All our club’s personal trainers hold a minimum REPS Recognised level 3 Personal Training qualification with a current First Aid certificate. They run their own franchise business within our clubs. Our constant support and business knowledge helps them set up and maintain a successful Personal Training Business. They have the ability to set their own working hours and get access to our large member base.

Colin Lane / Personal Trainer /

What does your role involve?
As a Personal Trainer at Fitness First the main aspect of the job is working with clients.  It could be training someone for a sporting event like a marathon or helping someone get their fitness back after an Injury, each client has their own individual needs and goals. My role also includes instructing a circuit class of 15 to 20 hard working office workers on Monday lunch times. I plan the class out, sett up the equipment then make sure everyone is working hard for the full 35 minutes.

What do you love about what you do?
Working as a Personal Trainer has allot of good aspects, Probably the most rewarding is seeing how improving a persons health and wellbeing can have such a positive affect on their lives.  It is a great feeling when someone comes to you with a goal and you help them achieve or even surpass that goal.  Also getting the opportunity to meet a wide range of personalities makes the job very enjoyable. Some of my favourite sessions are when the client is working hard and cursing my name due to the intense workout and i’m giving them a bit of the army drill instructor act,  I always find a bit of laughter makes the workout better.

What do you do outside of work?
Living on an Island like Jersey there are lots of fun things to do with my free time. I fish every weekend I can and enjoy exploring the coast with my girlfriend either by walking the dog or kayaking. I watch allot of movies and like to watch boxing even if I have to stay up to 5am to see it.

What has been the highlight of your time at fitness first?
There have been a few highlights during my time at Fitness First,  working with more experienced Personal Trainers and learning from them has been very beneficial for me, some of the trainers at my club have been in the industry for over 15 years. Also the club provides allot of courses and the the most recent one was on a new piece of equipment called the ViPR, The course was excellent and all the staff working together was great fun. The one main thing that stands out as a highlight was the recent White Collar Boxing event organised by one of the other personal trainers at the club, two more of my colleges and one of my clients were also competing in the event. I was working in the corner with towels and water bottles, watching the action from ringside, It was a great event for everyone involved.

What’s your advice for someone considering a career in the fitness industry?
My advice would be to make sure fitness is your passion and be willing to be patient. Some people qualify as a personal trainer and expect to walk into a gym and start a successful business personal training, and some people do achieve this. However I believe you can’t put a price on experience, working as a fitness instructor doing gym inductions and programmes can help develop your interpersonal skills, It will prepare you for the wide skill base required for the variety of needs your clients will have.  Speak to more experienced trainers and always keep your knowledge fresh with courses and reading.  Building a personal training business can be very hard work but the Fitness First sliding scale system is an excellent option.