The article is partly about why I became a qualified personal trainer but also why I think you should become a qualified personal trainer too.

My journey to become a personal trainer

Ok so just quickly let me tell you about the first time the idea came to me. I was 16 years old and sitting in the careers office at Cardinal Newman School, Hove, West Sussex, completing a questionnaire on the computer which resulted in career suggestions based on the answers I gave to all of the questions. There must have been over 100 questions but when I was finally finished it made just three suggestions:

• P.E teacher
• Join the army
• Fitness Instructor

I dismissed the first two pretty quick and I had no idea what a fitness instructor was.

“We didn’t have Google back then so I read the brief description which sounded pretty cool but I wasn’t  a great deal wiser for it.”

I didn’t pursue it any further and ended up choosing a course in graphic design as I liked drawing. The course was actually cancelled at the last minute due to a low number of enrolments so I had to quickly choose something else. I chose health and social care because that’s what a few of my friends were doing. I didn’t enjoy it at all and wasted the best part of two years on it and still came out with no qualification. I then tried a city and guilds course at Northbrook College in motor vehicle repair and maintenance which was ok. I finished it with a distinction but felt I still hadn’t found my passion.

After finishing at Northbrook in the summer I wanted to earn some money so my mum suggested I hand my CV into lancing leisure centre to see if I could get some summer work there. They offered me some casual recreation assistant shifts almost immediately and I began working there full time for the summer. Even though there was a lot of cleaning involved I really enjoyed it. I loved the atmosphere of working in a sports centre and I got on really well with all of the staff.

This is also where I discovered the gym (by the way I am 18 at this point)!

I use to go into the gym in my lunch break to lift weights and very quickly started to see my body changing. I remember the buzz like it was yesterday. It felt great and I started to read up on everything I could to do with health and fitness. The more I read and trained the more interested I became until eventually, I decided in September to do a diploma in health-related fitness and exercise at Chichester college. I loved the course and I loved the industry and the rest is history as they say.

So why should you become a qualified personal trainer?

If you can answer YES to most of the following questions then I think you should become a personal trainer for the same reason I did, because I think you will enjoy it and I think you will be pretty good at it!

• Are you passionate about health and exercise?
• Have you felt the benefits yourself from engaging in regular exercise and living a healthy lifestyle?
• Do you get enjoyment out of helping others?
• Would you like a job where you are moving for most of your day instead of sitting still?
• Would you like a job that gives you the opportunity to work outdoors too?
• Would you like a job that gives you the opportunity to be your own boss?
• Would you like to control your own working hours?
• Would you like a job that challenges you without being stressed?
• Would you like a job that feels rewarding and gives a positive contribution to society?

If you can answer YES to any of these questions, get in touch for a chat…

Finding a job you enjoy and feel passionate about is priceless. For most of us work takes up a large portion of our day so why not spend your day doing something you enjoy?

Stay active folks 💪

The post Why I chose to become a Personal Trainer… appeared first on Storm Fitness Academy.

Driving Personal Training Success

TAKE ACTION

If you really want personal training success you need to take action. Self-directed learning through reading, listening to books and podcasts are great for helping you create a plan for success but that’s all. It is your actions that are the most important. If you take nothing else away from this article then at least take this away. Thinking is fine, acting is better.

HIGH LEVEL OF PROFESSIONALISM

A service-based business like PT requires a high lеvеl of professionalism.

• Be consistent with your delivery.
• Where a clean, presentable branded uniform.
• Manage your time well and always be punctual.
• Manage your client’s expectations with a signed personal training agreement.

PRE-PAY POLICY

Operate with a pre-pay policy. You саn establish thіѕ undеrѕtаndіng durіng thе initial соnѕultаtіоn with your client. Yоu might bе surprised to knоw that mоѕt clients will fіnd it соnvеnіеnt to make one large payment реr month іnѕtеаd оf one еvеrу time thеу hаvе a ѕеѕѕіоn. Always get paid in advance and never sell one-off individual sessions.

BE CREATIVE

A gооd personal trаіnеr must bе сrеаtіvе. A cookie-cutter approach won’t cut it.  Fоr еxаmрlе, if a сlіеnt hаѕ lоw bасk раіn оr tіght hamstrings, you may have to adapt the day’s programme to accommodate that. If the client is feeling low and unmotivated but the sun is shining take them outside for a walk or run and just listen to them. Cоntіnuе to establish уоur vаluе bу hеlріng thе сlіеnt to rеасh anticipated gоаlѕ through your сrеаtіvіtу.

LEARN TO SELL YOUR SERVICE

If уоu want tо be a ѕuссеѕѕful personal trainer уоu muѕt learn how tо market and рrоmоtе your ѕеrvісеѕ. You muѕt bе аblе tо identify whаt mаkеѕ you different thаn other реrѕоnаl trаіnеrs and present уоur strengths. Remember to ѕtаtе clearly whаt service you provide and уоur ability tо help specific сlіеntѕ reach thеіr gоаlѕ. Yоu can аdvеrtіѕе уоurѕеlf as a реrѕоnаl trаіnеr whеnеvеr уоu’rе іn рublіс by wеаrіng сlоthіng with your company name or logo, оr ѕоmе оthеr іndісаtіоn of whаt уоu dо. If someone asks what you do don’t just reply ‘I am a personal trainer’. That is just your job title. What you actually do is help people overcome a problem. For example, your reply could be ‘I help mothers lose their baby weight whilst building confidence and self-esteem’.

MAINTAIN A CLIENT BASE

Onе of thе mоѕt common reasons personal training buѕіnеѕѕеѕ fail іѕ ѕіmрlу thе іnаbіlіtу to еѕtаblіѕh and mаіntаіn a steady сlіеnt bаѕе. High сlіеnt turnоvеr аnd lоw client retention rates mаkе it hаrd tо run a рrоfіtаblе buѕіnеѕѕ. Build a community that people want to be part of. Rеmеmbеr yоu can hеlр реорlе іmрrоvе thеіr lіvеѕ, build relationships аnd make a great lіvіng аt the ѕаmе time!

The post Personal Training Success Tips appeared first on Storm Fitness Academy.

So you need to actively seek out new customers if you want to become fully booked. You will also have a much better chance of converting customers into clients if you have a strong, attractive, trustworthy, and professional brand.

The words “If you build it they will come” does not apply to business.

The details of how to create a great brand are beyond one article however a great first step to promote and start to give your brand exposure is to have some professionally designed print.

Professionally designed print to promote your brand

Professionally designed print immediately gives a positive impression of you and your fitness business. Over time it will also increase brand recognition. The more people recognise your brand the more likely they are to trust it and feel comfortable purchasing from it. That’s why we prefer to purchase TVs made by Samsung than by Dave’s Tellies. We have heard of Samsung but we haven’t heard of Daves Tellies. Dave could be the best TV engineer the world has ever seen but we haven’t heard of him. So good design can attract potential customers and give an organised, professional, and well-established air to your fitness business.

Examples of Branded Print

• Letterheads
• Compliment slips
• Business cards
• Leaflets/flyers
• Posters

When you launch your fitness business you want to keep your costs to a minimum so some business cards with an offer and an obvious call to action would be a very effective and low-cost start.

With that in mind, we are really excited to tell you that we have a great partnership with Perfect Print.

They are giving an exclusive 15% discount to graduates of Storm Fitness Academy. Another great benefit of joining our academy 💪.

The post Promote your fitness brand | Partnership with Perfect Print appeared first on Storm Fitness Academy.

The World Health Organisation now ranks depression as the single biggest contributor to global disability with anxiety disorders ranking sixth. The last published figures in England state that 6 people in every 100 have anxiety problems and 3 in every 100 have depression, with as much as 12% of the UK population suffering from depression each year.

Treatment of mental health issues is usually via anti-depressant medication.

Could exercise play a greater part in tackling mental health issues?

A number of studies have demonstrated how exercise can reduce anxiety and depression symptoms. The strongest evidence for exercise’s role in the treatment of mental health is on depression, with both aerobic and strength training having beneficial impacts. Even more, there are multiple extra benefits of exercise compared to anti-depressant medication: few side-effects, very low cost, it doesn’t have the negative stigma, it’s available to everyone and it’s a great empowering and self-management tool.

The evidence for exercise

• The government’s Start Active, Stay Active report states that adults participating in regular daily activity have approximately a 20-30% lower risk of developing depression and dementia. That is significant.
• Other studies have shown that exercise improved symptoms in people diagnosed with depression when compared with no treatment or a controlled intervention, such as social activity when seated.
• A large review of 49 randomised control trials investigated the effect of exercise on anxiety and found physical activity to significantly reduce anxiety when compared to a control group.
• The benefits of exercise seem to be elevated for individuals with greater levels of anxiety and depression as there is more room for potential change.
• Aerobic exercises using large muscle groups, including jogging, swimming, cycling, walking and dancing were all shown to boost mood and alleviate negative mental health issues over a period of 10 weeks.
• One study found that running for 15 minutes a day reduces the risk of major depression by 26% and that maintaining an exercise schedule of the longer term has also been shown to prevent relapse.
• Interestingly, some research comparing physical exercise effectiveness with that of medication or cognitive behavioural therapy, another type of treatment, has found no significant differences between the interventions.

Why is exercise so powerful in alleviating the mental health burden?

There are a number of theories with more research still needed, but it’s clear that exercise can have a number of positive impacts on mental health on multiple levels.

On the physiological level, we’ve seen how exercise impacts the brain. Crucially for those with depression, exercise can stimulate parts of the brain that aren’t responsive during depressed periods. Physical activity promotes all kinds of neural growth and brain activity that cause greater feelings of wellbeing.

Exercise has a key social side too. It gets people out of the house and interacting with others. Also, completing an exercise session really does give a sense of achievement, which is heavily linked to increases in self-esteem and confidence.

Here’s a quick rundown on how exercise can positively impact mental health:

• Increases self-esteem
• Increases social interaction
• Stimulates the release of beneficial brain chemicals 
• Improves confidence
• Enhances cognitive function
• Boosts mood
• Impacts the brain’s reaction to stress
• Gives someone a purpose and focus
• Acts as a distraction from negative thoughts

The ‘dose’ of exercise doesn’t have to be particularly high either to stimulate internal change. Thirty minutes a day of moderate exercise is a great ball-park figure. Analyses of studies in combating anxiety revealed that exercise interventions were most effective at moderate or high intensity. 

The evidence points to exercise being a key remedy for mental health issues. If not wholly then certainly as part of a rounded solution. There currently seems to be too much reliance on a solely medicated solution, whereas it seems clear that exercise can either act as a standalone treatment or as part of a combination of treatments in treating mental health disorders. It certainly shouldn’t be overlooked as an intervention.

Take-Home Messages

• Exercise significantly reduces the risk of developing depression and can stimulate parts of the brain that aren’t responsive during depressive periods.
• Scientific studies have found physical activity to significantly reduce anxiety when compared to control groups.
• Exercise has many, many positive impacts on mental health, such as increasing self-esteem and confidence, increasing cognitive functioning, focus and the brain’s reaction to stress.

The post Tackling Mental Health Issues with Exercise appeared first on Storm Fitness Academy.

Earn a passive income with Workout Depot?

We are very excited to announce that Storm Fitness Academy is proud to partner with Workout Depot to offer our graduates half-price fees on a programme selling platform.

Workout Depot is the leading online platform for fitness professionals to sell their programming & workout plans online. Providing a complete solution for fitness professionals to expand their audience, generate additional income, and thrive online.

Individuals of all abilities, from those just beginning their fitness journey, through to seasoned athletes, rely on quality programming and workout plans to help them train for & achieve their goals. Following quality programming allows individuals to access the expert knowledge and expertise of a fitness professional, removing the guesswork & uncertainty from their training.

Meeting this demand for programming provides fitness professionals with a scalable income stream. One that can complement in-person PT sessions without proving a drain on time and resources. Selling programming & workout plans online allows fitness professionals to build their income outside of the gym floor and access a wider customer base.

The platform was designed with the sole focus of enabling fitness professional to sell their plans to a wider audience, whilst removing the expense and hassle required to create & maintain an eCommerce presence. Selling with us streamlines the process of selling programming, allowing fitness professionals to effectively market & sell their plans online, creating more time to spend coaching clients & creating quality programs. When signing up, each seller creates their own personalised seller portal. List & market workout plans, track sales & analytics, communicate with customers. The seller portal contains all the tools a fitness professional need to thrive selling workout plans online.

At our core, we believe that selling workout plans online should be; simple, efficient & affordable. Selling on our platform comes with no costly monthly subscriptions or listing fees. Only ever pay a fee when a plan is sold. We designed our platform to ensure that professionals selling with us could only ever make money & build their income. Through your affiliation with Storm Fitness, you can now get half-price fees for three months!

Start selling your programming today!

https://www.workoutdepot.co.uk/sell-on-workout-depot/]

The post Earn a passive income | Partnership with Workout Depot appeared first on Storm Fitness Academy.

Here a few things to consider if you want to build a great website.

It’s not just an online brochure

Often people think of a website as an online brochure but it should be so much more than that. There are great designers that can build really attractive websites but websites aren’t just to look pretty. They need to be strategic. For example, a personal trainers website should attract business, encourage people to get in touch and capture their enquiry. That sounds obvious but if a web browser isn’t instantly engaged or cant figure out how to get in touch, within a few seconds they will leave the site. So you need to make it engaging and as easy as possible for the individual who is browsing your site to make contact with you.

Have a clear call-to-action on every page

Let’s imagine I am looking for a personal trainer and I stumble upon your website and begin browsing. After I have finished browsing I will either be interested or not interested. If I am interested I will probably want to make contact. If this is the case I need to know how I can make contact without having to navigate back through the pages I have just been reading. Therefore you need very clear ‘call to actions’ on every page. I would also suggest you place them at the top right and the bottom of the page. We read left to right and top to bottom so no matter whether we just read the first paragraph or read all the way to the bottom of the page our eyes will automatically end up at the ‘call to action’.

Offer multiple methods of contact

Not only do the ‘call to actions’ need to be clear but there need to be multiple options for contact as every customer will have their own preferred method of contact.

Examples of some ‘call to actions’ for your website

• Call us on ………..
• Request a call back HERE
• Email us at ……….
• Send us a message HERE
• Subscribe to our newsletter
• Download a Brochure
• Book HERE
• Buy now

Present clear USPs

Your unique selling point (USP) is what makes you stand from other fitness professionals. If you are a mobile personal trainer that goes to the customer and saves them from leaving their home or work then make that really clear on your website. If you have a PHD in Dietetics then showcase that proudly. Think about your customer’s barriers to change and highlight how that barrier will no longer be a problem if they choose to work with you and what makes you the best professional for them.

Collect Testimonials

Ask everyone that has worked with you and seen results to give you a testimonial for your website. Just a photo of them with a short paragraph underneath of why they are so happy they chose to work with you. Try and get videos too and don’t rehearse them. We want real testimonials that convince the browser that you will deliver on your promises.

Mobile friendly

Make sure your website is mobile-friendly. More and more people are solely browsing from their phones now and don’t even have access to computers so your site must look good when viewed from a mobile.

List your business on Google

Google offers a free business listing so once you have established a place of work then get your self a business listing on Google. People don’t type addresses into their browser anymore. They will most likely see your poster/flyer and then Google your name, so if they do you want your business listing appearing up top.

So there you have some but not all of my top tips for building a great website for your fitness business. Building a fitness business can be really fun but also really stressful. I have made lots of mistakes over the years and learnt so much from them. I have had coaches and mentors that have helped me no end and I would not be where I am now if I had not asked for help. If you have an exciting business venture but feeling overwhelmed or anxious and think you would like to some fitness business coaching then get in touch via the form below, I would love to help.

The post How to Build a Great Website for your Fitness Business appeared first on Storm Fitness Academy.

Starting out as a personal trainer can feel expensive.

You’ve invested in your course, your insurance, and maybe even gym rent. Then comes the next challenge, what personal training equipment do you actually need to get started?

The good news is, you don’t need loads of kit.

In fact, with less than £100, you can build a simple, portable personal training equipment setup that allows you to deliver high-quality sessions anywhere, whether that’s in a park, at home, or in a studio.

Below are five essential pieces of personal training equipment every new PT should own.

Interval Timer

An interval timer is one of the most underrated pieces of personal training equipment, but it can completely transform how professional your sessions feel.

You can use it for HIIT workouts, controlling rest periods during strength training, or timing mobility and stretching work. Instead of constantly checking the clock, you can focus fully on coaching your client.

Benefits:

• Keeps sessions structured and professional
• Allows you to focus on coaching rather than timing
• Suitable for strength, conditioning, and mobility work

Most interval timers cost between £10 and £20, or you can use a free app on your phone when starting out.

Suspension Trainer

A suspension trainer is one of the most versatile pieces of personal training equipment you can own, especially if you are coaching outside of a gym environment.

It allows you to train the entire body using just bodyweight, making it ideal for beginners through to advanced clients. You can use it for warm-ups, strength work, mobility, and even rehabilitation-style exercises.

In my experience, this is one of the most useful tools when training clients at home, outdoors, or in small spaces.

Benefits:

• Full body training with minimal equipment
• Ideal for home, outdoor, or mobile PT sessions
• Easily adjustable for all fitness levels

You can find quality budget options online from around £30.

Kettlebell Set

Kettlebells are one of the most effective and versatile types of personal training equipment available.

With just one or two kettlebells, you can build strength, improve conditioning, and teach powerful movement patterns like hinges, squats, and presses. They are also brilliant for combining strength and cardio in one session.

They are easy to transport and fit perfectly in the boot of your car, making them ideal for mobile personal trainers.

Benefits:

• Combines strength and conditioning in one tool
• Great for teaching functional movement patterns
• Portable and easy to store

A light set ranging from 2 kg to 8 kg is more than enough for most beginners and can be purchased for around £30.

Resistance Bands

Resistance bands are arguably the most cost-effective personal training equipment you can buy.

They are lightweight, portable, and incredibly versatile. You can use them for warm-ups, muscle activation, rehabilitation work, and full-body strength training.

They are especially useful for training the back through rowing and pulling movements, which can be difficult to replicate without larger equipment.

Benefits:

• Extremely affordable and portable
• Great for activation, strength, and rehab work
• Perfect for home or outdoor sessions

A full set of resistance bands can cost as little as £10, making them a must-have for any new personal trainer.

Boxing Mitts and Focus Pads

Boxing mitts and focus pads are a brilliant addition to your personal training equipment, especially if you want to make sessions more engaging and enjoyable.

Pad work is great for cardiovascular fitness, coordination, and stress relief. In my experience, nearly every client enjoys it, regardless of their fitness level.

It also adds variety to your sessions and helps build a strong client-coach connection.

Benefits:

• Fun and engaging for clients
• Excellent for cardio and coordination
• Adds variety to sessions

You can pick up a decent set of gloves and pads for around £15, which makes this a low-cost, high-impact addition to your kit.

Final Thoughts on Personal Training Equipment

When you are starting out, it is easy to think you need loads of personal training equipment to be successful.

You don’t.

What matters most is your ability to coach, communicate, and deliver results. The right small selection of equipment simply helps you do that more effectively.

With a budget of around £100, you can build a solid personal training equipment setup that allows you to coach confidently in almost any environment.

Next Steps

If you are thinking about becoming a personal trainer, or want to build the confidence to coach clients effectively, having the right personal training equipment is just the start.

The real difference comes from knowing how to use it to get results.

Explore our personal training courses at Storm Fitness Academy or fill out the contact form if you would like guidance on your next step.

The post Personal Training Equipment | 5 Items Every New Personal Trainer Should Own appeared first on Storm Fitness Academy.

Why do we train?

I have been asking that question to my clients, students and fellow fitness enthusiasts for years and the responses I get are not that varied.

• To look better
• To be healthier
• To perform better in my chosen sport
• To improve my mental health

To me, these are all goals. They aren’t terribly specific but they are still goals. If you want to take things further then you might choose to measure the progress of your goal.

The ‘look better’ goal

If your goal is to look better then you need to have a clear idea of what that actually means to you. It will mean different things to different people.

• A bigger bum
• A smaller bum
• Bigger arms
• Smaller arms

Photographs can be used to measure this but you must be careful as we are our own biggest critics. You must also control all the variables to truly measure a difference. Same camera, same lighting, same pose etc.

You may prefer to use more indirect measures such as using a tape measure to measure your waist or your arms or your hips. At least this way your eyes won’t be playing tricks on you. If you want a smaller waist and you have a smaller waist you have achieved your goal.

The ‘be healthier’ goal

Before you can track the achievement of this goal you will also need to establish what being healthier means to you. It could mean lower blood pressure, lower body weight, or even a lower resting heart rate. Or again you may like to choose a more indirect measure:

• the number of minutes you are physically active each week
• your average step count each day

The sports performance goal

The goal of improving sports performance is more in-depth and too detailed to cover in this article. However, we cover this in a lot of detail on our level 4 certificate in strength and conditioning course.

The general process is to determine what physical attributes an athlete needs to excel in their sport, determine which is their weakest with a suitable test battery then that becomes their goal.

The mental health goal

In recent years I have had more and more people telling me that they train to improve their mental health. They use exercise to boost their mood like an anti-depressant. A lot of people just know they are a better person when exercise is a regular part of their life, I know I am. One of my clients even goes so far as to say she is a better wife when she has personal training with me, seconded by her husband, who is really supportive of her passion.

When it comes to measuring your improvement in mental health we can look at this from a short term basis and a long term basis.

Short term measurement

This can be done using a simple rating scale of 1 to 10 (10= max happiness/ 1 = max sadness) at the beginning and end of each training session. I have done this several times with clients over the years to reinforce to them the powerful benefits that exercise has on their mood. I have not yet had a client that has not improved their mood from a training session.

Long term measurement

Alternatively, you can download this Mood questionnaire and complete it at the beginning of a 12-week training programme and at the end to measure the long term effects that exercise has had on your mood.

To Conclude

So back to the original question ‘Should you train without a goal?’

No, I don’t think you can! I think everyone trains with a goal in mind. Your goal might not be very specific and you may not be measuring the progress but we all train for some purpose, otherwise what’s the point.

Stay active folks 💪

For more information on our range of courses, get in touch today.

The post Should you train without a goal? appeared first on Storm Fitness Academy.

• I feel stimulated by the sites, sounds and smells of my changing environment.
• I feel sedated, relaxed but also energised.
• I feel free from the infodemic that often torments me.
• I feel a connection with my fellow walkers.
• I feel a connection with nature.
• I feel healthy.
• I feel good.
• I feel happy.

However, this is just my perspective and very anecdotal. So being the sports science geek that I am I decided to do a bit of research and see if there are any published journal articles on walking and mental health. Whilst researching I stumbled upon a research paper titled ‘Walking and hiking as a way of life’. I was not surprised to find out that a lot of people share my sentiment about this free and easily accessible form of exercise.

Walking and hiking as a way of life (Roberson and Babic,2008)

The walkers in this study were approached whilst walking in a nature park in Croatia and asked by the interviewers if they wouldn’t mind answering a few questions about their motivations for walking. The study interviewed 122 hikers and walkers, and the findings centred around three main experiences, with mental health being a common theme:

1. Nature and outdoors
2. Benefits – Mental and Physical
3. Interaction with others, and the self

The following are some of the responses from the 122 walkers and hikers that were interviewed. They are direct translations from Czech so excuse the grammar:

Nature and outdoors

Benefits – Mental and Physical

Interaction with others, and the self

“I love it! I feel better the whole week when I have been hiking here. I have better health and I have a better mood

“This is a stress relief from a stressful week. And I am trying to learn my son to get with the nature.”

“This is something we can do with nature, something that promotes a peace.”

“I heal my depression here. It makes me internal pleasure and balance.”

Hiking means to me realising of stress, health, physiological and physical well being.”

“I am throwing out all this bad layers in my head and replacing it with fresh thoughts.”

“During hiking I forget all problems.”

The post Is walking good for mental health – Part 1 appeared first on Storm Fitness Academy.