Let’s take it easy this week and delve into what the life of your average personal trainer is REALLY like!

To be honest, my working life now I’m stuck at home is not that different to what is was like when I’d go up to my local park to train clients. Only real difference is I’m at home in the warm with not even half the stuff I’d take up to the park with me.

However, my old life seems like a distant memory now (the ‘old’ life in question being a face to face outdoor trainer). It was only last March that I took my very last in person workout but it may as well of been 10 years ago, thats how out of sync it feels with my life now. It was a client I used to train near Yeovil, and I can vividly remember our last words being something like; ‘I’ll see you in a few weeks, I’m sure this pandemic will be over by then,’ how wrong were we!

An average day as an (old life) outdoor personal trainer used to be something like what I’ll describe below. It would change with cancellations and bad weather which I’ll go into later.

So the night before a working day I’d pack the car with all the equipment I’d need for the days clients. I’d also pack their individual notepads, I always found it really handy as an outdoor PT to have each clients workouts in their own waterproof notepads as you’d never know when the rain would pour. I’d also always pack my backpack which contained a drink and a banana, blood pressure monitor, fat callipers, waterproof outers, accident book and the all important, very specific first aid kit. By far the most common injury I’d see was twisted ankles, it wasn’t very common but it taught me to always have a supply of those plastic “squeeze and use” ice packs in my first aid kit. You’d also get the odd cancellation from clients who couldn’t make their session, so I’d do my best to try to bring clients into empty hours so I wouldn’t be stood around up the park. So with all that in mind, this was how my average day would go in more detail –

5.30am – 7.30am

1 Client

2 days of the week I’d train an early morning client up on the park, I’d wake up around 5.30 (yawn) and make the 10 min drive up the park. I’d set up my equipment, (dumbbells, medicine balls, you get the idea) train the client, pack up then drive home for around 7.30am. For the record, during the session I’d make mental notes of things to improve on, then I’d sit in the car for a few minutes after the session and jot these down in their notepad.

7.30am – 9.15am

Breakfast, school drop off, return to park

I’d get home around 7.30am, warm up (if it was cold up the park) and have brekkie. From 7.30 to 8.45am my family would also be buzzing around getting ready for school. The time always flew, before I knew it it would be time to drop my daughter off at school and make my way back up to the park for my morning sessions.

9.15am – 1.00pm

3 Clients

Each client always got 60 minutes, they’d usually be ready for their hour and just be waiting off to one side whilst I’d finish with the previous. I’d usually have 3 between breakfast and lunch, a 9.30, a 10.30 and an 11.30. Then it’d be the usual jot down of improvements in the car post sessions to take it to 1.00pm, with the drive home. Their goals would vary greatly, from simply weight loss to wanting to get faster at running. I’d always have everything I needed for each client in separate ‘zones’, so rather than run around in a panic during a session I’d set up everything I needed beforehand so I could go straight into their workout with them. Sometimes it would look like I’d taken over the park with equipment everywhere! For some clients who wished for maybe, running performance, I’d literally set up cones in a 100m lane so it was a lot to prepare some days. I’d also sometimes have to go ‘mobile’ and travel to a client who couldn’t come to me, they would always be last in the 11.30 slot if possible. Then I’d be home time again…

1.00pm – 5.30pm

Lunch, client updates and research, marketing, workout, school pick up, dinner and return to park

Now it’s lunch time! I’m sure being an outdoor PT was a lot more taxing than being an indoor one. What with chasing clients around, performing exercises and the unpredictable weather, you’d arrive home sometimes cold and definitely in need of a cuppa! This period was also my time to update client plans on the laptop (using info from their notepads), i’d also use this time to research new plans and exercises relevant to each clients wishes. I would do some marketing, running your own little shindig means all sorts of upkeep to keep clients happy and to ensure your seen on the Internet. I’d also try to squeeze in a workout of my own in this time too. I’m a cyclist, so I’d either do an easy or harder ride depending on time constraints. Later on would be time to do the school pick up, eat dinner then return to the park for evening sessions. I’ve probably missed a few things here, but you get the idea!

5.30pm – 9.30pm

3 Clients

Most times on an evening I’d train 3 guys from 6 to 9pm. Like I said earlier some days would be busier, some days quieter if I’d had cancellations. The park was floodlit, later in the year when it got dark earlier they’d come on so the dark was never an issue. I would also always have to share the park with various football teams on an evening, so I’d set up my zones accordingly. Home time.

9.30pm – 10.30pm

Pack for tomorrow, client updates

I almost forgot, I’d always pack tomorrow’s clients notepads in my bag for the aforementioned evening sessions. That way I could arrive home before going inside, unpack and go straight to my shed and know what equipment I’d need for tomorrow then pack it in the car ready. This would be the final point where I’d update client info on the laptop before calling it a day.

I’ve probably missed out a few things. As you can see, my days would mostly be about the bread and butter stuff (training people). There’s no glamour or fakery really, it’s all about how good you are at your job. Everything else just fitted around that. It’s a funny old job though, being a self-employed PT rather than working for a gym. Rather obviously, I’m responsible for everything and I’d say the biggest thing you need is diligence. Working in a systematic way is definitely a benefit too, if your the type of person who is maybe more disorganised then this type of job will be a struggle for you. It was all about planning ahead with the good old advice I learned in the Marines; ‘prior preparation prevents poor performance.’ There was another ‘P’ in there between prevents and poor, but it’s slightly fruity to include in here.

My job now isn’t that much different really, like I said, now I’m just training people via video link rather than up on the park. In many ways it’s better, there no cancellations due to bad weather and it’s more systematic. The workout is ‘contained’ and the client is forced to maximise the workout in their own space.

In some ways it’s not so good. I’d say it’s far more controlled now, the client can really focus on the workout without any distractions but on the other hand I’ve lost that interaction. You also obviously can’t be there with the client on things like 100m sprints so these are done on solo days.

To conclude, so as your relaxed and know what your doing, video call workouts work just fine. I know online PT isn’t for everybody though and I do understand many people prefer having face to face coaching. It’s horses for courses really.

Anyways I hope you enjoyed my ‘day in the life’ blog. Throw me a follow if you like, see you next time for more from The Real Coach.