Chris & Eric Martinez Interview How to Become A Personal Trainer (Successful)

I met these two hunks aka the dynamic duo at my first International of Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN- if you haven't been to one of these events, IT'S A MUST!) Learning from these two is such a great opportunity for aspiring & certified personal trainers. It's important to not make the same mistakes that a lot of us personal trainers make. If you haven't read their book, Rise of the Fit Pros, check it out&.

Chris & Eric Martinez – Dynamic Fit Pros. Authors of Rise of the Fit Pros

1. How much was your first paycheck as a trainer or if you had an internship, how long did you work without any pay? My first paycheck as a trainer was probably around $200 bucks. Lol. Reason being I was charging $30 a session and had about 5-6 clients. I had no idea how to price based off the value I could provide and the transformation I could make in the client's life. I made the mistake of selling the “PT session” instead of selling a “Status Increase.” I was too hung up on copying other trainers' prices, having a self-limiting belief to not charge a lot, and being a wimp about asking for more money. – Chris

2. What was your biggest challenge as a new trainer / something that you didn't expect? My biggest challenge as a new trainer that I didn't expect was how to market myself. I was a weenie about asking for testimonials and I was an even bigger weenie to share the testimonials on social media (even though IG/FB weren't as big a decade ago). If I were doing it now, I would take a 15 sec IG video during each client sessions and post it after each session with an intentional CTA to DM me or get them to comment below the video so I can start a conversation with them. I'd also ask for a testimonial and before/after pics right after they got results and blow-up FB/IG with results driven content. -Chris

3. What is one book every trainer should read? Of course, RISE OF THE FIT PROS 🙂 The two other books we recommend every trainer should read are: Expert secrets by Russell Brunson and The Dan Kennedy “NO BS Series” books&so much value and gold!

4. If you could be a mentor to someone starting out in the industry, what would you suggest?

First identify your false and self-limiting beliefs such as (Fear of getting started, fear of failing, imposter syndrome, comparison syndrome, scarce money mindset) and really do deep work as to why you feel this way and where did this come from. If you cannot break past these you will never take action in your business. Then hire a mentor or coach to help guide you in your business.

5. What do you think is the most overrated aspect of the fitness industry (areas of improvement)?

You need a certification to be a great trainer and have an online business. Certifications teach the bare minimum of knowledge to make you feel competent as a trainer. They don’t teach people skills, communication, relationship building, how to get clients results, marketing, and building a business. Certifications are just a business and they create false belief patterns in trainers.

6. What do you think is the most underrated aspect of the fitness industry (biggest opportunities for growth personally / financially)? The impact you create on your clients lives and the gratification you get as a trainer. We have always said that being a trainer is one of the best professions because health will always overrule everything and need to be at the forefront. If you are creating true transformation in your clients lives physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually you are winning at life and helping your clients win at life.

WANT TO BECOME A PERSONAL TRAINER?

If you're looking to become a personal trainer, begin with How to Become A Successful Personal Trainer. You'll learn that you don't need a certification (only if you want to work at Equinox, Life Time Fitness or Crunch.) Chris Hitchko sets the stage for a no BS approach to the personal training industry and how you can separate yourself from the saturated market. At Show Up Fitness, we want you to be successful which means doubling down on your understanding of movement, anatomy, programming, social media, assessments, and gaining supervised experience. Successful personal trainers aren't the ones with 15-certifications, they're the ones who are doing what they love 15+ years later like we are at Show Up Fitness.