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Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Celebrity Personal Trainers

For a person in the business of developing health and wellness programs for his/her clientele, becoming one of the celebrity personal trainers would be reaching the pinnacle of a career. Not only would they be hanging out with the rich and famous, but they would also have one of the highest paying jobs in their chosen field.

In addition, if a celebrity personal trainer is really good at his/her profession, it is job security.  In many cases, the average clientele will be constantly changing.  While they mean well in the beginning, a lot of people will give up.  They don’t have the willpower to keep up with the exercise routines or maintain a healthy diet.  Of course, there is also the question of finances.  When the economy is tight, fitness training is considered a luxury they can no longer afford.

However, celebrities definitely have a very different perspective.  A good personal trainer is a career necessity.  If they want to keep working and not become fodder for the tabloids, it’s necessary to stay in shape. Often, they will prefer someone that will come to them, and able to work around some pretty difficult schedules.  Naturally, they are willing to pay premium prices for personalized service.

Achieving the Apex

While becoming one of the celebrity personal trainers is a dream job, it will take a lot of hard work to make that dream a reality.  Unless you have a fairy god mother, the first step will be to attain certification from an accredited institute in your state.  Requirements are different, depending on where you live.

For example, you may be required to pass as much as 300 hours of classroom education.  But, it doesn’t end there.  Before you can get that coveted diploma, you will also need some practical experience. Some schools may require approximately 200 hours of actually working with clients, under the supervision of a personal trainer that has already achieved accreditation. 

To even hope of achieving the position of trainer to the stars, you must always remain in peak physical condition.  If a star is going to pay big bucks for a personalized fitness coach, they want the best.  You are your own best advertisement.  If you are even a few pounds overweight or out of shape, even in the slightest sense, a celebrity will find someone that exhibits the personal dedication to fitness that they need.

While in school, try to stay at the top of your class.  You will not achieve the status you desire by doing just enough to get by.  After receiving your accreditation, you will want to apply at the high end fitness training establishment.  You will want to work were the star or sports personalities are most likely to hang out.  For those that still want to reach that Apex, but don’t want to relocate to Hollywood, New York City, or other areas of celebrity residence, becoming a personal trainer for a sports team in your home state is still an option.

Once you have established yourself at a high end club or gym, look for opportunities to offer advice to the rich and famous clientele.  Without being a pest, become a person of knowledge and expertise.  Once you have built a rapport with a celebrity, one of two things will happen:
  • They will invite you to help them train on an individual basis
  • You can offer your personalized services, as long as they don’t infringe on the rules of the club.
To further promote yourself, you can also offer to train a celebrity free of charge, for a limited time.  With your credentials, a rapport, and the offer to prove your worth without any real investment on their part, you might just get a shot at training the very high end clients.

Finally, you will have to be willing to work very odd hours.  The working life of a celebrity is chaotic.  Workouts may have to be squeezed between two pressing engagements, very early in the morning, when most sane people are still in bed, or late at night, when they finally have a few free moments. Your schedule will have to be as flexible as theirs is not.

It takes a special person to have the career of celebrity personal trainers.  In peak physical condition, these fitness gurus need to live and work where they can establish relationships with the rich and famous. Plus, they have the self-confidence and business savvy to sell their services as the very best in their line of work. 

At the same time, a celebrity trainer needs to be flexible and able to cater to the weird hours and whims of those individuals that are used to getting exactly what they are paying, regardless of the hour.  The work is more demanding, but the rewards make it worth the effort.