CategoriesMotivational rant

How to Prevent Burning Out as a Fitness Professional

I wanted to use a blog title that fit my personality more.

Like:

“Life as a Fitness Professional: See Brick Wall. Throw Face Into It. Repeat.”

But, you know, SEO and all.

Being a Personal Trainer/Coach Isn’t All Kitten Kisses and Rainbows

Forgive the nebulous tone out of the gate.

Let me be clear: I love what I do, and I wouldn’t have chosen to do it for the past 20 or so years if I didn’t gain some semblance of enjoyment from it.

[Although, truth be told, if Hollywood came knocking at my door tomorrow asking me to be the next Jason Bourne I’d peace out faster than you can say undulated periodization.]

I’ve been very fortunate and lucky (with equal parts hard work and insatiable consistency) building a career that not only provides an immense amount of pride and gratitude, but also satisfaction and sustenance.

Now, we could make the argument that being a fitness professional is a pretty sweet gig.

I mean, you get paid to hang out in a gym all day and wear sweatpants. There’s also a low-barrier to entry, which can be good and bad.

Good in that it allows people to pursue their passion without dropping $40,000 per year on a degree. Bad in that, well, there’s a low-barrier to entry.

Anyone can become a personal trainer.

via GIPHY

Additionally, I could go on forever listing all the other benefits to being a fitness professional:

  • You help and inspire people on a daily basis.
  • Free gym membership.
  • You more or less set your own schedule.
  • You can eat out of a Pyrex container and no one will judge you.
  • Did I mention you get to wear sweatpants to work everyday?
  • You get to wear sweatpants to work everyday.

There is a dark side, however.

While the numbers can vary, and it’s more or less an arbitrary, ball-park figure: many fitness professionals – personal trainers in particular – have a “life span” of 1-3 years.

Feeding that statistic, the average personal trainer makes roughly $32,000 per year, working a split-shift 60 hour per week schedule[footnote]What’s more, as fitness-business guru, Thomas Plummer, notes: most personal trainers only have 35-50 “good” hours in them week in and week out anyways. Anything more than that and the quality of their product diminishes drastically.[/footnote] often with minimal (if any) benefits.

  • Spotty health insurance
  • No 401k plan. It can happen, but it’s rare.
  • Limited (if any) paid vacation.
  • But hey, you get to wear sweatpants.

While by no means a dirt poor scenario, there’s a reason a very finite number of fitness professionals ever hit the magical six-figure mark.

The ones that do often either work in a big city or in a very affluent area where people can afford high(er) price points for their services. Running the math, a trainer could work a 20-hour week charging $100 per session and easily make six-figures in a year.

However, that’s not realistic for most.

Not many can charge $100 per hour ($40-$50 is more like it), and not many are taking 100% of the profit. I.e., for those working out of a commercial gym, it’s often standard they take 30-50% of the cut (depending on what kind of “tier system” implemented).[footnote]NOTE: And it’s not like the establishment is “netting” the other 50% either. Personal trainers like to bitch and whine about not getting a bigger cut and that the gym they work for takes all the money. However, what many fail to understand is that the other 50% is used to cover things like payroll, cleaning, insurance, operational costs, CAM expenses, and rent. So, shut up.[/footnote]

Not only that, cost of living has to be taken into consideration. Sure, trainers living in a more urban area can charge more, but they’re also paying $2000 per month to live in a closet (and $16 for a burger).

Another thing to consider is this:

This is NOT a “Demand” Career

Being a fitness professional means you’re in the service industry. How many people in the service industry do you know who are making bank?

Not only that…it’s not a “demand” career.

There’s always going to be a demand for funeral home directors, electricians, doctors, and, unfortunately, used car sales(wo)men.

Personal trainers and strength coaches? Not so much.

When the economy is stagnant people have a tendency to chop off what’s expendable. If it’s a matter of putting food on the table or paying someone 2x per week to take them through a killer front squat Tabata circuit while balancing on two kettlebells, what do you think is going to win out?

So, what can be done to not burn out and set the odds in your favor?

First: read THIS. <—The holy grail isn’t necessarily owning your own gym.

1) Grind, Hustle, [Insert Motivational Word Here]

To be honest, I hate the connotation of “grinding” or “hustling.” Every time I see a Tweet or IG status of someone saying how they’re up early “grinding” or how much they’re” hustling,” I want to jump into a live volcano.

I get it, though.

You’re reading anything and everything Gary Vaynerchuk has in print or paper and you’re listening to all of his podcasts.

I did too, for about three days. And then I got over it. His message, while good, just comes across as a broken record to me.

I don’t want to be Gary Vee, and I don’t think Gary Vee wants you to be Gary Vee either.

He works….all……the…….time.

Even he will admit he’s an outlier when it comes to work ethic and loving the grind.

There IS a degree of grinding and hustling that’s inherently conjoined to the fitness industry.

We work when others don’t.

Too, it’s a very, very, VERY saturated market…and you better bet your ass you need to do something to separate yourself from the masses (and by extension, begin to build a brand).

Being epically good at what you do is step #1.

This doesn’t require Twitter followers or a status update. It requires hard work, consistency, maintaining integrity, along with empathy and gratitude.

“Building a “brand” isn’t a social media illusion. Things like integrity, empathy, & gratitude (along with being good at what you do) count.”

What many refer to as “grinding” is just, you know, going to work. Like everyone else.

However, there’s a difference between going to work and actually going to work and taking pride in it…and working towards something bigger and better.

Learn and respect that difference.

2) “Brand” Building

It’s 2021: You better recognize that “building a brand” isn’t anchored on this idea that you need to optimize website SEO or hire a photographer to take nice looking photographs of you eating a kale salad next to a Ferrari so you can post them on your social media.

Renowned coach and speaker, Brett Bartholomew, shared a powerful message recently:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Brett Bartholomew (@coach_brettb)

As Brett notes, SOCIAL SKILLS are what’s missing in this industry; not more certifications and licensures. Brand building (and by extension, success) isn’t so much about putting more letters next to your name or having a 3x bodyweight deadlift.

It’s about CONNECTION and having the social skills necessary to build healthy and long-lasting client relationships & rapport.

NOTE: Anyone interested in that topic should come to Boston this November to attend Dr. Lisa Lewis’s 2-day workshop: Inside the Coach’s Mind. (wink wink, nudge nudge).

👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇

Social media is certainly part of the equation, however.

“But wait, Tony, didn’t you just say that social networks are a waste of time?”

Nope, that’s not at all what I said.

I said “do the work.”

Coach. Interact. Get people results. Get good at what you do.

CURATE RELATIONSHIPS.

Social media should serve as a complement to your brand. Not BE the brand. Pete Dupuis wrote an awesome article a few years ago on what Cressey Sports Performance did to build their brand.

“Believe it or not, we were open for business for 293 days before our Cressey Sports Performance website went live.  In fact, we strung together more than 1,200 days of operation before realizing we needed to get CSP up on Twitter.”

Anecdotally, I’ll be the first to admit I lucked out in this regard.

I helped build CSP from scratch, and both Eric (Cressey) and Pete encouraged me to build my own brand within a brand. I served as an ambassador for the CSP name, but was also able to leverage that to help construct the brand of “Tony Gentilcore.”

Having Eric and Pete in my corner helped, a lot.

It also helped that I jumped on the website and social media bandwagon before it became a “thing.”

I wrote my first blog post in 2006. I now have over 200o+ posts on this site. And this is not counting the hundreds of articles I’ve written on top of that for other websites.

It wasn’t until 2009-2010 that I invested in myself and hired someone to make a customized website for me.

Quick shoutout to Copter Labs on that front.

Nevertheless, I wrote hundreds of blog posts on my site and interacted with a lot of my readership before I “graduated” to being paid to write for other sites. I often joke that my high school English teachers would shit a copy of “Catcher in the Rye” if they knew I was a paid writer.

Moreover, once I started gaining more traction with my writing I started being asked to present at conferences and started to also be invited to gyms across the world to put on workshops.

Being transparent, open to other ideas, amicable, a good listener, and generally not an asshole have all served me well in growing my “brand.”

All of this to say: I now have other streams of revenue to not only bolster my brand, but to also help augment my coaching. I don’t have to be on the floor 30-40 hours per week (as it stands now, I coach 15-20 hours per week). What’s more, if COVID-19 taught us anything in this industry, it’s that having more “diversity” with your revenue streams is imperative.

  • In-person coaching
  • Distance/online coaching
  • Writing
  • Presenting/workshops (virtual *& in-person)
  • Affiliate income
  • Digital products/resources
  • Mentorships
  • And, sure, sponsorships and “influencing” can be tossed on the list too.

NONE of this happened over-night. And, if I were to be 100% honest: It’s only now – year 19 into my career – where I feel like I’m starting to “get it.”

Not be a Debbie Downer and all, there’s A LOT of noise out there. More and more fitness pros are out there vying for everyone else’s attention and a piece of the social media pie, and it’s becoming more saturated by the day.

It’s becoming harder and harder to make a name for yourself (if that’s what you choose to do).

However, it’s not an insurmountable feat to rise above the chaos.

The key, though: amazing, unparalleled, consistent content.

And not being an unapproachable tool canoe.

That helps too.

Categoriesrant

One Simple Piece of Advice For Fitness Pros to Consider in 2019: Put Your Clothes On

Not surprisingly I’ve noticed an inundation of “inspirational” or informative post over the past few days offering insight from “How to Save More Money in 2019” to “What Are the (Fitness) Trends to Watch Out For?” to, I don’t know, “Who Would You’d Rather Have as a Dinner Guest: Your Boss or a Balrog?”

Too, this is the time of year many people write their “stuff I’ve learned” posts to reflect on their personal growth over the past 365 days (and to totally brag about how many books they’ve read…wink, wink. Don’t worry, I’m not judging.[footnote]You uppity douchehole.[/footnote]

This is not that kind of post.

Copyright: tverdohlib / 123RF Stock Photo

Well, It Kinda Isn’t

Truth be told, I didn’t read that many books last year (due to a very active and rambunctious toddler at home. And Netflix), so I’m afraid I wouldn’t have many sage and/or Earth shattering “new things” to divulge anyway.

That said, in an effort to ring in 2019, I would like to toss my hat into the ring, take a few minutes, and share one good ol’ fashioned, “seasoned veteran” piece of advice to new and upcoming fitness professionals who may be following along.

Full Disclosure: What follows may come across as a bit preachy or me being a cantankerous curmudgeon.

Whatever, it’s my blog, deal with it.

AND GET OFF MY LAWN while we’re at. And GO TO BED.

Put Your Clothes On

I came across an interesting conversation on Facebook the other day, and it only came to my attention because it was started by an ex-client of mine (who’s also a trainer) who tagged me in it.

She posited this question:

“Curious, are you more or less likely to hire a trainer if they post pictures of themselves with their shirts off or in a bikini?”

Now, don’t get me wrong: I understand why someone who’s in the health/fitness industry would feel it necessary to market themselves by showcasing their, shall we say…assets.

HA – see what I just did there?

I do feel there’s a time a place for it, and I do feel there’s little harm in the occasional “look at me, I’m sexy AF, and my pecs can cut diamonds” photo op.

It’s not lost on me that a significant part of a trainer’s job is to look the part.

I mean, if someone’s going to dedicate their life to training 4-5x per week, taking spin classes “for fun,” and crushing kale & avocado smoothies that taste like algae being blown through a whale’s rectum, you better be sure as shit they’ve reserved the right to showoff the fruits of their labor.

But even then I feel there’s a spectrum of acceptable instances for someone to do so.

One thing to consider is if they’re a competitive bodybuilder, figure athlete, or even model. If that’s the case then I can definitely see a scenario where they’re allowed a bit more leeway.

The ratio of shirtless to cute cat pics should likely be bit more skewed to the former.

However, most fitness professionals aren’t competitive bodybuilders, figure athletes, or models. And, while I recognize my age (42) likely plays into my thought process, I do feel it’s in most everyone’s interests to keep their clothes on more often than not.

Reading through the bulk of people’s answers in the Facebook thread mentioned above, a vast majority mentioned they’d be less likely to hire a trainer who went out of his or her’s way to routinely pose with their clothes off.

Answered ranged from “it comes across as too self-absorbed” to “unprofessional” to “intimidating and that they might be too judgmental of my appearance.”

My former client even chimed in with the following:

“I’ve never once seen Tony G pose with his shirt off for a promotional or marketing piece, and he has one of the best physiques I’ve ever seen.[footnote]NOTE TO SELF: Fuck yeah! Also: This needs to be added to my testimonial page ASAP.[/footnote]And what prompted this question to my Facebook friends is an inundation of trainers posting promotional and marketing pieces with their shirts off.

I always wonder how that resonates with the average Joe?”

I’m sure for some people it motivates them.

And that’s great.

But I think for the vast majority of people it sets an unrealistic expectation. And, to speak candidly, from a business standpoint, I have a hard time believing it helps to exponentially increase one’s bottom line.

And before anyone fires back with “well, Tony, my business targets people interested in FAT LOSS or people who want to look better naked, what am I supposed to do: fill my feed with pictures of me attending a turtleneck party?

No, that’s not what I’m saying.

What I’m Saying Is This: Looking the part is one piece of the fitness business puzzle. But it’s not the only piece. Most clients are going to be more interested in training with you long-term because you’re not an asshole, not because your delts  look great using the Perpetua filter.

What’s more, as my friend from above stated herself:

“As a trainer, it’s going to stick with your clients more if you teach them that the journey is less about how they look at all times and more about how they feel about themselves.”

Fitness shouldn’t be centered around one’s ability to showcase six-pack abs in an effort to garner likes (and creepy followers) on Instagram. It should be about helping as many people, from all shapes and sizes and backgrounds as possible.

For some niche markets, I understand that this train of thought won’t resonate and that posting an incessant number of pictures of yourself with your shirt off (or in minimal clothing) does bode in your favor and helps to grow your business. This isn’t meant to come across as confrontational or that what decisions you make to run YOUR business is wrong. I have plenty of friends in the fitness industry who do it and are very successful. The thing that differentiates them is that they’re ALWAYS going out of their way to provide quality content.

It’s not just about them.

I suspect, though, that most of you reading will have enough common sense and wherewithal to separate that from my larger point.

Which is……

Posting naked pictures of yourself is not necessary or mandatory to be successful.

For the bulk of potential clients out there posting shirtless pictures for promotional purposes likely won’t work, it likely won’t resonate, and it likely won’t be relatable. Rather, the better business approach will be to go out of your way to showcase your content, expertise, and knowledge instead. How can you help people? What separates you from the masses?

I doubt it’s your bicep peak.

Maybe you have a unique pull-up drill progression you’ve found successful? Maybe you have a lot of success working with people dealing with low back pain? Maybe you do have an adorable cat?

Highlight that, please…;o)

CategoriesMotivational

The End Is Near: (Wo)Man Up!

Today’s guest post comes from Justin Kompf who’s a fellow Cortland State Red Dragon and the man responsible for organizing my little homecoming a few weeks ago. At 23 Justin is already doing big things.  Not only is he making waves in the fitness industry, but he’s already teaching COLLEGE courses as an adjunct professor at Cortland.  I think back to when I was 23 and all I remember doing is crushing Beverly Hills 90210 re-runs and bicep curls in the squat rack. 

Suffice it to say, everyone, meet Justin. He’s gonna be someone you should remember.  Good things are a head.  

The world is coming to an end, or at least it must be. I have my bachelors of science in kinesiology – key word science. Not to say I’m in love with the whole cellular function of microbes or what Van Der Waals forces are, or even if I spelled that right, but I am keen enough to make observations and make fairly educated conclusions.

For example, if I pick up this weight and move it around I get bigger and I get stronger. Or how about this: people who don’t lift weights actually progressively get weaker until they have legs the size of toothpicks and need a machine to get from A to B.

Another mind blowing (yes sarcasm) discovery I’ve made is that if I eat crappy food my body feels and looks like crap.  On the other side of the equation, if I eat lean proteins, fill my plate with vegetables, and sweet potatoes somehow I feel satisfied, don’t get sick, increase strength, and look pretty darn good too. As a scientist I have come to this radical conclusion that if I eat well and exercise well I feel and look good.

It doesn’t take a white coat, nerdy glasses and beakers to be a scientist. I just proved it. Science is the intellectual and practical activity of gaining knowledge through systematic observation. Pay attention, observe outcome. We learned the principle in elementary school Aà B. If Christina picks on me she totally digs me right?

One more time AàB

So wait this isn’t anything new? Eating healthy and exercising are healthy habits that everyone should be doing?!?!?!? I didn’t need to go to school for four years to make this discovery?

This is the reason why I have concluded that the world must be coming to an end.

Humans are logical, intelligent creatures. If the general population was forced to be honest, they would admit that they know what it takes to get healthy or at least healthier, but instead they continue to fuel the cyclic, destructive habits that have made them obese, sedentary and sick. Trips to the grocery store are always pleasant reminders of why the world is coming to an end. People who are obese continue to load their shopping carts up with processed foods, carbohydrates, lunch meats, microwaveable dinners, sodas, and candies.

They bring these foods home to their kids who then begin the pathway towards obesity. They don’t know any better, you’d have a better chance of convincing Charlie Sheen to keep his eyes closed in a strip club than you’d have convincing a kid who’s been shoveled processed, sugary foods on a daily basis to voluntarily put down the candy, ice cream or soda.

On another note…We live in a society that rewards people who don’t work hard. Sure, if you don’t want to work that’s fine. Just rest on your laurels! Nobody works hard these days anyways, right? Being successful and getting rich is all pure luck. Just put your feet up and wait for your pot of gold. Don’t want to work, that’s fine the government will pay you not to work.

Nate Green had a tremendous article on his scrawny to brawny website called the “SB2 Manifesto: Rules For Living a Bigger Life”. In the first rule he talked about how there are two versions of us, our ideal selves and our shadow selves. Our shadow self is the guy in our head saying, “it’s okay to sit on the couch for four hours a day watching TV, its okay for us to wear our pajamas the whole day and not learn anything new”. It’s the version of us that thinks that success can be put on the back burner. The shadow self – the procrastinating, lazy, undisciplined self is kicking millions of ideal selves’ asses all across America. Yes, it’s possible to kick your own ass.

We’re on the brink of the end of the world, maybe I’m being a little dramatic here but there is an unavoidable devolution of the mindfulness and work ethic occurring all across the country.

If you’re on this site and you’ve gotten this far in my article I’ll confidently assume two things about you.

First: You’re a meat head; you like to push your body to its limits to see what it’s capable of.

Secondly:  You possess a mind that wants to expand.

Note from TG:  I’ll also add a third:  You obviously have great taste in which blogs you read. Well done.

If you’re nodding yes and yes to each of those, you’ve got a deadly combination of being a meathead with a brain. You not only want to be big, healthy, and strong but you want to be educated about it, too.

You’re not one of those guys questioning why you’re not getting bigger when your program consists of preacher curls, smith machine upright rows, and cable flys and a pre workout big gulp (not the bigger you wanted).

You squat and you deadlift and you read a lot.

Anyways, while we’re low in numbers I feel that guys like us hold some of the last hope the world has.

So let me personally welcome you to the remaining population of mindful, driven men left in the world. Tragically, our species is nearly extinct.

We are a club that defies boundaries, pushes limits in and out of the gym, and observes with the intention of asking why, learning something and applying it to our own lives, thoughts and habits for self-improvement and the betterment of the lives of those around us. Sure, for the most part we keep to ourselves and if you’re like me do a lot of observation on the current state of the world. I believe this is a good thing, we think before we talk and try not to spew out BS like most people out there.

So without further delay, I’ll share a few things I believe us men with active minds and active bodies can do to stave off, and maybe even prevent, the end of the world.

Train for at least one physical event a year.

I’m in the last week before my very first powerlifting meet. I look forward to learning from more experienced people but the last four months of serious training and following Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 program have been great.

I’ve hit rep records on just about every lift while making it to the 181 weight class. I usually weigh about 195 pounds. I’ve learned a lot about pushing my body in the gym in combination with smart dieting. My friend recently asked me if I would be interested in doing a tough mudder in October.

Sure why not, it’s certainly not what I am built for but let’s do it. Training for an event creates concrete goals. Also, if you’re not exploring your body’s capabilities then what the heck are you doing? Another benefit of training is that it helps to clear up a lot of other things in your life. I make sure my diet is spot on when training and I make sure I get the appropriate amount of sleep when training. It helps clear up stress and basically acts as your own personal therapist if you need it.

*here is the end result of the competition- 510 deadlift ohhh yeaa!

Read, read, read

Yes I said it three times and there’s a reason. Here’s my three reads:

Read 1: Personal pleasure. E.g. I’m reading Howl’s Moving Castle. Before you Google this I’ll give you the heads up that it’s a movie and it’s a cartoon. So what – don’t judge – I wanted to read the book.  I’m also getting a little into The Red Badge of Courage.

Read 2: Business Development or Self Improvement. E.g. Right now I’m reading Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson.

Read 3: Career related book: Orthopedic Knowledge Update: Shoulder and Elbow second edition.

Try to read every single day. If we get in the habit of letting our shadow self win day in and day out he’s going to get stronger making it more and more difficult for our ideal self to win. I’ve been through periods of stagnation where my shadow self put a beating on my ideal self. Believe me it’s best to keep your shadow self’s victories to a minimum.

Create forward progress every single day

There’s a wise proverb that says “Without vision [man] perishes”.

Set goals, daily goals, weekly goals, monthly goals, career goals and get on a path towards success. I doubt anyone can say for certain what they want to do with their life. For example, my dad who has been an accountant for about 30 years has been talking about getting into training people who are older when he retires. You can be in your mid fifties and still not know what you want to do for sure.

I’ve gone from everything from wanting to be a personal trainer, to strength and conditioning coach, to a nutritionist and now onto a physical therapist. Mind’s change, luckily I didn’t have a dramatic career change of heart so just about everything I’ve done so far is applicable.

Even if you’re not positive where life is taking you that’s no excuse for stagnation. In fact you’re in a beautiful position to explore all of your interest to find what suits you. Hop on some kind of path, you don’t have to know where it’s heading, just know you’re moving forward.

Your weekly, monthly, and yearly goals should match up to career goals. My long term career goal is to become a physical therapist. On my path towards that some things have pleasantly popped up that gave me opportunities to do what I love doing while getting paid for it.

What am I doing to make this career goal happen?

Daily: Reading my current career book as well as peer reviewed articles

Weekly: Shadowing a physical therapist every Wednesday

Monthly: Working on prerequisites for school. I am currently taking chemistry

Yearly: continuing with prerequisites and everything else necessary to get into school

Pleasant surprises that have popped up along this path: I’ve had the opportunity to teach personal training and strength and conditioning classes at my college. I’ve gotten to work with athletes at Syracuse University which has given me the credentials to teach these strength and conditioning classes at my college. The coach I work with at Syracuse gave me a recommendation to teach another class at a community college as well.

Now all I need is a fedora and a whip and I’ll be a full on professor!

The sooner you realize getting drunk isn’t cool the better your life will be

I’m 23 years young, so I still live in that time period where a lot of people my age think staying up until 3 am and getting drunk is still awesome.

Sad thing is that I see people ten years my senior still trying to live the college dream. How productive are you the day after drinking? Not at all. Do you get good quality sleep? Nope. Is it possible to train like a man when you drink two or three times a week? No way. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy a beer or two. I do, but it’s not a keystone coming firing at me out of funnel anymore.

Now, small huddle of mindful, hard-working, meatheads – break! Go keep doing what you’re doing, do it better, and convince some other men out there to help push back on the end of the world while you’re at it.

Thanks for reading; I believe there is still some hope left in this world as long as we all set positive examples by respecting our minds, bodies, and of course others. Try to train for something at least once a year, read, read, read, set goals, and try to behave yourself at bars.

Author’s Bio

Justin is a  certified personal trainer and certified strength and conditioning specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He  holds  a bachelors degree in Kinesiology from the State University of New York at Cortland where he graduated magna cum laude. He has worked with a wide variety of clients and has spent time at two division one Universities, Syracuse University and the University of California Riverside. He currently assist at Syracuse under Veronica Dyer, the head strength coach in the Olympic sports room. Justin teaches a personal training class at the State University of New York at Cortland and will be teaching two strength and conditioning classes along with an intro to kinesiology course next fall. He likes deadlifting, the shoulder, almond butter, dragon ball z, and Zooey Deschanel. He dislikes bench pressing and people that say YOLO. His website is cortlandfit.com and he can be contacted at justin.kompf90@gmail.com