The fitness industry is unbelievably broad, from group fitness instructor to high performance specialist and everything in-between, if you’re interested in getting involved in our wacky industry, read on. This week I’m going to discuss some key considerations you need to think about before you make the jump.
Busy week in work this week so up until yesterday I didn’t really do anything. But yesterday was special. Ireland beat New Zealand for the very first time on Irish soil and made history in doing so. I was able to see history unfold before my very own eyes from section 114 of the Aviva stadium with my Dad. Stockdale scored the winning try right in front of us. The stadium was rocking from start to finish, the whole night had a special feel to it. That is a moment I’ll forever cherish, the full time whistle going, one of the biggest cheers I’ve ever heard and a hug with my Dad. That’s what I had going on this week, now back to business.
The barriers to entry into the fitness industry are quite low and non-existent really. Unlike many other health professions, we are quite unregulated. By that I mean there is nothing stopping Joe Soaps calling himself a PT or a strength and conditioning coach. However, if that same person tried to call themselves a doctor and give medical advice you can guarantee there would be repercussions. This can be quite frustrating because there are plenty of people out there who are unqualified to give the ‘advice’ they’re giving. For coaches like myself, who attended college and attained a degree in the field and is constantly re-educating with courses and conferences while staying up to date with the latest research it can be annoying watching someone with no educational training who doesn’t understand how different systems work in the human body train people. Furthermore, if people like that hurt someone, that lower level of trust follows you around. The general public don’t really know the difference, therefor we’re all painted with the same brush unfortunately. I still have family who don’t know what strength and conditioning is or what I actually do… to most people you’re a gym guy.
Succeeding in this industry means you need a lot more than just being in shape yourself. Obviously, as a health professional there is a certain onus on you to look a certain way but it’s probably the least of your worries. I see so many people on Instagram trying to sell their own training programmes and obviously I go have a look at their page, more often than not it’s shocking what they’re selling to people. It’s clear they don’t understand the body and how to programme to get the right adaptations and take advantage of certain windows of opportunity. At the most basic level you need to understand the muscular system, what makes up muscle, how it’s formed and how to stress it correctly for what you’re trying to achieve. You can get into other things like the cardiovascular and energy systems after that along with the nervous system and how to recover. There is a lot of science that goes into this job and you need to take an interest on a cellular level or you’re not doing your client justice.
There are so many positives to this line of work and I promise I’ll outline all of mine towards the end but you need to be realistic as well. The hours on this job are quite unsociable and are very demanding. Whether you’re working with general population or in high performance sport the fitness industry is typically early rising (5-5:30AM, depending on your commute) and you could be working as late as 9 or 10PM. Now, most people will do a split shift style if it’s that extreme but even with that the days are quite long and everyone isn’t up to that level. It can be hard to see your friends and family who might work a more traditional work week and if you’re lucky enough to have another half they need to be very understanding of your line of work. The hours can lead to people leaving our industry which is unfortunate because I’m sure there’s been a lot of excellent coaches who have thrown in the towel due to the extreme nature of our schedules.
The last couple of hard hitting points I want to mention is money and job security. Previously I might never have touched on these subjects, there’s always a taboo around money, like it’s wrong to speak about but if you’re interested in this line of work you need to know what you’re getting in to.
Over the last year there have been great conversations raising awareness around these two points, Rob Pacey of Pacey Performance Podcast, in particular, has done a great job breaking the taboo. You might not always feel you’re compensated correctly for the work you put in. The pay doesn’t always equal the amount you’ve done. The reality is that money isn’t always spent on what we do, therefor we don’t get what we want or deserve. You’re not going to make millions by being a strength and conditioning coach, even in professional sport, S&C can often be one of the lowest paid positions behind physios and doctors. Add that to the fact that it can be very unforgiving and ruthless in nature, one bad loss and you could be out of a job. If you can’t find enough clients as a PT how are you going to pay the bills? If money is what you truly value I life, this line of work might not be the best for you.
I’m in an extremely lucky, and rare, position in my current job (Hopefully Noel is reading this because what I’m about to say is all true and a testament to what he’s done). My relationship with my current employer is one of the best I have. The trust built up over the last 3 and a half years means I can have a little bit of a leash to try new things with our members and have a say in business decisions without the fear of being let go for stepping out of line. Thankfully, as the business has grown so has my compensation to the point where money doesn’t have a single impact on my stress levels, and I’m grateful for that.
I have plenty of friends who are probably making double what I make in financial terms with their career but money isn’t what got me into this career. The job satisfaction I get out of every other aspect in my work far outweighs any salary another job could offer with less satisfaction. I can’t imagine waking up and going to work unhappy for more money.
So, the money is poor, hours are demanding, job security isn’t great and the outside world’s perception of you is a dumb meathead that lifts weights with no real purpose… why on earth do I do this? There are huge amounts of satisfaction in my work every single day.
Probably the biggest reason I get up in the morning is knowing that I have the chance to positively impact over one hundred people on that very day. For a lot of people, the gym is their escape from work and family troubles. The effect of a great training session or even a simple acknowledgment like “Hey, how’s your day?” cannot be underestimated. When a recent bride thanks you for helping her get in shape for her wedding or someone comes in to you after training hard for months and tells you that they’re able to come off blood pressure medication due to the amount of weight they’ve lost and control they’ve gained over their nutrition you just can’t beat that for any amount of money. You have played a role in the best day of someone’s life, you have helped someone add years back to their life and do simple things like play with their kids without getting dizzy and breathless… you can’t do that sitting behind a desk. These long lasting impacts are the best part of this career and the ones that make all the negatives seem small.
Being in a position to help people help themselves is wonderful and must not be taken for granted. I really love what I do and I’m thankful for the opportunities I get every day. It’s an amazing industry to work in despite some of the negatives that can hold you back. If you just focus on what you can control and making your current job as big as you possibly can you’re going to get a lot more satisfaction instead of comparing yourself and your job to others. If anyone reading this has any other questions regarding ways to get into this profession or about it please don’t hesitate to contact me. These are only the lessons I have learned in my short career so far but have been echoed by many other veteran coaches from across the world.
Have a great week,
Rory.