So I was thinking about Personal Training...

[Kevin Perry]

Well I have been pondering this for several months or perhaps a year or two but im starting to give it real serious though right now. Since starting CF a little over 2 years ago i've wanted to get certified and get a group together. Although there are no individuals here into CF that I know of or fitness in general. Now im young only 20, in college for something I enjoy ( Dbl major in Anthropology/History) but I also enjoy fitness and more than once a couple people have asked me that I should look into starting an affiliate out here. Im really interested in it although one thing bothers me. I have no idea where to start. My biggest problem is like all of you im not a fan of commercial gyms and my interests lye solely with Crossfit and Oly lifting ( and I admit my experience is only with what I have taught myself by reading CF and PM).

For the Personal Trainers out there, did you start in a similar boat? And if so can you give some of your own experiences with this? Fitness is probably the only other lifestyle that I have a passion for other than the above. Im looking into the different certification credentials out there but it is a bit much figuring out which is which.

[Mike ODonnell]

Get a degree....get a day job....start PT on the side with income coming from somewhere else....

Otherwise be prepared to put in hours, time, sweat, blood, money, stress,.....etc....not to say it's not rewarding....just saying you can do it the hard way....or the Really hard way....

As for all the other business stuff....have a business plan on how you plan to make money including expenses, etc....just opening doors does not mean you will succeed....or may take a long while to turn a profit....so like I said, make it easier on yourself and keep a day job and do this on the side....and see where it takes you...the answers and markets to pursue usually just come to you....sometimes it's trial and error...or learn from those who already made mistakes and learned from them.....

In the end...if you do anything passionately...it will make you happy and with the right gameplan and not "winging it", it can make you money....just may not come in the timeframe you want it too....so have a backup plan for living expenses just in case...

[Kevin Perry]

Has anyone here ever done personal training as a part time job while going through college? any success stories?

[Allen Yeh]

I did, and it was great because of the flexibility the job allowed me to maintain with my class schedule but then there are the ups and downs of feast/famine i.e. more clients you can handle/barely enough clients to make rent.

[Mike ODonnell]

Also keep in mind the bulk of your training will most likely be around work hours....from 5:30-7am and 5:30-7pm...

[Garrett Smith]

I was a personal trainer during undergrad and medical school. I helped Ken start CrossFit SouthWest while I was in medical school and had some extra loan money to work with. It was all our own equipment.

After getting my medical practice off the ground, I'm now working with Noah Providence of www.providenceinstitute.com in an effort to get a Tucson CrossFit affiliate off the ground.

My suggestion, if you don't have deep pockets:
1. Secure a (relatively) steady income outside of training first. Learn how to save some money.
2. Get a basic trainer certification (NSCA, ACSM, NASM) and then get a basic training job. I worked at the Student Rec Center at the UA for around 3.5 years--weight room staff, group fitness (boxing and sports conditioning classes), personal trainer, and eventually head personal trainer.
2. Get your CF certification sometime in this whole process, after you get a basic training certification (you need that for insurance purposes).
3. Start obtaining basic equipment piece-by-piece at your house/garage. Train people as you can in that setting.
4. Make your dreams happen after that.

Hope that helps.