How to Become a Personal Trainer for Celebs

You'll have to be at the top of your game if you want to become a trainer to the stars.

Celebrity personal trainers can command hundreds of dollars for a single training session. They get to rub elbows with the rich and famous and sometimes, they even tour the country with musicians or travel to exotic locales so they can train movie stars onset. The most sought-after celebrity trainers often become celebrities in their own right. Becoming a celebrity personal trainer is not easy and, unfortunately, there's no guarantee you'll succeed -- no matter how hard you work. The best advice from those who have succeeded: Be where the action is, know your stuff and make plenty of connections in the industry.

Instructions

1. Decide whether or not you will need to relocate in order to pursue this career goal. If you want to train movie stars, Los Angeles or New York City would be the best bets. You might also try Vancouver, British Columbia, or Wilmington, North Carolina, since the film industry has a strong presence in both of these cities. If you would rather work with recording artists, the two music industry epicenters of Nashville and Atlanta might be good destinations. Your options may be more diverse, depending on how you define the term, "celeb," but you can probably count on having to work in a major city. "A lot of celebrity training has to do with living in the town where the action is happening," celebrity personal trainer Ashley Borden related in an interview for Bodybuilding.com.

2. Learn as much as you can about the latest trends and innovations in the fitness field. Delve into the cutting-edge science behind human performance and exercise physiology. Enroll in workshops or classes offered by well-respected personal training organizations. Take college courses in kinesiology, exercise science and nutrition. Celebrities expect their trainers to be bona fide fitness experts who can provide unique and avant-garde fitness regimens.

3. Earn personal training certification from one of the premiere fitness organizations. Askthetrainer.com lists the National Strength and Conditioning Association and the American College of Sports Medicine as the two top-tier certifications a personal trainer can possess. The National College of Sports Medicine and the International Sports Sciences Association are also highly regarded in the fitness industry.

4. 

   Get in great shape to prove to famous clients you know what you're doing.

   Train hard and get yourself into fantastic shape. Few celebrities work out simply to feel good and improve their health. Their very livelihoods often depend on their appearance. If you can show off a flawless physique, you'll give your famous potential clients a sense of confidence about your skills and that you can keep them looking just as good as you do.

5. Start working as a personal trainer. Build a solid client base and establish a reputation for results. Word-of-mouth is key to success as a personal trainer, and your clients are like a living portfolio. If your clients look great and are happy with your training sessions, your reputation and business will grow.

6. 

   Working at an elite gym can increase your visibility and help you network.

   Seek employment at an elite gym. Success and fame as a personal trainer often demand a significant financial investment for marketing and publicity. By working at an elite gym, you can benefit from your employer's advertorial and publicity efforts and take advantage of state-of-the-art equipment and facilities.

7. Network and establish connections wherever and whenever you can, both in the fitness and entertainment industries. As with any pathway to fame and fortune, a career as a celebrity trainer often has a lot to do with whom you know. Many celebrity trainers meet their first famous clients through referrals and mutual acquaintances. Borden said of her first celebrity client, "It was a referral and then it was all basically word of mouth from there, especially in the entertainment industry."

8. Design a fitness regimen, exercise method and/or nutrition plan that set you apart from the thousands of other ambitious personal trainers out there. Celebrities are at the forefront of what's new and revolutionary, and that includes fitness programs. Of course, your plan or program has to be highly effective, as well -- merely being trendy won't cut it for long.

9. Start a website to get your exciting and effective fitness methods and concepts (and, of course, your name) out there. Post workouts you've designed, share your expert advice and insight, and blog about your take on the latest news in the fitness industry.

10. Post video demonstrations of your workouts on your website and/or on other sites such as YouTube.com to gain even further exposure and publicity. Celebrity personal trainer Mike Ryan advises writing articles for fitness journals and magazines to further build your reputation as an expert. "Just start submitting articles to publications and that way you begin establishing a resume," he explained to Bodybuilding.com.

11. 

    Keep your famous clients looking toned and trim, and your reputation will grow.

    Once you acquire your first famous client, do what it takes to get him or her in amazing shape, whether your client needs to look positively ripped for a role as an action hero or wants to lose weight for a red carpet event and has only three weeks left to do it. As Ryan points out, word-of-mouth is everything, and "it just takes one guy to say something."

Tips & Warnings

• Be realistic and patient. There are tens of thousands of personal trainers out there, and less than 1% end up working with celebrities, the trainers at Askthetrainer.com remind us. That's doesn't mean it can't be done, but understand that it will take time and effort.

• Respect the confidentiality of your clients. As you establish a rapport with the rich and famous, paparazzi and tabloid journalists may very well begin to approach you, looking for gossip and leads. Your clients' PR teams will likely have you sign waivers and confidentiality agreements. It is imperative that you abide by their terms if you want to keep working with celebrities.

• If an accident or injury should occur during a training session -- or even if a client injures himself without your supervision but while attempting to follow your advice or one of your Internet workouts -- you could be held liable. The Starting A Personal Training Business website recommends looking for a personal trainer liability insurance policy with a minimum of $500,000 in coverage. Be sure to get a policy that protects you, regardless of whether the client was under your supervision at the time of injury or not.

References

• Askthetrainer.com: Personal Trainer Certifications
• Askthetrainer.com: Becoming a Personal Trainer
• Bodybuilding.com: An Interview with Celebrity Personal Trainer Ashley Borden
• Bodybuilding.com: Celebrity Trainer Mike Ryan Inspires Top Athletes and Actors
• Starting A Personal Trainer Business: Personal Trainer Insurance

Resources

• National Strength and Conditioning Association
• American College of Sports Medicine
• National Academy of Sports Medicine
• International Sports Sciences Assocation