How to become a personal trainer: Attracting clients, setting boundaries and going freelance

In this week's episode, personal trainer Annie discusses the job's highs and lows, how you don't have to be a morning person to train others, and why boundaries are important

Participants

• Emily Slade - podcast producer and host, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ»ÆƬ
• Annie Nunn - personal trainer

Transcript

Emily Slade: Hello and welcome back to Future You. The podcast brought to you by graduate careers experts, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ»ÆƬ. I'm your host, Emily Slade and in this episode I chat to Annie about being a personal trainer. 

Annie Nunn: Hi, my name is Annie and I'm a personal trainer.

Emily Slade: Amazing. So, what does a personal trainer do?

Annie Nunn: I've been thinking about this. Well, you could say the the bringer of torture, perhaps oon a daily basis. I think that. I'm bold enough to say that actually I think we change lives the the bare bones of what we do is. We help people to become stronger, healthier, physically, mentally, emotionally. The bread and butter of our job it's training people in a gym in studios like this at homes where the accountability coach, we get people in the door. We count reps badly. But we help people to, I think, upgrade their lives physically and through the power and the medium mostly of strength training that comes in many forms. I think it's a job that especially in 2025 is so diverse. Yeah, it's multifaceted, I. Think. Yeah, definitely.

Emily Slade: So do you think, have you noticed in your lifetime have personal trainers become more popular over time?

Annie Nunn: 100%, I think, I mean, I've been a PT now for getting on for 15 years. And it was when I started, it was still in that sort of area of being quite almost very niche to have PT like my old boss before he became an osteopath, he was a PT. I think, you know, Harley Street and now, you know, Harley Street is for getting your teeth done and whatever else it might be. I'm sure there's other things as well, but now I think PT is so much more accessible, which is fantastic. Kids. I don't think it's one of those areas where we should. Kind of make it for the only the rich and famous. The fact that we can help everyone to upgrade themselves physically and mentally and make that cost effective price of all is brilliant. So it's definitely, definitely changed yeah, 100%.

Emily Slade: So let's go right back to the beginning. What does your educational journey look like?

Annie Nunn: So it can look different for everybody. You don't have to do my routes and that's what's really good about personal training. It's whatever floats your boat, there's many accessible points. For me, I went to university and studied sports science. That's partly because at that time I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to do something in in fitness, so it's a great, broad degree that you can do if you're into sport and fitness, I think. And then after I studied sports science, I although I didn't go straight into PT, I then eventually did my qualifications. For a company that has happened to be in Spain, you definitely don't have to do that, and things have changed over the course of of many years. Now I did an intensive course. Yeah, the actual course itself with personal training isn't massively long, and there's some conflicting opinions about that. When you're then going to go in, put, you know, people under physical stress, you need to make sure that you know what you're doing. It's really important. So yeah, that was my. So. My route in as. It were, yeah. So there's every personal trainer have to get qualifications. Uh, in my mind, 100% yes, you. Unfortunately, it is changing and I know there's people working in the background on this, but it doesn't come with accreditation to a particular board at the moment. Personal training. So basically anyone can do it. So I would say if anyone who was listening, who looking for a PT, for example, make sure that you know what qualifications are because there is no sort of legality of, you must have a qualification if you want to get insured and you definitely wanna be with a PT who's insured so.

Emily Slade: But you don't have you? It's not like being a doctor. You can't not become a PT. If you don't have the qualifications?

Annie Nunn: Yeah, ideally you will go and see exactly. Yeah. So you don't have to, but really, you should do in this day and age, there are many ways to qualify. Lots of different companies to become a PT. I would just make sure that that person has. Really done thorough research into the body that they're accredited with, and it's quite good, often if that company is accredited with something like CIMSPA. So there are some, you know, fitness bodies out there who are trying their best to make everything a much more fresher playing field. But if you speak to anyone who's been in an industry long enough, they'll have a they have a lot to say about the fact there are some charlatans naked around. It's the same with like life coaching and other things like that.

Emily Slade: What does it look like, time-wise and money-wise, to get certified as a PT?

Annie Nunn: That's probably changed. So for me to become an actual personal trainer. This is the crazy thing, right? It was six weeks. 

Emily Slade: What? 

Annie Nunn: Yeah, you're like, now you're like what? 

Emily Slade: Yeah. This was six weeks, 10 years ago, so I'll, I'll let that slide, but wow, six weeks that doesn't feel long enough. 

Annie Nunn: Yeah.

Emily Slade: Not long enough to hand heavy things to people.

Annie Nunn: Exactly, yeah. I'm 40 and I've you know, as I said, things have probably come on a little bit. But there are different ways, so sort of long-distance learning at your own pace is becoming much more popular. I was in a facility where we sort of. We literally slept, ate, breathed PT. You know, so that it did work for me and the course was around three and a half thousand pounds. So with inflation over the, yeah, the years, it's probably changed. But I think it's very important that you look at. Again, who you want to study with? The cost is probably a little bit reflective, I hate to say it sometimes if it's a real cheap cheapy. But I think. The qualification is point one. Once you've got the qualification. It's then for the rest of your, you know, years in PT. That's where you start to really learn like any job. So there are, from my understanding, there's lots of routes you could do, you know, distance part time and that's a good thing. If someone's like looking to get into this job. And they've already got like, a proper, you know, a proper job. So that might be another question for later, is it seen as a proper job? 100%. But it is one of those things that you can very much do sort of alongside something else. But yeah, pick wisely, I think.

Emily Slade: Yeah.

Annie Nunn: I think also, you know, from my understanding, there are of schools and colleges now that offer the Level 3 personal training qualification. You do the Level 2 fitness instruction first and you go to Level 3. And there are some very good companies out there who are really levelling up and personal training. So the PFCA, if anyone wants to look at them on Instagram. They're changing the game and theya re raising all of our standards, which is fantastic. Yeah.

Emily Slade: And then what would the next step be? Are the 2 routes essentially self-employment or what's the other option?

Annie Nunn: Yeah. So for me, I went I I worked for a local gym first. And I think sometimes it was again a good route to go in as originally back keep saying back in the day like I'm 60 years old. I'm 40, but the industry has changed a lot. So that's why I think it's really important that this is my perspective. So working for a gym is brilliant because you've got access to the gym floor, you start to learn how to connect to. People and talk to people. But of course, some people can go straight into self-employment as a PT. Those people tend to have quite good links, maybe through sports or maybe they're already starting to to build some kind of base before the qualification. They're just waiting to to get that accreditation. So I think and then of course online personal training has has completely changed the game. And what I would say on that note is though that some people are very quick to think right. I want to be an online PT tomorrow. It's a long slog. So yes, self-employed versus being employed are two options, but the employment sometimes just gives you that little bit of safety net to go like OK, I don't have to worry too much about making rent this month, but I can go and start to build my experience on the on the gym floor and and learn from there and get skin in the game. I think it's really important.

Emily Slade: Yeah. Is it about building your own personal brand, or would you argue that doesn't matter so much?

Annie Nunn: I think building your personal brand is so important. Right now. It's how you're going to connect to people. 100%, build the brand and but I think that takes time. We get told as trainers that we must niche down. Who's our client, you know and when I first qualified, you don't know, you know, some people might, if they're like, oh, I'm definitely, I really wanna work with footballers. Brilliant. I really wanna help people lose weight. Brilliant. But even that, you still need to start to work out who you are going to be in that space.

Emily Slade: Yeah. So it's about. Choosing your audience almost like your age range your potential, your gender, your all of these things?

Annie Nunn: Yeah, I think I think, yeah, I would agree with that. I would just the argument against that is give yourself time to work out who that is and don't worry if you don't know and maybe that will change. But it does help because you it's, some might say it's an oversaturated market. I don't think it's necessarily the case. I think people connect to people and that's how you're going to build like know and trust and, yeah. So building that brand is quite, quite important in 2025.

Emily Slade: So when did you make the leap from working in a gym to becoming your own PT?

Annie Nunn: So I was probably about 18 months in and I still, I went part self-employed, so I worked for the gym and had a little bit more time and space and energy to start to do my own thing and how that looked at initially was I did a lot of mobile. I went to people's houses, I filled my car up with kit and just got to know everyone in the area, it was, you know, back in that in those days, good old days it was, it's how you, you know, it's the best way to to brand yourself and to get yourself out there so. That was great. And then I would say it was probably a bit of a a slow burn over the next three or four years. And then I opened Ensofit in 2018 and went from being a one to one training to becoming a small facility and that's evolved and changed now, but I I took my time with that and I think you have to. It's really odd. It's so personal depending. On what time you've got available and yeah, literally, you know how much money you've got to actually pay the bills as well to make those leaps. But you do have to at some stage make that leap if you wanna go self-employed and just there'll be a maybe a couple of years of having to put the graft in but it will be well worth it.

Emily Slade: Can you remain A sole trader working as a self-employed individual, or would you recommend essentially opening a small business limited company? 

Annie Nunn: So I've always stayed a sole trader. But and and that's been this from the, this is so individual I know a lot of people in my position who have gone limited for me sole trader I prefer that simplicity. But there are definite benefits to going limited, which if I'm honest, it's not my forte, probably the reason why I'm told. But it's, I think going limited definitely supports when you start to take things to the next level and you really start. Take yourself a bit more seriously as a business owner, so horses for courses there, I think it has to suit what's right for you. And I think you have to weigh up the options and and see what's going. To. You know, suit you best. I've always got an accountant. Even as a very small business owner because I don't wanna that stress. And I'd rather pay someone to say it that way. For me, so and get yourself a good advisor, I would say yes. So what does a typical day look like for you? So it's changed quite a bit. So back in the day, it would have been your typical PT day. So I would be in the gym by 6. I am we do the the, the early birds, so people who need to hit the the train into into the city or make that first meeting will get the kids to school so you tend to tend to be peating from the the hours of 6 till 8:00 and then you might have an hour off and then back at it from late morning till lunch and then we get this like. Dead zone. Where it's like usually when the trainer trains, which is around sort of 1-2 or three and then things will pick up again half 4. Till half 7-8. Now I have to say that's looked very different over the years and the good thing about this job is you can be super flexible, be your own boss. So there are. When I was first starting and some would completely disagree with this, I'm. Have done days of cutting in about 10 hours a day, five days a week. If not 6:00 AM and it is again it's, you know, getting your name out there. I definitely would not suggest that because it's not fair on the clients or you. So right now things are different for me. So I've got to a place because of all those years that I'm a bit more picky with my hours. And I'm learning that as a sweet spot with that. So now a typical day. I'll be here potentially 7 till nine I'm. And I now do a lot of online training. So I'm like a hybrid of the two. So I support my online clients, the ones you don't come and see me and then I have, you know, about 15-20 clients who come and see me in the week and then some come and see me once every two weeks or. Once a month. So my going back to the original question when they can quite look quite different because of that, which is great, adds a lot of variety and one of my clients actually asked who wants to, what do you, what do you do when you're not training people like? 

Emily Slade: You just shut down. 

Annie Nunn: Yeah, well, you know, as self-employed PT that that's when we're meant to be doing our books, and education, CPD, researching horrible exercises to bring people like you and and and, you know, working on our own fitness self development and doing normal human things you know.

Emily Slade: So you've always got to be evolving and learning in this job?

Annie Nunn: 100% if you're not, you're gonna get lost. You're gonna get left behind. Yeah.

Emily Slade: And do you absolutely have to be somebody that gets up at 5am to be a PT?

Annie Nunn: No. And it's a great question. No, I think you can make this job work. However, it needs to for you. Especially if perhaps you're a parent who hasn't got that time, or maybe just not a morning person, you know, and no, you can make it work for you. Yes, the 6:00 AM club is always gonna be a great time to PT and you might get some miserable people, but it's always gonna be busy. You know, everyone likes to get it done early, but yeah. You can make it work for you.

Emily Slade: So, any myths about being a personal trainer that you would like to debunk?

Annie Nunn: That we're robots that, as you just said earlier, that we just shut down. I think when when we don't have people around us that we're lettuce eating broccoli, lifting 24/7 athletes. There are some amazing personal trainers who are athletes out there. And although I do think. Controversial, but I do think. To a certain extent. Our bodies are our kind of business card. You know, just if I'm honest, that would. As a trainer, I do think it's human age that we get judged. I think there is a little bit of that. So I think there's there's some myths around. How we should? How we live our lives and that maybe we're just as so resilient humans that nothing ever touches us when actually. A lot of the time, we've become coaches because we've had our own struggles and we want to help other people. It's really is true. We can't count. That isn't a myth.

Emily Slade: So doctors can't write and PTs can't count.

Annie Nunn: They can't count. I think it's the biggest one I think. I think some people think we're gods. And I think social media has to blame for that sometimes. Yeah. You're always going to see the power of influence, showing the perfect quote unquote way to be a PT. But really, it's whatever works for you and whoever you are. Yeah, and that's what's going to draw your clients to you. Yeah, at the end of the day, yeah, I totally agree with that. Be yourself.

Emily Slade: Yeah. You've kind of touched on it throughout, but what solid advice would you give to someone looking to become a PT?

Annie Nunn: I would, yeah. So I would. Firstly, say be patient. How do we be patient in 2025? Whoever this, whoever whatever year you listen to this podcast, it takes time to build a client base. And explore who you are first as a PT to work out where you want to go in the industry. Don't fill your diary up. All day with clients, it's going to be. Thank you. And. Remember why you decided to become a personal trainer in the first place? Because you can get suckered into the business element and then lose your own health. So I think it's really important to make sure that you keep that balance. Boundaries are really important, especially if you're a one-to-one piece and you're self-employed. So some of the mistakes I made is I'm a I'm a typical empath. I'm a, you know, I will get my kicks from people please. Getting that external validation, we're all we're all the same sometimes. However, if you don't have boundaries in your clients, they don't know where they stand so. You know, you make it clear to them from the get-go, this is a time of day that I will not be contactable. These are my office hours. Whereas. You can build up quite a friendly rapport with your clients, which I think is fantastic and I I think you can be friends to a certain extent. With your clients, some would argue not, but where's the boundary going for a coffee with them? After training, I think is is great. Keep a clear boundary so you can decompress because that all starts to eat away at the soul otherwise. And then I suppose what's the most challenging part?

Emily Slade: Oh. 

Annie Nunn: I would say that the most challenging part. For me, is seeing my clients not believing in themselves and. Sometimes when you've done everything you can for a client, but. There's still, it is not quite ready for that change. You know, it's the classic phrase of. You want change or do you want to change? There are two different things and we can't. We can't always. Force people to to make those changes. They're not ready. So I think from just knowing that sometimes. You you're a coach, but you can't, you know. You can't step into someone's soul and and do it for them, so take the you know the old classic phrase. Take them all. Water. You can't make a drink. So I think there's sometimes I struggle with that a little bit because you see, like, what if I failed and so definitely make it a job and have that separation. And then I think it's the fact that we have to wear so many hats and I don't think this is just as a personal trainer. I think it's. Any job where if you're self-employed personal trainer, you are the account. Well, I'm not now but you the start of you might be the accountant. You are the admin, you're the coach. You're ever you've got a million different hats. So it's sometimes it gets tricky to. To put all your ducks in a row, I would say they're probably. The biggest challenges, yeah. Yeah, I would just reiterate the the fact that ask yourself again if you are interested in this job like why you're doing it because it's. Always better to get into a job like this if you're coming from a place and wanting to to make some like actually positive change in people's lives as opposed to just. What your bank balance reads like 100%. We have to get paid. We have to have we make a living. But this job does change lives and I think that if you just remember that on. The tough days. Yeah, it gets you through. 

Emily Slade: Brilliant. Well, thank you so much for your time today.

Annie Nunn: Thank you.

Emily Slade: Thanks again to Annie for their time. For more information on becoming a personal trainer, head to prospects.ac.uk or check out the show notes below. For a full-length video version of this episode, check out our YouTube channel @futureyoupod. If you enjoyed the episode, do feel free to leave us a review on Apple or Spotify. Thank you. As always, for listening and good luck on your journey to future you. 

Notes on transcript

This transcript was produced using a combination of automated software and human transcribers and may contain errors. The audio version is definitive and should be checked before quoting.

Find out more

• Learn more about being a personal trainer.
• Head to iTunesÌý´Ç°ùÌýSpotify to leave us a review.