In all honesty, we all know what we need to do. If we are brutally honest, we know what step we need to take to improve the quality of our life. The problem is that it’s not easy to take action.

If it was easy to get off the couch, get moving and get into shape, far fewer of us would need the services of a personal trainer.

This means there is significant demand for good personal trainers.

But not everyone has the right personality, skills or knowledge to do it well.

Here are the 4 qualities needed to be a great personal trainer.

4 Qualities a Great Personal Trainer Has:

1. They’re in Shape.

You’re not going to succeed as a personal trainer if you’re not in good shape.

After all, you need to keep up with all of your clients throughout the day, since you can’t earn a living doing just one or two short training sessions a day.

The only exception would be if you’re working as an aerobics instructor or have another job in between training sessions.

Even then, you need to be in shape to be working with gym goers asking about the weight machine when you’re not personally working with them to improve their performance.

2. They’re Knowledgeable.

Clients hire you because you’re more knowledgeable than they are.

Furthermore, they rely on you to give them accurate, personal advice based on their fitness level and health.

In fact, you could be sued if you push someone to go too far in yoga or weight training.

This is why you must have the right knowledge base to be a personal trainer.

In many places, you must be “CPR/AED” certified before you can take personal training certification courses.

If you want to know how to become a personal trainer, the next step would be learning which personal training certification program is right for you.

Do you want to take classes online, at the local college or in the gym?

Furthermore, you need to find out what certifications your customers would value.

If you want to work with older individuals and those recovering from injuries, you may need a bachelor’s degree or advanced certifications in kinesthesiology.

Learn about the latest technologies such as fitness trackers and health apps.

You’ll bring additional value to your clients when you can answer their questions, and you’ll prove your relevance when you know about the software and devices they’re using.

3. They Are Patient.

A personal trainer must be patient.

You can’t work with clients if you can’t wait for them to finish the reps at their pace.

You will cause major problems if you push them to go too far, too fast.

You will also undermine the relationship if you don’t take the time to understand what the client wants.

If you rush into a program that doesn’t work for them, you’ll lose that client and get a bad reputation.

Take the time to listen to clients and learn what they want to achieve.

Ask questions as people are working, rather than lecturing them and assuming you’re done.

Then create a customized training program for them.

The next step is modifying the plan based on the customer’s comfort level and health.

4. They Are Adaptable.

Personal trainers need to be adaptable.

You’ll sometimes need to meet clients at their home and come up with a regimen using equipment they already have instead of going to the gym.

The coronavirus pandemic forced many personal trainers to meet clients at the park instead of at the gym.

You also need to adjust training plans and even exercises based on the customer’s ability level.

You need to find ways to juggle a variable schedule and irregular income, too.

Expect to test a lot of different marketing methods including word of mouth marketing and digital marketing.

Consider partnering with gyms and nutritionists. You may need to earn additional certifications or adjust your brand.