Daughter wants to be a Personal Trainer - any advice?

somapop

Well-Known Member
Joined
8 Mar 2010
Messages
4,961
Hi folks.

I've spoken about my daughter on here before but she's autistic and has pretty much missed the entirety of her high school education (she's year 10). She entered high school at 11 (year 6) spent a couple of weeks there before her anxieties got too much for her (I won't go into details again here). Had perhaps 6 months at a hospital school before agreeing to give high school another try (and being very excited about entering mainstream again). Things were going really well (albeit on a part time basis) and she made new friends, but eventually she succumbed to her anxieties again and she crumbled (was heartbreaking to see...she really wanted to be 'normal' like her old primary school friends).
Last year she started coming to the gym with me (she was once an incredible swimmer) and after a while developed a passion for power lifting. The lockdown had the potential to push her under but fortunately we were able to pick up a second hand gym system (cage, barbells, bench and weights) just in time.
She has a dedicated schedule (and was with a power lifting coach in Manchester a before the pandemic) and it's done massive wonders for her well being (slowly coming off her sertraline medication).
Huge worries over he future (lack of qualifications) but she had the idea that she would like to be a personal trainer and nutritionist (in the realms of PT) and perhaps, eventually, sports science.
We've started a few Open University courses (diet, nutrition, sports science) which we're doing together. We're now actively looking for PT courses when she turns 16 in November.
We've shortlisted two companies that both have very good feedback and we've spoken to them with regard to starting when she is 16.
One had an issue over training on site as she would have to be 18. The other mentioned this wouldn't be an issue (fully online for a start) but some gyms could employ her when she's 16.
This is where it gets a little bit nebulous for me. The only other difference between them as far as I can see it that the level 4 Nutrition course has the following:

  • RSPH membership for 1 year
  • RSPH Level 4 Award in Nutrition
  • Gain the letters MRSPH after your name
Whereas the other doesn't - not sure if this is a major issue given that there is only so much 'nutritional/dietary' advice a PT is legally able to give.

Any tips or advice would be most welcome.

Thanks.
 
Good luck to her. But being only 18 when she is looking for clients will make it difficult.

Might be easier if she can work at a gym or even a YouTube channel to start
 
Be careful about being completely pay as you go client based though. I used to do this and when the financial crash happened in the late 00s, most of my customers decided that a PT was not essential and stopped coming to me and I had to completely change my job in another industry.

Although, still being a teenager and living at home that might be good for her and can develop different things as she gets older.

At one stage I was looking at doing a Masters in Strength and Conditioning at Bolton, where you get to work with sports clubs and can get jobs in the sports industry rather than just working in gyms or studios or people’s’ homes.

Looking back, I regret not going and doing that but hey ho.

Good luck to her and hope she makes a success of it.
 
Hi folks.

I've spoken about my daughter on here before but she's autistic and has pretty much missed the entirety of her high school education (she's year 10). She entered high school at 11 (year 6) spent a couple of weeks there before her anxieties got too much for her (I won't go into details again here). Had perhaps 6 months at a hospital school before agreeing to give high school another try (and being very excited about entering mainstream again). Things were going really well (albeit on a part time basis) and she made new friends, but eventually she succumbed to her anxieties again and she crumbled (was heartbreaking to see...she really wanted to be 'normal' like her old primary school friends).
Last year she started coming to the gym with me (she was once an incredible swimmer) and after a while developed a passion for power lifting. The lockdown had the potential to push her under but fortunately we were able to pick up a second hand gym system (cage, barbells, bench and weights) just in time.
She has a dedicated schedule (and was with a power lifting coach in Manchester a before the pandemic) and it's done massive wonders for her well being (slowly coming off her sertraline medication).
Huge worries over he future (lack of qualifications) but she had the idea that she would like to be a personal trainer and nutritionist (in the realms of PT) and perhaps, eventually, sports science.
We've started a few Open University courses (diet, nutrition, sports science) which we're doing together. We're now actively looking for PT courses when she turns 16 in November.
We've shortlisted two companies that both have very good feedback and we've spoken to them with regard to starting when she is 16.
One had an issue over training on site as she would have to be 18. The other mentioned this wouldn't be an issue (fully online for a start) but some gyms could employ her when she's 16.
This is where it gets a little bit nebulous for me. The only other difference between them as far as I can see it that the level 4 Nutrition course has the following:

  • RSPH membership for 1 year
  • RSPH Level 4 Award in Nutrition
  • Gain the letters MRSPH after your name
Whereas the other doesn't - not sure if this is a major issue given that there is only so much 'nutritional/dietary' advice a PT is legally able to give.

Any tips or advice would be most welcome.

Thanks.

My son is also autistic. I think what your daughter has achieved is fantastic and can't wait to see where my boy is in a few years time!

Personally, I think you should encourage her to start nearer home whilst she studies, i.e., work on effective programme/s and use you, family and friends as the guinea pigs.

Encompassing all that as she joins she membership should take up the year quite handily. That way she has gained experience, can tweak her programmes, has confidence and all the things she needs to be eligible for being a PT.

There are PLENTY of young people her age she will be able to train and will be able to relate to. Searching out parents that might want better health for their offspring via FB might be a good idea to build up her profile. I think there are loads of ways to get her going, pal.

Good luck!
 
I have a friend who made the jump to being a PT at 30. The course will not be to hard.

Its quiet a strange career as there is a big element of sales in it if you go alone, you are basically charging clients for one to one time and that can be quite intense, and you have to push people to get results and that is also quite intense. It works better if you are part a set up at a Gym which is what my friend does, the sales side is less of an issue as you work as part of the team and the gym is steadily referring clients.

So my advice is it sounds like a good move if she wants to do that as a career but maybe look to start by just working in a gym. Getting a lifeguard qualification might help you get in, once she is in somewhere and working in a gym it should be a much easier step up to being a PT at a gym.

My Friend works for this out fit, lots of info on here:-

https://www.pro-fitpersonaltrainingjobs.co.uk/Wilmslow-Personal-Training-Jobs/
 
There is lots of 1to1 time, and clients tell you all sorts of shit about their personal lives that you just have to smile and nod along a lot of the time.
 
Thanks folks.
That's part of her plan. She wants to train up young adults/kids around her age and perhaps online for a while. She's funny in that she might struggle to get on a bus but (going back a couple of years ago) delivered a speech in front of a church at her Nan's funeral. Loves routine and is currently and methodically listing every single item she eats (and is weighed) including calories. Mind boggling but this is the way she works.
The lift guard option is a good shout too (given her years of swimming quite high level) as is the shout out on FB for kids on FB et al.
She can be very sweet and polite in public (although sometimes a little Lee Scratch Perry) but in her own home she can be like Richard Pryor...that level of energy and christ...the swearing!). She lifts/strength trains for around 90 mins per day. Fortunately she follows some very good people on the socials....positive bunch rather than Kardashian type influencers (which she abhors). The lift in her mood since taking up exercise and training has been light and day. This career plan has lifted her too.
She struggled with the idea of going to a physical college, but again...this may change as she gets older.

Ace tips everyone...will go though them with her.
Thanks!
 
In work we have a senior manager with an austisic child and she has started to use her position to develop opportunities for people with autism. I was staggered at the figure for unemployment among the autistic community, it was around 80-90%. Given the figure is so high and undoubtedly will be well known in those circles would it not be an idea to target that niche market? They will be understand how difficult it is to find work and equally on the other side of the coin can witness through your daughter the benefits of physical training.

Apologies in advance if I'm speaking out of my h*le but I suspect you anticipated most answers wouldn't be coming from experts. Best of luck regardless.
 
Not at all Bobby. That's what these forums are for (and best at) - differing opinions from all angles. That's a very good idea.
 

Following up this, I and Mrs JASR have been trained by 'pro-fit' (in it's few variations), for the past decade+
I've seen them grow from a few trainers to many hundred(s?). They seem to be a great company to work for and with.

They have affililiation with other gyms around the North, not just 'Total fitness' (and not just at Wilmslow).
 

Don't have an account? Register now and see fewer ads!

SIGN UP
Back
Top
  AdBlock Detected
Bluemoon relies on advertising to pay our hosting fees. Please support the site by disabling your ad blocking software to help keep the forum sustainable. Thanks.