Can I Train Clients at the Gym?

by Dee
(California)

Is it legal if I train clients at a gym such as 24 hour/La fitness without being a employee at that gym? Could they kick me out or get me in legal trouble?

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worked at LA Fitness
by: Janelle

I don't know if you could get in legal trouble, but because places like 24 and LA Fitness have in-house trainers they don't allow outside trainers in.
You can get around it by having a membership and making it look like a "buddy workout" vs just standing there and coaching/spotting your client.
But regardless, it's not really allowed and you may be asked to leave by the Manager if they catch you obviously training someone.

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PREVIOUS 7 YEARS AT 24APPLY FOR POSITION FONESTLY
by: FITNESS MANAGER AT CLUB

TRAINERS WORK HARD FOR THEIR EDUCATION. yOU MAY THINK YOU ARE QUALIFIED BUT THE REALITY IS ~ THE MORE YOU LEARN THE MORE YOU REALIZE YOU DON'T KNOW. pEOLPLE HAVE ALOT OF PRE~EXISTING CONDITIONS THEY FORGET ABOUT AND IF EXERSISE IS DONE PROPERLY~ PLEASE DO NOT INSULT THE TRAINERS THAT GER A DEGREE AND PAY TO LEARN HOW TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE DO NOT GET HURT. wITH 14 YEARS OF EXPERIECE, A DEGREE, 4 CURRENT CERTS AND LEARNING ONE MORE, AT ANY TIME, ONE OF MY CLIENTS CAN GET INJURED UNDER MY CARE WITHOUT PROPER INSTRUCTION. tHE INDUSTRY IS TRYING TO MOVE FOWARD AND ITS PEOPLES IGNORANCE THAT HOLDS THEM BACK. i WATCH FOR PEOPLE LIKE YOU LIKE A HAWK~BECAUSE WE CARE THAT ARE MEMBERS ARE SAFE. EVEN IF YOU ARE "WORKING OUT" WITH YOUR PAYING CLIENT~IT EVENTUALLY WILL BECOME BLAITENTLY OBVIOUS AND BOTH WOULD NOW LONGER BE MEMBERS AT OUR CLUB. cLUBS ARE PRIVATE BUSINESS AND WE WOULD FORGO YOU MONLY DUES TO SAVE THE INTEGRITY OF OUR TRAINERS. i KNOW THIS PERSON MAY HAVE BECAME YOUR FRIEND, BUT MORE THAN LIKELY YOU MET HIM AT THE GYM. YOU DO NOT HAVE THE PERMISSION TO USE THE OWNERS CLIENTELE FOR YOUR OWN BENEFIT, EQUIPMENT, OVERHEAD(HEAT,H2O)~AND YOUR UNINSURED. GET YOUR OWN BUILDING, PAY YOUR OWN RENT AND GET YOUR OWN CLIENTELE AND THEN DO WANT YOU WANT.

IF YOU WANT TO BE A TRAINER~ GET EDUCATED AND APPLY FOR A JOB IF YOU WANT TO USE A CLUBS CLIENTELE~LIKE THE REST OF US

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Training clients at 24 hour fitness when your not employed by them
by: Anonymous

Gyms make the majority of their money from memberships that people pay for month to month and never use. If you are a certified trainer, with experience, and you have personal trianing insurance and the "24 hour fitness trainer" does not have the relationship with the client and they choose not to train with "24 hour fitness" trainer. Tons of celebrities trainer get started this way to build the clientele. If you are paying your membership, have your up to date ACE, NASM certification, PT insurance, CPR card keep training with your clients. People have been doing it for years and they will continue to do it. 24 hour fitness is a huge corporation and if they can't handle trainers who don't get paid nearly enough for their services any way because it Is " A Corporation" which typically pays the person who does the majority of the work the least amount of money, keep doing what you need to do to build your business to open up your own facility. It's a great place to meet other clients who are always looking to get better deals then what most gyms charge clients for personal training anyway!

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Trainers acting like thieves
by: Anonymous

Lets say you walk into a restaurant and someone walks up to you and says "follow me, I can get your dinner cheaper if you come sit in the back." And they proceed to pull food out if a cooler-or swipe leftovers off of tables-rearrange it on the plate and sell it to you at a discount. And pocket the money.

That's exactly what unauthorized trainers do. They're stealing revenue from the facility. If you get hurt under their instruction who are you going to sue? The gym, right? Who paid advertising, rent utilities, who paid for the equipment?

Disgusting thieves

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trainers not getting there worth
by: Anonymous

Some of these comments are ridiculous, a Trainers worth according to most gyms, is usually between 50 and 85 dollars per hour/session, meanwhile the trainers take home is between 12 and 25 dollars an hour. You probably want to say well 25 isn't to shabby right!!! well if your trainer is doing there job which they should be, they're making a plan for you on there off-time. This usually includes nutrition plan, Periodization plan, days workout plan. Not to mention the scheduling that a trainer has to do on a daily basis plus the calling and double checks everyday to make sure there clients/friends are reaching there goals. this all being said a trainer isn't supposed to be working over 20 to 25 actual 1 on 1 time a week because of all the other work on the side. so lets do the math, the average based on today is 20 dollars per hour for 23 hours a week is 460 per week oh and it gets better this does not include vacation, holidays, because you "make your own schedule", or benefits because you don't work enough hours. the gym makes based on 65 dollars an hour at 23 hours a week is 1575 now minus the trainers wage of 460 per week is 1115. so this all means right now as a trainer out there that if you are roughly making 460 a week you are approximately PAYING the gym (because those people are paying for you) around ONE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN DOLLARS just to use there facility and convenience. So who are the disgusting thieves now, think about it. and to answer your question yes you absolutely can train your clients at a gym, however poaching is not allowed and can cause a lawsuit so don't try and steal clientele form them you wont need to let the people come to you.

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Worry about working hard your self.
by: Anonymous

Let me start by saying, I have my current NASM certification, as well as sports therapy internship experience, athletic training internship of over 4 years, and I am a biology major at the university in my city. I work damn hard to have complete knowledge and each of my clients have been with me for a long time with substantial results, often resulting in referrals.
That being said, I am a college student full time, work 15 hours in the university as a student worker, and 20 hours in the Hospital as a Barista for Starbucks. Sorry but that does not allow me to have adequate time to also work at a gym. I pay my way through college with no assistance but the 3 jobs I work.
I need to therefore train my clients a gym, and sorry I care more about their health and their fitness and not more about the Personal trainers making "More" money. I do this for the love of health and fitness not for the money. I have a successful business of clients, and I honestly believe it is because I am passionate, not fucking greedy.
Calling people theives because they get the clients, because of their own hard work and their own knowledge and their own resources is about as ignorant as it gets. Even if I was hired by the company, good for the people doing everything they can for the betterment of individuals not just looking at everyone as a dollar sign.
Stop being ignorant and judgmental. If you work hard enough you will have enough clients you won't have to worry about who else is training.

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Get a factory Job
by: Ryan

You people are taking this way to seriously. Personal training was never meant to be a job and it doesnt pay shit. Your better off working at a factory 40 hours a week.

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Multi Gym Onwer
by: Vince

Some of these comments are crazy. I was trainer in the begining of my career at the age of 19-22 at LA fitness getting paid 6 bucks a half hour lol doing 100-130 sessions bi weekly it was horrible but its to gain knowledge thats it where else will you get that much repetition ?!? Than after that i went to a 24/7 Gym Anytime that was great i recieved 50% cut and was able to build and was giving alot of leads to build my clientile within 3months i had 35 clients at 60 an hour. From there on i went into upper managment working 60-70 hours a week for 6 years and eventually owned my own gym at the age of 27. Anyway so now i see what actually goes into the gyms overhead its insane so DONT COMPLAIN about the OWNER getting his cut!!! There is a reason why the owner gets at least 50% cut Because he busted his ass to be able to open the facility and give you access to HIS clientile! So if you want more charge more bust your ass and open you rown but please dont BASH us owners.

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"Trainers" = Avon Ladies
by: Anonymous

I bought into the b.s. dream of "Be a personal trainer/ have your own business" I went to school, got the certification. I had more real world knowledge from old timers in the gym than from metro pretenders. First off, being a personal trainer is a hobby for rich Dr.'s wives to fill their empty time with so they feel like they are contributing/ have a sense of purpose and self worth; Their "clients" aren't interested in working or self improvement, but are social rejects who gladly pay a ridiculous hourly rate to spend time with a spandex clad member of the opposite sex. Spare us all your "look out for our members" bs. If someone brings their own members in; You have no ground to say anything. Wake up instead of bashing those who are awake.

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Nothing Wrong With Bringing A Client to The Gym
by: Anonymous

There is nothing wrong with meeting clients at a gym where you both have paid memberships - PROVIDING you are not poaching gym members or soliciting your services inside the gym. If you build your clientele outside any gym (aka BUSINESS) then you are not in conflict with that other business. Period. Get over it, people.

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