Confessions from a Personal Trainer: Am I fit enough to be a personal trainer?

Where every Tuesday: I confess.

Confession: Before I started personal training, I thought “Am I fit enough to be a trainer?” And sometimes I still do.

I started my job two days after I graduated from college. I was ready. I was brimming with eagerness to start the job and get clients. Until the self doubt started to creep in and infest my thoughts.

• Was I fit enough?

• Did I look the part?

• Were my legs and butt too big?

• Would people hire me if I didn’t have a six pack?

• Had I accomplished enough athletically?

• Would my appearance be enough for people to trust me as a personal trainer?

But the strange this is, none of those things matched up to why I wanted to be a personal trainer and why I went to school to study anatomy, physiology, psychology, coaching, and more. I wanted to be a personal trainer because:

• Falling in love with fitness changed my life

• I wanted to share my love of health with people

• I hoped to motivate others towards a better life

• I was brimming with knowledge and needed to share with people

• I had accomplished a lot physically by pushing myself to try new things

• I wanted to be a role model

So how did my motivations get confused with my expectations of my looks? Why did I all of a sudden question myself because of whether or not I had a six pack?

Well they changed because I actually started the job and I saw the way other trainers looked, other members at the club, and more recently fitness professionals on the internet.

Another confession: studying online fitness brands/companies/professionals can be disheartening. Do I really have to be half naked and have a tan and a six pack? And ripped arms and legs in order to sell my services and have people trust me?

I tell you this because it applies to ALL OF US. We can never forget “Comparison is the thief of joy.” 

The minute you start to compare yourself to others, you lose what is uniquely you and why you are so good at what YOU do and how YOU do it.

The other crazy thing that happened to me when I started training is I did not get clients who wanted me because of how I looked. And that is AWESOME. And I have worked with trainers who were hired because they looked the part.

So I hope whenever you start comparing yourself to other coworkers, other moms, other dads, your neighbor, athletes, or any other possible person or situation, you remember “Comparison is the thief of JOY.”

Thank you to all who came to the charity work out. Instead of a PUB CRAWL, we had a PROWLER CRAWL. How fun!!! We were hoping to raise more money for FIJI relief so if you would still like to donate head over to the FRiENDS OF FIJI webpage to donate.