3 Things Every Trainer
MUST Know To Be
Successful
By Tim Henriques
Director - NPTI - VA
A Note from Tim Henriques
Dear friend,
If you’re reading this, you’re most likely interested in starting a career in the
fitness or personal training industry.
I love working in the fitness industry, and many of my students would say
the same, but before you consider obtaining education as a personal
trainer or entering the fitness field, there are three things you MUST be
aware of to make an informed decision.
This guide will cover those 3 key things,
and hopefully provide you with some
valuable insight into what it takes to
launch a career in this exciting industry.
Thank you for requesting our guide. Let
us know if you’d like my FREE Info Kit
which further outlines the next steps
you should take to get certified and
start helping people achieve their
fitness goals.
Best regards,
Tim
Tim Henriques
Director
NPTI - Virginia
mail: NPTI of Northern Virginia, 8500 Leesburg Pike, Suite 308
Vienna, VA 22182 phone: 1-703-988-6528
email: info@nptivirginia.edu web: www.nptivirginia.edu
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3 Things Every Trainer
MUST Know To Be Successful
3
1. Have Passion
for the Work
2. Understand
Nutrition
1. Have Passion
for the Work
2. Understand
Nutrition
Passion for fitness and
helping people achieve
their goals is key.
Nutrition is an often
neglected aspect of
fitness training programs.
3. In-Depth
Practical
Experience
3. In-Depth
Practical
Experience
In-gym training
experience is essential
for career success.
Plus, Learn How to Choose a Program
Next Steps
Testimonials
Program
Warning Signs
Choosing a
Program
Ready to take the
next step? Get the
scoop here.
Find out what
students think
about NPTI - VA.
Learn the warning
signs of a subpar
program.
Reference this
checklist when
choosing a program.
mail: NPTI of Northern Virginia, 8500 Leesburg Pike, Suite 308,
Vienna, VA 22182 phone: 1-703-988-6528
email: info@nptivirginia.edu web: www.nptivirginia.edu
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3 Things Every Trainer MUST Know To Be Successful
1. You Need a Passion for the Work
Sometimes people are tempted to enter the fitness field because they
know the money can be good. It is not a super difficult field to get into;
the barriers to entry are not astronomically high, and a college degree is
not necessary or required to be successful. There are not too many
industries like that which also offer the same rate of pay for trainers.
People hear of trainers regularly making $20, $30, or $40 an hour
working for a gym – or double that if they are working independently (for
a quick trick to estimate yearly income from an hourly rate, simply
double the hourly rate and then add 3 zero’s to the end of it and that is
the yearly salary assuming someone is working 40 hours a week. For
example making $25 an hour would mean a salary of $50,000 per year if
the individual worked full time). Because of that sometimes people think
being a trainer must be a cushy job that anyone can do. That is not the
right the attitude to take.
Passion is the key. Your passion is the first thing you think about when
your eyes open in the morning. It is how you spend your free time.
Do you like working out? Do you enjoy helping people? Do you have a
goal of making a genuine difference in other people’s lives? Has anyone
ever told you that you would be a good personal trainer? If the answer is
yes to those questions, you likely have the passion necessary to succeed.
But if you are thinking that training is just some easy job that anybody
can do and there is no grind or hustle involved to be successful, then this
likely isn’t the career for you.
mail: NPTI of Northern Virginia, 8500 Leesburg Pike, Suite 308
Vienna, VA 22182 phone: 1-703-988-6528
email: info@nptivirginia.edu web: www.nptivirginia.edu
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3 Things Every Trainer MUST Know To Be Successful
2. You Need to Understand Nutrition
Think about what the number one goal is that most clients have when
they sign up for a personal trainer. If you guessed, “they want to lose
weight and be more healthy,” you are correct. The vast majority of
personal training clients want to drop fat so that they can look better,
feel better, and be healthier. What is the single most important factor to
focus on when it comes to losing weight? If you guessed, “nutrition” then
you are right again.
The second most common goal that clients have is they want to build up
some muscle and be more fit. Nutrition is once again a key ingredient if a
client wishes to add muscle to their frame.
It might surprise you to discover that many personal training
organizations don’t think trainers should be highly educated in nutrition,
and as such they usually offer just one cursory chapter covering nutrition
in their curriculum and they discourage their trainers from giving out
detailed nutritional advice to clients. At NPTI we strongly disagree with
that philosophy. Of course if someone has diabetes or cancer or heart
disease, that client should be referred out to a registered dietician for
more specialized instruction. But for a regular client that wants to lose
20-30 lbs of fat, or another client that wants to build 10 lbs of muscle,
trainers with the proper training in nutrition absolutely can and should
help those clients – that is why they are coming to you in the first place.
And that is why at NPTI we focus on 100 hours of nutritional instruction
and students graduate with a certification in nutrition as well as being a
Certified Personal Trainer.
mail: NPTI of Northern Virginia, 8500 Leesburg Pike, Suite 308
Vienna, VA 22182 phone: 1-703-988-6528
email: info@nptivirginia.edu web: www.nptivirginia.edu
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3 Things Every Trainer MUST Know To Be Successful
3. You Need In-Depth Practical Experience
Can you believe that some personal training organizations certify their
trainers without ensuring that they have ever stepped foot in a gym? If
you are shaking your head in disbelief, I am with you. I know that sounds
almost too unbelievable to be true, but amazingly, zero formal practical
instruction is the norm and not the exception in today’s personal training
education. But that is not the way it should be.
The bottom line is you can’t simply read a book to become a qualified
personal trainer, and I know – I wrote the book that is used to teach
people to become personal trainers. Despite how much good information
is contained within those pages, it won’t do you any good if you are
lacking that in-depth practical experience that all personal trainers need.
You have to know how to adjust all of the machines; you have to know the
proper, safe, biomechanically sound form for all the main exercises; you
have to know what to do if you have limited equipment or how to modify
the situation if a client is suffering from an injury.
You need to spend time working out, and you need to practice actually
training others. Could you imagine a barber that graduated from barber
school without ever cutting anyone’s hair? That would be ludicrous, but it
happens all the time in personal training. People can become technically
“certified” without spending one minute in a gym!
mail: NPTI of Northern Virginia, 8500 Leesburg Pike, Suite 308
Vienna, VA 22182 phone: 1-703-988-6528
email: info@nptivirginia.edu web: www.nptivirginia.edu
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3 Things Every Trainer MUST Know To Be Successful
3. You Need In-Depth Practical Experience
(Cont’d.)
But it does not happen here. At NPTI we have over 200 hours of practical
experience; we teach you how to use all the machines, the proper form on
all the key barbell and dumbbell lifts, and how to use the bands, tubes,
exercise balls and foam rollers the right way. We teach you how to give a
client a good workout even if you have no equipment to work with, how to
spot, how to work with athletes using advanced techniques, and most
importantly we actually practice personal training. When you graduate
you will have conducted well over 20+ full-length simulated personal
training sessions under the watchful eye of our highly trained faculty
members.
We also have a shadowing program so you can observe and learn from
real life personal trainers working with actual paying clients. We do all of
this so you will feel comfortable when you take on your first paying client.
If they are going to pay $60, $80, $100 or more for a single personal
training session, they deserve to get their money’s worth.
Personal training can be a fantastic career choice, but it is not for
everybody. You need to have a passion for fitness and for helping others,
you need to receive proper instruction in nutrition, and you need to build
and improve upon your practical experience by actually training in the
gym under the guidance of those who have already achieved success in
the field. If you have those three things, you will be well on your way to a
successful career in the ever-growing fitness industry.
mail: NPTI of Northern Virginia, 8500 Leesburg Pike, Suite 308
Vienna, VA 22182 phone: 1-703-988-6528
email: info@nptivirginia.edu web: www.nptivirginia.edu
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What's Next?
So you want to be a trainer? This is what you
need to do.
Step #1: Download our Free Info Kit and get more info on how you can become a
personal trainer and start the career of your dreams!
Step #2: Give us a call at 1-703-988-6528 or email us at info@nptivirginia.edu to find
out more about our classes, tuition, financial aid, admissions requirements or any
other questions you may have. You’re also welcome to sit in for a free class if you
wish. This will help you get a feel for the program and whether it’s a good fit for you.
Step #3: Apply to NPTI’s Personal Training Certification Program https://nationalpti.
edu/application/step-1/
Step #4: Start taking classes through one of our convenient class schedules. We
offer 6 month, 9 month and 1 year programs to fit your life & schedule.
Step #5: Graduate with the knowledge and certification you need to launch or further
your career in the fitness industry!
mail: NPTI of Northern Virginia, 8500 Leesburg Pike, Suite 308
Vienna, VA 22182 phone: 1-703-988-6528
email: info@nptivirginia.edu web: www.nptivirginia.edu
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NPTI Virginia Testimonials
What do NPTI students think of their experience?
"NPTI is definitely a life changer. It changed my state of mind and really
showed me that the path I was on was a good one. I really loved my
teacher (Tim) he's all about the students learning the criteria and really
being competent about what they are being taught. It was never a
lecture. I have no regrets if I had to start over I would. Great People,
Great Atmosphere."
Khaila Williams ~ NPTI Personal Training Student
"There is so much involved with the 'art' of personal training, such as
both practical and scientific knowledge, anatomy, nutrition, CPR, and
first aid. To me personal training is an art, and just like an artist you
need the proper tools to be able to sculpt and recreate your client's
physique."
Mark Velasco ~ NPTI Personal Training Student
"What I learned about nutrition benefited me tremendously. And of
course, learning about the proper method of working out my body,
provided me with a great foundation of techniques and skills, and gave
me an understanding as to why for years my previous gym workouts
resulted in almost zero results."
Rosemarie Nelson ~ Personal Training Student
mail: NPTI of Northern Virginia, 8500 Leesburg Pike, Suite 308
Vienna, VA 22182 phone: 1-703-988-6528
email: info@nptivirginia.edu web: www.nptivirginia.edu
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Warning Signs
Q: What are some of the signs I
should look out for when
choosing a personal trainer
certification program?
STOP
A: Here are a few signs we’ve noticed
of weaker programs:
•
•
•
•
Course is almost entirely a self-study program
Zero/minimal time spent in the gym with an instructor
Not approved by the Department of Education
Few hours required to complete the certification
Choosing the right program is a critical moment in your fitness or personal
training career. Doing your research, asking the right questions and looking
out for a few warning signs will go a long way toward choosing the right
training course to obtain your certification and further your career goals.
Be sure that you’re getting the quality education you deserve!
mail: NPTI of Northern Virginia, 8500 Leesburg Pike, Suite 308,
Vienna, VA 22182 phone: 1-703-988-6528
email: info@nptivirginia.edu web: www.nptivirginia.edu
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Checklist for Choosing a Program
By doing appropriate research and following the advice in this guide, you
should have no trouble narrowing your search down to 2–3 personal trainer
certification programs to consider.
Print the below training program checklist to use as a guide during your
research. Rate each category either with a check or a rating from 1–10.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
NPTI - VA
Appropriate Length/Type of
Education Provided
✔
Academic Testing
✔
Practical In-Person Testing
✔
Approved by Department of
Education
✔
Reputable Accrediting Agency
✔
High Industry Recognition
✔
High Employment Rates Upon
Graduation
✔
Financial Aid Available to
Those Who Qualify
✔
Program Warning Signs
Program A
Program B
NONE
mail: NPTI of Northern Virginia, 8500 Leesburg Pike, Suite 308
Vienna, VA 22182 phone: 1-703-988-6528
email: info@nptivirginia.edu web: www.nptivirginia.edu
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Next Steps
Find Out How to Launch Your Personal Training or
Fitness Career With NPTI Virginia’s FREE NPTI Info
Kit!
Get Your FREE
NPTI Info Kit
• Phone: 1-703-988-6528
• Email: info@nptivirginia.edu
• Website: www.nptivirginia.edu
We promise to get back to you very quickly!
Sincerely,
Tim
Tim Henriques
Director
NPTI - Virginia
mail: NPTI of Northern Virginia, 8500 Leesburg Pike, Suite 308,
Vienna, VA 22182 phone: 1-703-988-6528
email: info@nptivirginia.edu web: www.nptivirginia.edu
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