Up close and personal

In times gone by, personal trainers were a luxury afforded only by the wealthy elite. Today, however, pretty much anyone with a few thousand baht to spare can hire one, and — as obesity and an obsession with body image spreads throughout the nation — the demand is growing.

This, of course, is good news for those who aspire to a career in the fitness business. Thanks to our increasing desire to shed a few stone or sex up our six-pack stomachs, the prospects for body-pumping enthusiasts to attain their dream job has never been better.

But the road to becoming a personal trainer is not for the faint-hearted. Sure, the rewards are worth the effort, but if you think it’s an easy ride, think again.

Despite what people may believe, being a personal trainer brings with it a certain amount of responsibility. For one thing, you have to have the knack of motivating people who might otherwise be resistant to hard work. You also have to be careful that your advice is correct. If it isn’t, a client may end up blaming you for their back pain or worse, especially if you haven’t told them to adopt the correct posture.

Then there’s all the questions you’ll be asked about nutrition and diet, much of which will be disputed by the millions of websites that tell you the latest in-food is, in fact, extremely good (or bad) for your health despite medical evidence to the contrary. And as technology and body knowledge expands, the fitness world is forever changing. This certainly makes it an exciting industry to be involved in — but also a frustrating one if you haven’t got the patience.

Training the trainers

Fitness First's national fitness manager Ian Edmondson.

The vast majority of personal trainers in Thailand have an education in a sports science-related discipline and are trained on the job in one of the many gyms in towns and cities across the country. Some of the bigger chain operators that have come to dominate the market over the last few years have also developed their own system of training, with specially designed career paths for their employees.

One of the leaders in this field is Fitness First, a British company with gyms spanning the globe, which places an emphasis on growing and nurturing in-house talent.

Ian Edmondson, national fitness manager for the company, says that while a sports science education is ideal, it is the qualities of a potential personal trainer that shine at interview.

“For the best personal trainers, it’s their attitude, their build, their outlook on things and their ability to speak to people that’s important,” he says. “We reward those who show willingness and who are keen. We like to think that our staff are like our family and therefore only accept people with that kind of outlook.”

As more and more young Thais become attracted to a career in the fitness industry, competition for jobs — at high-profile clubs especially — is intense. There are, however, many opportunities at Fitness First for university students to prove their mettle through work-experience placements. These usually consist of up to four months as a gym instructor “working the floor” and observing the seasoned professional trainers.

Some of the students who impress may be offered a place on a training course, which eventually leads to a job as a personal trainer and group exercise leader.

One of the lucky few to make it this far is 22-year-old Art who recently completed a course at a college in Chonburi province. “I want to be a personal trainer because I get the opportunity to speak to people and broaden my horizons,” he says. “I get to talk to doctors, police chiefs, people that own companies, housewives, everybody. I like the fact that people will look to me for advice. That makes me proud.”

Rookie trainers Rek and Art.

Women also make up a good proportion of the trainees. Twenty-four-year-old Rek says that she was attracted to working as a personal trainer because she wanted to pass on her skills and knowledge to others. “We are here to look after people, it’s not just a business,” she says.

All trainees pass through a month of intense skills training — in which they learn everything from correct form to the latest nutritional advice — before they are let loose on the floor. After a four-month probationary period, many will become full-fledged personal trainers and this is when the big bucks begin to role in.

Pleasures and challenges

Salaries for personal trainers can vary depending upon the marketing skills of the individual. Typically, a gym will take a percentage of any fee paid by a customer for personal training sessions and then give the rest to the trainer themselves.

Fitness First, for example, guarantees its trainers 50 percent, although the company warns against aggressive marketing as this can drive away customers. Some other companies, however, can apparently be more scrupulous, setting quotas and pushing each of their trainers to hit maximum sales capacity.

Aside from this, there are many other challenges that come with the job. Pun

Personal training manager Pun Ngamsiripom.

Ngamsiriporn, fitness manager at the Rama 3 branch of Fitness First, says that his staff has to be extremely adaptable as changes happen all the time.

“We are here to help customers achieve their objectives,” he says. “You have to be punctual and responsible. Occasionally, you can be taking care of individual customers for up to five hours in a row. You also need to be flexible because sometimes the schedule changes and you may have to work longer hours or the equipment is not available and you have to change the programme.

“You also have to be service-minded as well as self-confident and a good communicator so that you can explain concepts clearly,” he adds.

Naturally, training for the trainers themselves is an ongoing process. Updates in health awareness and exercise regimes are constantly required as is the need to learn new group exercise routines and maintain knowledge of first aid procedures. As if this wasn’t enough, a personal trainer also has to practise what they preach and spend a few hours every week working out to keep themselves fit.

But the hard work pays off for most and the low staff turnover at Fitness First — less than 3 percent in the Fitness department — is perhaps a testament to this.

Star performer Tongchai Yuangthaisong.

For all would-be personal trainers, Thongchai Tuangthaisong — one of Fitness First’s star performers with four years experience under his belt — has some sound words of advice.

“Take care of your own health and study knowledge in your field of interest. Make sure you research information on health and how to use equipment,” he says.

If you’ve read this and are seriously thinking about a fitness career, you’ll be encouraged by national fitness manager Ian Edmondson’s outlook for the future.

“With the growth of the company and with the growth of the industry, the sky’s the limit,” he says. “For a Thai who’s leaving university, within three or four months, they can take 40-50,000 baht home — those numbers look very attractive.

“If we get someone with a positive attitude and they’re genuinely interested in sport and helping people, then they’re going to want to change people’s lives. And we are in the business of changing people’s lives.”
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This feature is part of an occasional series that looks at career choices for young Thais. We are also planning a future column on jobs and training — if you have any ideas or suggestions about this column, email me at neils@bangkokpost.co.th.

Pushed to the limit

Not everyone wants to become a personal trainer in the conventional sense, so what are the other options? Well, if you want to train independently of a gym there are private associations such as the Australian Fitness Network or FISAF (Federation Internationale Des Sports Aerobics et Fitness) offering accredited training, although — as the names suggest — you have to travel abroad to benefit. Such accreditation, however, may give you an advantage over other candidates when applying for a job. Freelance personal training, particularly in Bangkok, is not very feasible as low demand and travel difficulties mean that the number of clients you can visit — and hence the amount of money you can make — is limited. Only those at the very top of their profession who can command high fees should really consider it. For the really ambitious, companies such as Fitness First often have a streamlined system that can elevate top talent to managerial positions in as little as two to three years. Others may wish to diversify and, again, as the market grows, there will be more and more scope to specialise in areas such as working with the disabled or those in need of rehabilitation. Whatever your aspirations, here are some useful websites: - www.fitnessfirst.co.th - www.fiasf.org - www.fitnessnetwork.com.au - www.californiawowx.com