I am in the process of getting personal trainer certification. I currently have an in home daycare because I have 2 small kids that aren’t in school yet. I was thinking I would try to do online personal training so that I don’t have to send my kids to daycare. Is that realistic? Does anyone do the online thing that can give me some insight? I was hoping that if I gave them something to entertain them that it could help while I do a session.
Not unless you are or look like a fitness model. The certification will not do much in terms of attracting any clients. Market is also saturated with “coaches”.
When I look for jobs they all say I need to be certified, which is what lead me to get a certification. I need a job I can do at home while still having my kids. Which is why I wanted to do personal training online. And I definitely don’t look like a fitness model 
There’s a million mothers with young kids who don’t look like fitness models.
Develop a signature workout style where your kids are involved. Either occupying babies or including toddlers.
Do pushups or squat thrusts while rolling a ball to your kid between reps or something.
You’ll be famous and rich.
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Great to hear. I’ll never hesitate to suggest the Personal Trainer’s Thread for those new to the biz, to get some general input on the do’s and don’ts:
Zoom, Facebook Live, and IGTV are the most common ways I’ve seen trainers do virtual coaching. My wife attends yoga classes via Zoom. I think @j4gga2 also started using it for his clients last year.
The most direct way is one-on-one, having the client setup a tablet or something in the corner so you can watch as if you were standing there, and then they can go through the session while you monitor and give realtime feedback rep by rep/set by set.
True and true. This ties right into the business side of being a trainer. Setup a solid business plan, marketing strategy, target demo, the whole nine.
Not gonna lie, I think that’s a really cool and overlooked part of some of @ChongLordUno 's videos. Very down to earth and relatable the couple of times I’ve seen him have to pause a set when BabyUno wanders the wheely walker too close.
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So is it even worth finishing my certification? I am so confused on what to do lol. I don’t think I will start out on my own in the beginning just because this is such a new thing for me. I have never worked in the fitness industry.
Thanks for that @Chris_Colucci . I’m humbled by your kind words my man
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Depends on what you want out of it. Not all certifications are great, but they’ll all give you at least a halfway decent understanding of the basics, and you can expand your own knowledge base from there.
If you were going to work in a gym, they’d require a certification. When freelancing as a trainer, actual credentials are more, um, “lenient” let’s say.
Big Question: Why do you want to be a trainer? Is it more “seems like an easy stay-at-home side gig for pocket money”, “I need a work-from-home career”, or “I want to help people improve their health/reach their goals and would be working in a gym if conditions were different”?
Just saying what I’m sure others are thinking. You’ve found your lane and just taken off like some kinda Glaswegian burpee machine, but you’re still a dude with a fam.
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What is your current level of fitness / strength ETC?
I have recently been looking on doing strength and conditioning course. But then I compete (at a very low level) at strong man and have an extensive rugby back ground. Which is the end goal - rugby club strength and conditioning coach. So this is not be turning something I kinda enjoy into a side project - this is me formalising my love for rugby and strength training so I can spread the love.
Because - sure I want to earn the investment on the course back - but its not going to make me a my millions.
If exercise is not something you love then you might struggle as people like their trainers to be “better” than them.
I have had this idea a few times. If you want to get fit and or lose a bit of fluff - let your 3 year old loose in the ark and try and keep up. If we can tap into that and sell it…
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I don’t see myself working in a gym at the moment, just because I have kids at home and would have to be able to pay for them to go to daycare immediately. I got into fitness because I didn’t like the way I looked. I went on my own fitness journey and fell in love with eating healthy, learning about nutrition and working out daily. I love encouraging others to do the same and helping them find the best way to do it! I loved it so much that I decided I wanted to make it a career and didn’t know where to start so I started the PT cert classes through ACE.
Cheers for the tag @Chris_Colucci
First, about the certification question. Do you require a certification to get indemnity insurance in your state/country? If yes, finish your certificate. Don’t take the risk of getting sued over your side hustle.
Now, about the business model itself. There’s nothing wrong or bad about online training, but, if you aren’t going to be working in a gym you’ll need to do your own lead generation. It will take a good amount of work and a solid plan to effectively market yourself and get your name out there. Once you do have a few clients who trust and like you, word of mouth is your best friend.
When it comes to designing your sessions, your number 1 consideration is that coaching is difficult via a video call. Therefore, select exercises that are easy to perform and simple to explain. Do not over-coach/over-cue the exercises. Instead, give your client 1 or 2 simple cues that will make the exercise “good enough”, let them finish the entire set, and then add 1-2 more cues, only if necessary. You can allow imperfect reps while the client is learning a new exercise. There is nothing more frustrating (for you and for your client) than wasting an entire session cueing one exercise to make it look perfect on day one.
Finally, give the client some of what they want and some of what you want. Some trainers take a “my way or the highway” approach, which is inappropriate for 99% of personal training dynamics, and will ultimately alienate your clients. Similarly, some coaches only work on what their clients say they want to work on, which can not only be frustrating for the coach, but short-changes the client’s results.
I hope that helps, good luck 
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Are you on the Strength Coach Network? If not, google it and sign up. It will be the best professional education decision you’ll ever make
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I am not a trainer but I have a bunch of certifications that are less than useless for my work. Infact, I would say that for a few of them, using the skills as required by the certification will get you sacked lol
That said, they are very useful for getting past the HR hurdles and separating you from other candidates going for the job you are going for
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Just read it. IT looks good. A bit “too good” / sales like. But it is legitimate yeah?
Thank you.
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The founder, Keir Wenham-Flatt is a very smart guy who vets the content well, but he can be a sensationalist at times.
The monthly webinars and cheat sheets are top notch, but I can’t say I’ve spent too much time on their forum
Sorry man I meant to get back to this @Chris_Colucci
The Glaswegian Burpee Machine
Love the sound of that man. I’m claiming it brother 
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