a few things you will need to take care of during this time, when there aren’t many clients to work with.
For starters, trainers should take some time to work on their own routines. As a personal trainer, you need to keep yourself fit, this will help keep your clients motivated and will help you market yourself, since you are wearing your results.
This means making time each day to exercise; and the post-lunch-time slot is the best time for it.
Following that, you will also need to plan workout schedules for your clients, perhaps do some research into motivational and teaching techniques. You will be taking this time, each day to upskill yourself and refine the services you offer to your clients.
Afternoons & Evenings
After about 4pm, the gyms will start to fill out with clients again, particularly those who prefer to work out after a day at work. For many, this is the only time when they can steal away to the gym for some much-needed exercise.
For many personal trainers, these early evening sessions are best use for more structured classes, and this will generally carry on until about 7pm.
However, when you finish up at the gym in the evening and ready yourself to head home, your day will not be over just yet.
Evening Admin
Once you have gotten home, it is almost time to get some rest; but first, the best personal trainers take this time to ponder over the day’s events to see where they can improve, or to see how the previous day’s challenges can be better met in the future.
This is also a good time to take care of important administrative tasks like checking your mails, reviewing training schedules, following up on payments and thinking about marketing.
Getting that Much Needed Rest
Since your next day will be starting early, and will be full of vigorous physical and mental activity, trainers need to be a little strict on themselves when it comes to getting a good, early night’s sleep; every single night.
Interested in Becoming a Personal Trainer?
Contact Trifocus Fitness Academy
Are you interested in the life of a trainer? Feel free to visit the Trifocus Fitness Academy website to take a look at our offers on fully accredited, online personal training courses.
