Written by Simone Maglassis, CPT, ACSM, ACE

Hi! Thanks for stopping by :)

Let's start at the beginning.

I was known as shy, timid. My parents never fail to remind me of the picture of me hiding behind my mom's leg and how much I've grown yet remain my true self. I did all sorts of recreational activities from tap dance, ballet, jazz, acrobats, yoga, you name it! I only ever focused on one for 1 year and then moved onto something new. My mom didn't want me to "quit" the recreational activities as much, but I just wanted to try all the other cool things that were out there!

In high school I always loved gym class. But I didn't know what to do with that. 

How could I turn it into a career? I didn't want to be a gym teacher, didn't want to be a physiotherapist and my high school friends would discourage me from pursuing personal training since it wasn't seen as a successful career.

"You get straight As," they would say, "Go to university not college."

Truth was, I had no idea what to do. Looking back, I listened too much to others and not myself. 

Regardless, I received a scholarship, I got offers to every University I applied to and got accepted into the University of Toronto to study Sociology because I thought it was the right thing to do. 

​I dropped out after three months.

I felt awful about dropping out of university but I didn't regret the decision. I regretted the wasted money my parents had paid for and the scholarship I had accepted and essentially wasted.

I promised my parents I would pay them back and that I would give back to the organization that provided me with the scholarship.

I gave myself a couple months to work and think about what I wanted to do. I took careers test, quizzes, answered so many questions that I started questioning myself until I landed on a Fitness & Health Promotion program.

I still remember sharing it with my aunt and she looked over the program details and said, "This looks like the right program for you!"

​I couldn't help but crack a bright smile. She was right and this time I was sure of it myself.

I applied to the program and got accepted. I couldn't have been happier. I felt like I had real purpose, a real desire to do something I wanted to do. It certainly aligned with everything else I loved.

I told myself I'd graduate get my diploma, work and then go back to school to find a more "stable" and "steady" job and have personal training as my side job that I'd do on the weekends and have my full time career in said field (which I had no idea what that was at the time).

College was a great learning experience for me, and also very eye opening. Looking back, it taught me to differentiate who true friends were (there is such a thing as a toxic friend), made me reflect on who I was and wanted to be, and taught me that it's what you do after you graduate and enter the real world that truly matters.

I graduated with a diploma in Fitness & Health Promotion, got my ACSM certificate and made a group of friends who I'm still in contact with to this day. 

Soon after graduating I met my then boyfriend and now husband and no longer had to worry about studying for 8 exams in a week. Yes, you read that right. 

After graduating I got my first job working at a gym (I won't say which...but hint, it's known as 'the Walmart of gyms'), I worked countless unpaid hours, was passionate about it and got fired within a month because I didn't secure any clients. It was the first time I had ever been fired in my life.

The person who fired me read from a script the entire time.

I felt humiliated. Embarrassed. I thought that I had done it: worked hard, got my diploma, get a job and work my way up. Boy was I wrong.

I tried looking for another fitness job but very few were hiring and the ones that were were not a good fit.

I gave up.

I stopped applying for fitness job and started applying to regular jobs to make ends meet while still living at my parents.

I got a job as a waitress and would go home crying what seemed like every other shift. It was a tough job and I was already sensitive to my first failure and reminder that I wasn't doing the job I wanted to do while messing up a customers order or getting yelled at by the manager.

I then worked at a factory job from an agency boxing pens and pencils and various stationary items. I turned my focus into learning Japanese and taking up other hobbies to keep myself distracted.

Once work at the factory slowed down, I looked for work elsewhere and found a job at an in-home cleaning company. I knew it was temporary But each day was a reminder that my diploma was not being used. At this point it had been almost a year if not more that I did not find work in my field.

I remember cleaning a house with one of my coworkers and the coworker ripped the vacuum out of my hand and did the work for me. "You're going too slow!” She said, “We have to get to the next house!" I was yet again, not good at my job. I felt like such a burden and in a negative miserable environment. Well, I was. No one was happy to do the work, they just had to do it to make ends meet.

My husband sat me down one day and talked to me about not letting my diploma go to waste. He had seen it happen to one of his family members and didn't want the same thing to happen to me. He encouraged me to get back out there and search for a job that was right for me.

I knew he was right despite how negative I was about it, I thought it was a lost cause but still dragged myself to try again.

That's when I had my first interview with Mike Tangreda at inhometrainer. The intimal interview was shaky. My brain was rusty on some of the personal training questions and it wasn't my best interview but he said, "I'll give you a chance."

​And I'm so glad he did!

At first work was slow. I got one client here, then another there and I was going to quit, but I knew just like he took a chance on me, I should take a chance on him and be patient.

I worked other jobs to fill up my hours and eventually personal training was my full time job and I'd have another fitness job (I worked at a few gyms, and then another in-home training company, a yoga studio and then another gym) on the weekend to give me some extra cash. 

I was officially working in my field, loving it, making income and now also happily married. Along the way my husband and I bought a condo as well.

While I haven't accomplished everything I've wanted to, this to me was my success. At the age of 22 I was (am!) happily married, a home owner, working in my field and a whole new person, a better, happier, more positive, version of myself. 

Now at 26 years old I do personal training full time, teach virtual classes on the side, have my own (very) small business, and work as an executive assistant to the CEO of the company inhometrainer.ca. The same boss who said he'd give me a chance. I've now been at that company for over 6 years and plan to stay for the long term. And the best thing is? No more side jobs!

Even if things change, that one chance, that one opportunity, opened up so many doors for me.

I didn't think the job I have and the position I'm in would ever be possible. Many made it seem like an impossible dream or too hard to achieve. Everyone said there was no money in personal training or that it's too hard a profession to succeed in. While that may be true for some, its not for all.

I'm still thinking of going back to university, and this time I have a more specific plan to study ESL to teach English to immigrants, but I'm taking my time. Volunteering, learning and not rushing into it. I'm happy where I am and adding more is a bonus.

My husband encouraging me to reevaluate and me shoving down my self-doubt and negativity made me take a step in the direction I wanted to go, without even realizing how many doors I'd open up along the way.

The moral of my story is (as cliché as it is): don't give up.

Listen to others and also to yourself. Life teaches you so many lessons and as long as you try to listen, put in an effort and work on improving yourself, pathways will eventually open up for you if you don't already make them for yourself.



Thanks for reading my story :) Are you a personal trainer? If so, what was it like getting into your field?

Written by Simone Maglassis, CPT, ACSM, ACE

These are the things I no longer buy. 

The vast majority of the time there are no samples and you have to buy a huge tub only to find out you don't like it or it's just okay.

Plus I already feel like I get enough protein from my diet.

Don't get me wrong, I love getting new equipment but I no longer buy the next best thing right away. Whenever I did that the problem I had was I would use it once and then rarely use it again unless it really was as amazing as it claimed to be.

I take my time, get used to working with what I have and really get accustomed to using equipment in multiple different ways before I buy something else.

Plus, you may even be able to borrow equipment from a friend. Try it out and see if it's worth it.

This is heart breaking for me, but it's always like a risk to buy a watermelon.

No matter how much knocking, smelling or analyzing I never get it right!

Sometimes I get lucky and it's delicious, other times they're mushy and lack any flavour. So, I've given up. I now buy it pre-sliced and it always tastes delicious! 

Which is a reminder to buy your produce pre-cut because it allows you to consume more nutrient dense/healthy foods such as chopped carrots, ready made salad (though it's not as "healthy" as you think. More on that later). 

Do you know how many times these things have randomly started beeping alarms in the middle of the night?

No matter how many times I read the instructions, the amount of times I try to use it absolutely correctly, it never works out for me. Or as I'm timing a client I have to scramble to click the buttons to get it back to the right timer screen.

I also don't like using my phone because I think it looks unprofessional (just my opinion) so I got a stop watch display to make it easier for me and my clients. 

I no longer buy it or bring it in the house.

But that doesn't stop family or friends of course. At that point, I can't help to take a sip...

But if I don't place it in my environment, I have no desire for it at all. I like drinking kombucha instead or fizzy flavoured water. There are quite some good ones out there! I also make my own smoothies and eat fruit instead.

One dumbell that can be adjusted to any weight? Sounds awesome!

Only thing is that it works well in theory and not so much application. I've seen so many clients complain about them not working as well anymore and have used them myself and was no overly impressed. 

They start off well when you first buy them and then they get stiff and harder to adjust the weight. Not to mention they are far less comfortable compared to traditional dumbells.

I'll just stick with regular dumbells thank you.

This plant grows like a weed in the summer time!

I love planting it and picking it to use as needed. When the season comes to an end I dry it and use it through the year. It's cheap to grow and easy to use. No need to buy it at the grocery story unless I'm in a pinch. 

Written by SImone Maglassis, CPT, ACSM, ACE

Watch me react to some cringe worthy moments, exercises executed with bad form and atypical movements you may have not seen before, all while providing my professional opinion.

This reaction is in no way meant to put anyone down. I see this as a learning experience for everyone! 

This is the video I watched:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAmXnkDecUA

Things discussed:

There's a lot of controversy over these types of pull ups that were developed by CrossFit and rightfully so. 

In my opinion, the average person should not be doing them and I don't recommend them unless you've reached a high level of fitness that gives you confidence enough to try them out without hurting yourself. Even so, be prepared for the potential aggravation on your spin and shoulders.

I think there are much more options and better pull up variations you can do that will provide you with more benefits such as a side to side pull up, static hold pull up, scapula retraction pull ups from the hanging position and more. 

Maybe there is positives to doing the kipling pull ups, many athletes do them such as gymnasts, but for someone who's just trying to get strong and achieve weight loss (which is 99.9% of my clientele) I don't see the need for them, especially if you can't do an actual good, solid form pull up on your own yet. 

Start with the simplest version of an exercise and slowly work your way up in difficulty. You can do this in 1 day depending on what the movement is or you will have to do it over a period of weeks or months. 

It's the safest way to get to your goals without injuring yourself. For instance, with the weighted squat, start with dumbbells instead of the bar. Use 10lbs on each side, complete 10-15 reps and increase the weight to 15lbs each side and complete 6-10 reps. 

Once you get comfortable you can transition to a barbell making sure you have a spotter or a safe way to "rack it" or dismount or abandon the exercise. Which brings me to my next point...

Before you even reach failure, know how to abandon the exercise and drop the weight. The worst thing you can do is drop the weight incorrectly. That's asking for an injury. 

​When doing the chest press like in this particular video, a spotter is always a good idea and highly recommended. But if you do not have one or they fail to provide the adequate help. It's good to have another bench beside you, but it would best if done in a power rack. 

But let's say worst case scenario happens and you're pinned by the weight like in the video. You can certainly dump the weight on one side but it's dangerous and will throw off your balance completely. 

Here's what to do instead:
1. Remain as calm as you can.
2. Call for help. Do not try to lift it yourself again. Your muscles have already reached failure and trying to lift it again may make things worse
3. If there's no one to help you, roll the bar to your hips/legs as you sit up. Then lift up the bar and drop it down. This way you'll be in more control and I think is the best way to do it if possible. ​Here's an example.

Also something to keep in mind, using dumbells in your chest press gives more room for safely abandoning the exercise in my opinion but I understand that you can go heavier and reach progressive overload with the barbell much easier.

I think a combination of both chest presses with dumbells and the barbell is helpful in achieving your bench press goals. Through in push ups in between as a superset and you're golden!

Using other objects as dumbbells/weights is actually great depending on what you're using.

​It's best to use something that already has a handle such as a water jug or a tightly secured dishwasher detergent. Or even something that you can hug to the chest and get a good grip on such as a bag of potatoes or a bag of rice.

But the best thing you can do is invest in actual equipment that's designed for weight training as it will provide you with the even amount of weight needed and is best ergonomically speaking. 

I think there's a time and a place.

When my client's have a history of back pain I do encourage them to use it when working out but to not rely on it excessively.

What is does is support your back when doing exercises so it eliminates and reduces back pain. But remember, if you have back pain from certain movements, back brace or not, you should probably be avoiding those exercises to begin with.

The back brace comes in handy when it's not necessarily the movement that's causing the pain but the added weight and the back just needs to be stabilized in order for you to complete those heavy reps confidently with the pressure off your lower back  and free of pain. 

​I don't recommend wearing them all the time and that goes for knee braces, ankle, wrist etc. because you can weaken the muscles (known as atrophy) which is the opposite of what you want. And it's not just the muscles that would atrophy, but the ligaments and joints because they won't be working as hard. Again, not good!

Even with wearing a back brace it doesn't mean that your back pain will magically disappear and in fact, it can transition the pain to another area or make it worse so evaluate how you feel before and after you use it. 

Written by Simone Maglassis, CPT, ACSM, ACE

There's so much more than dumbbells. Check out these 10 pieces of equipment you need. 

This is my favourite stuff to use outside of the standard and basic things such as a mat, resistance bands (my favourite!) and dumbbells. 

Check it out here.

This is great! I won't go back to regular measuring tape again.  

It has a retractable button and lock pin to lock the measurement in place when it's wrapped around the body part. It also has a digital display and you can sync the data with an app on your foot which even shows you a visual graph of your progress.

I truly believe everyone should have one, if not for the fact it's often recommended for you to get one as you get older. Check out my blog post here about why you need one. 

Check out my post here about why you need one and how to use it.

The normal resting heart rate for those 15 or older is 60-100 if you're at the 40-60 range you must be an athlete or you need to speak to your doctor. 

Take a look at the chart below to see where you stand:

I love this app and it's free! Of course you can get even more out of it upgrading (I have) but it's nice to know you can use it however and whenever you want and it's an easy learning curve. 

Keep in mind counting calories and tracking your food isn't sustainable long term but it's good to do when you're starting out and great to revisit when you want to get back on track. 

Holy Crap! 

​When I discovered this thing it seemed too good to be true, but boy was I wrong.

It works and incredibly well at that.

​Instead of having to wait a whole day for my meat, fish or whatever is frozen to thaw, this thawing tray makes it happen in under a couple hours. Supposedly it's made of some special military technology to make it so. 

Click here to check it out on Amazon.

This is the exact one I bought on Amazon back in 2017 and still use today. 

This piece of equipment was originally used in the military to train soldiers with little equipment and effectively. Now it's in many people's households and for good reason.

It is an awesome piece of equipment and all you need is your own body.

Take off the broom and use the stick.

​This is excellent to use as a personal trainer during rona (corona) times but also for all individuals and exercise enthusiast because it helps you stay in line.

Use it to do superman's (or superwoman's) use it to stretch out the shoulders and back and a range of other exercises. 

For my clients I use it to provide tactile touch to allow them to connect their mind to the muscles I point to and gently poke at. 

Have all your staple recipes here. That way when you need to go grocery shopping, you can quickly go through the ingredients you'll need and know that you'll have to get to be prepared for the week.

As they say if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.  

This allows you to stay on track with your sets and reps and doesn't allow your phone to become a distraction if you use it as a timer when exercising.

Why? When you can just use your phone?

True. But how many apps will you need to download?

There's just something about having everything in writing, connecting pen to paper that makes such a difference.

Let's face it, the phone is a distraction during, having a binder or folder specific to fitness and your health and wellness goals makes you hold yourself more accountable, almost like you're in school again.

Go ahead and track it on your phone or an app as well if you like but I encourage you to try to have a folder or binder or notebook that contains your measurements, your weight increases for strength training, meal prep and more.

What type of equipment do you use?

Perfect to use between workouts when your face is sweaty and dirty and you want to prevent it from staying on your skin and causing pimples and irritation.
​
Get it here.

Watch Veronica, registered physiotherapist and Simone, certified personal trainer, talk about the differences and similarities between personal training and physiotherapy. Is one better than the other?

Written by Simone Maglassis, CPT, ACSM, ACE

I'll never forget that my dad used to have this black machine that looked a lot like the Pilates machines and it worked beautifully. Even over 50+ years later.

Unfortunately, he hardly ever used it and it took up a ton of space so he sold it. How I wish I could've taken it off his hands!

The majority of the time (pretty much all the time) when a client shows me their old equipment I've either:
1.  Forgotten how to use it
2. Don’t know how to use it at all

The fitness industry is rapidly changing and the trends and equipment change with it.

So when this idea popped into my head I was eager to give it a try especially because all of my clients have old equipment lying around collecting dust that they were all to eager to let me borrow for this little fun experiment (thank you!).

Well would you look at this contraption.

This one is totally new to me.
​
I'm so glad this client of mine kept the box to allow me to see what I could figure out from the picture instructions because I found nothing online. 

I’m sure we’ve all seen this one before.

For some reason that long metal coil would keep me away. It's like a resistance band I know, but it just seems more dangerous if potentially broken. 

With a quick google search I found that people still use this. I just wonder if it's worth it?

Written by Simone Maglassis, CPT, ACSM, ACE

There's a lot of paper work in this business.

Maybe not as much as a lawyer, but still enough that you have to organize it and stay on top of it.

It took me YEARS yes years (over 6 years to be exact). To figure out the best system that worked for me.

So I'm happy to share what I've learned, what I'm still working on and how to keep your clients organized and therefore make you look more professional.

Keep in mind that I'm an in-home and virtual personal trainer so not everything will apply to you. Here's what I learned:

I got a large binder and on a blank piece of paper put each client's name with a sticky tab on the paper.

From there I put each client's information under their name with additional extra sheets of paper for my notes. I then added a separate section in the back for additional materials such as extra measurement sheets, tracking forms, waivers etc.

To stay even more organized I included reinforcements in the back of the binder in case any of the holes on the papers ripped. I also included a sticky bad for new clients and if I ever wanted to highlight anything I could stick it on their programs or meal plans. I also included multiple pens and white out, my business cards and a section for my clipboard. 

I only got a computer and started utilizing my desk very recently. 

Before I'd do everything on my laptop and throw papers in folders to never be seen again until I went on a frantic search. 

Have a proper desk and computer with all your office stuff nearby. 

You can easily buy these from a craft store nearest you and even get one that's just a folder or a standalone with other compartments like I did.

I recommend this one from Ikea where it's all built in for you. You can see this is more detail in the above video. 

This way you can sort your clients important documents in alphabetic order easily and then slide the drawer shut. 

This may seem obvious but it's funny how things can get moved around.

Have a home for everything and keep office stuff together.

Have your printer paper by your printer, hole puncher by your stapler etc.

​It makes everything more smooth and seamless. 

I print a lot. Programs, meal plans, articles, measurement sheets (see my free stuff to get some for yourself). It's good to have a back up.

I used to have a printer that used to deliver the ink to my house when it started to run low which made it even more convenient.

Should you bring your BMI & Body fate percentage reader? Measurement tape? Stop watch? Keep their finished meal plan at home since they already have a copy?

Keep the measurement sheet on you as well as the BMI chart, heart rate targets etc. Whatever you find yourself and clients always referring to and referencing.

Get free copies for yourself by going to the FREE Stuff section.

Sometimes clients disappear, get sick, have situations that occur in their lives that pauses their sessions. 

​Keep them in a separate section in your files as they could come back anytime and you want to appear ready to get back to where you left off. 

We're all so used to the exercise gym bag but it's not the best on ergonomics.

With a backpack you can keep the weight evenly on your shoulders and protect yourself from aches and pains. Of course this isn't 100% guaranteed and you'll need a gym bag as well to store your larger equipment but see how much you can fit in your backpack.

Another great option is using a suitcase of a gym bag that has wheels. It's better to push and pull rather than lift and carry. 

This will keep everything together when you're with that specific client and will stop you from having to sort through all the rest. 

Plus, you'll just look more official once you have one. 

What are you most familiar with working with? What is easy to carry and move around? Start with that rather than what's the most popular and you'll go a long way.

From there you can build up your equipment and tools.

Here's some things you can purchase right away:

• a webcam (if you do online training)
• punching gloves
• stopwatch (looks better than you using your phone. But good luck not having it beep in the middle of the night)
• dumbbells 
• resistance bands

Written by Simone Maglassis, CPT, ACSM, ACE

I love my job, I love what I do and I wouldn't change it for anything.

I am here to stay in the health and wellness field.

However, let's be realistic, every job has it's pros & cons.

1.  The Grind. After graduating from college and not being able to find the job I was looking for I almost gave up. After being a waitress, an in home cleaner, working at good life (don’t even get me started…), I couldn't find work. My husband pushed me not to give up and waste my diploma and give up on what I wanted to do. I'm so glad I pushed on because I have come even further than I thought I'd be.

2. The homework. There's a lot more to it than just a one hour workout session. Everyday I am doing homework, researching to stay up to date, making programs, sending emails, answering texts and phone calls and more. Speaking of homework, when a client doesn’t do their homework that is also frustrating.

3. I have to take a shower everyday sometimes twice a day. Now don't judge me, but I used to take a shower every other day (which is actually not bad according to other sources!), but man can I be lazy. I don't mind it when I'm actually in there, but it's just another thing to add to my to do list. Which leads me to my next point...

4. Always sweaty. I exercise all day so it's too be expected, but it just makes me super self conscious and a little gross but it's still worth it in the end. 

5. Laundry. I'm always doing it and it drives me crazy. I mean who here actually likes folding clothes...? 

6.  How frustrating it can be. I want to help people, that's my job, passion and desire every time I'm with a client. However, sometimes there's nothing I can do. For instance, I had a client with a serious drinking problem, another who rarely or never got her homework done no matter how many different approaches we tried, and one client who was such an emotional eater that he needed a counselor to help him but he always had excuses. 

7. People just see me as a personal trainer. I also do rehab exercises and help with nutrition. I don't just scream at someone like Jilian Michaels and push them for 1 hour and leave. My clients and I work as team, we discuss habit changes, discuss nutrition, their stress level, the quality of their sleep, their environment at home and at work. I can go on and on. Exercise itself is not enough  (seriously, there's been studies on this) so why just look at a personal trainer as someone who only helps you with exercise and nothing else?

8. I'm always eating.  Due to me exercising all day, I'm constantly burning calories so I'm always having to eat something. Sometimes I eat 8 times a day. I could have the biggest meals and after 2 clients I'm hungry again. Imagine all that meal prepping!

9. Long and weird hours. This isn't so much a problem for me anymore but I used to work really annoying hours. On some days I'd start at 5:30am and end at 10:30pm. Luckily this started to change the busier I got and was able to make my own schedule, but in the beginning this was something I hated. Don't believe those personal training job descriptions that promote short hours for high pay, there's always more to it. 

10. The paper work. Every time I see a client I need to gather their information and get forms signed. Times that by 10 along with organizing files, programs and important details and suddenly you have a crap ton of paper work. 

11. Inconsistency. If a client gets sick or stops training for whatever reason, I don't get paid. It's as simple as that.

12. No benefits. No dental, physio, chiro, massage (the thing I need the most), etc. Basically anything. There are personal training jobs out their that cover these things but they're hard to come by. Luckily, we can often write this off as a business expense.

13. It's hard to take care of myself. I would have never thought that I myself would need a personal trainer but sometimes that's what it feels like. My time and energy is going so much into my clients that I forget about myself or don't put as much time into my own fitness and health as I should. I have to constantly remind myself to hold myself accountable and practice what I preach. 

14. My family is my hardest clientele. I thought that once I became a certified personal trainer that the people I would help the most would be my family but it's the total opposite. I'm either exhausted after a day's work or I struggle to hold them accountable because well they're family! Sometimes it's better to have an outside professional rather than someone you know. Luckily, my family eats relatively healthy, but they don't exercise nearly enough.

15. I can't help everyone. Just because you hire a personal trainer, it doesn't mean you're going to lose 20+ pounds. You still have to do the homework and have the drive and determination. I give my 110% but it makes no difference if a client is giving me back 50%. Other times, things are out of my scope of practice, especially if an individual has an eating disorder. Try this eating disorder screening tool to see if this may be something you struggle with. 

16. Overuse injury. Sometimes my back hurts, my knees crack, my wrist hurts etc. I have to be sure to take care of myself because it can be a lot on my body. 

17. Lugging equipment around. As an in-home trainer I bring the equipment. It can be a lot.

18. Social Media. We now live in a society where if there’s no picture, video, snap chat, boomerang blah blah, then it didn’t happen.

Here’s so much you don’t see, from a client breaking down in tears in frustration on their weight loss journey, transformation pictures I can’t share, and ways I help people I can’t put into words.

I have a love/hate relationship with social media as there's so much out there and it can be hard to filter out the good from bad and the fact from fiction. It can be a lot to keep up with and if you don't keep up with it you'll fall behind. I don't like posting pictures, taking videos but I have to in today's day and age.

For me to whip out my phone in the heat of the moment is something I am still not used to. Sometimes I think it does the opposite of helping. While you’re scrolling through workout videos, you could be doing a workout yourself. Let’s not even get into how it can skew your image of what fitness, nutrition and health looks like to the point it can be unhealthy.

19. I'm "working" all the time. I'm always thinking about how I can make eating healthier and exercising easier for my clients, new exercises I can implement, informative blogs I can write, emails I can send, and easy recipes. Sometimes I have to resist the urge to think about work when I'm not working.

20. People hold me to a high regard. 
I love junk food too! I'm not always healthy and sometimes I don't exercise at all. I'm not perfect and I have my own struggles. Right now as I write this I'm working on drinking more water and doing the exercises prescribed by my physio. I'm always working on myself and I'm on my own journey. 

Just because you're skinny it means your fit or healthy. Just because you're on the larger end (not considered obese) it doesn't mean your fat and unhealthy. 

*21. It's Unregulated
Meaning that no one can go to their doctor to get a referral or use their benefits to pay for personal training. We unfortunately do not have a governing body either. 

I am really hoping this changes because there are personal trainers like me who didn't receive their PT certificate through a weekend course and actually have years of study and practice.
If you'd like to know 20 things I LOVE about being a personal trainer click here.

Are you a personal trainer? What did you think about my list? Leave a comment below.​

Written by Simone Maglassis, CPT, ACSM, ACE
​https://linktr.ee/simonesfitfunlife

​I truly love what I do and don't see myself ever stepping foot out of the fitness & health industry. After making my list about 20 things I hate about being a personal trainer, I of course had to make a list about the many things I love. 

1. My own hours
In the beginning this was hard to achieve but now I have more control of my time and schedule which gives me total control of when I want to work. Now I take don't train clients past a certain time and I take weekends off for myself.

2. The positive environment
It's not like working in a bank or high stress level job.

My job is to de-stress my clients. That's why there's a lot of laughing, dancing, and just a general stress free environment.

3. Transformations
It's not just the "before" and "after". It's way more than that.

It's the improved sleep, reduced or eliminated back pain, knee pain, joint pain. It's the increased confidence boosts, more energy and so much more.

I'm not selling exercise, I'm selling exercise and health which is what we all need.

​To see my testimonials click here.

4. No vacation limit
It's nice to know that I'm not limited to a certain amount of sick days or vacation days.

5. I'm my own boss
This is bittersweet as it comes with other cons. However, I also work as an executive assistant at another fitness company so I get the best of both worlds.

In today's age many are entrepreneurs and for good reason.

You are in control of your destiny and being your own boss is part of that.

6. Help people in ways I never imagined
For instance, I trained one client and then his family member decided to join and then another family member started to eat healthier and it had a ripple effect on the whole family.

I also had two female clients that struggled with infertilely and I kid you not, within 2 weeks they fell pregnant!

I still talk to clients I no longer train to this day and they are happy to share how far they've come in their fitness and health journey.

7. Cancellations are oh so bittersweet
If a client lets me know at 7am that they have to cancel I get to roll over, sigh, smile and go back to bed.

However, it's bittersweet because that time slot could have gone to another client and if they cancel within 24 hours of the appointment I can lose out on income. 

8. Doing something I love
Clients often say "I don't know how you do this all day" but the answer is simple: because I love to exercise!

9. No judgment
I've had clients breakdown in tears, share embarrassing stories or vent about their day.

I provide a listening eat and they know this is judgement free zone. We're both here to work on their goals and with the mutual trust and understanding, it makes it that much more worth it to do my job.

10. My clients inspire me
When they ask me a question I don't know the answer to and seek to find it out, it inspires me to have the answer for the next client.

So many clients have inspired me to write blog posts and when a client is struggling with something I'm also struggling with, we can work on it together.

11. Working as a team
"We'll work as a team" This is what I often tell my clients because ultimately, they know their body better than I do. 

Even better, if they have a physio, chiro, osteopath or other health professional working with them, I'm able to reach out to them to ensure that we're on the same page with helping the client reach their goal. 

12. Peek into different lives
I have clients that are lawyer, work in real estate, social work and more.

Hearing about their profession is interesting and the advice they have to offer is always insightful.

13. Gifts
Sometimes it's a downright gift giving battle.

14. Variety
There's kick boxing, circuits, HITT, Tabata, yoga, Pilates, big box gym (which I don't see myself ever returning to) and more.

I'll never get bored and I'm always on the hunt for new and creative exercises and receipts. 

15. I'm more than a personal trainer
I'm a teacher, coach, detective (if you're doing everything right and not getting results, you're doing something wrong), a listening ear, a mediator (sometimes my clients family members can be hurtful), and an influencer (not necessarily in the social media kind of way).

While I specialize with clients who want to achieve weight loss, I also prescribe rehab exercises to those who need it (which is most). 

16. Busting myths 
There's nothing like explaining why what a client believes to be true is in indeed not accurate.

I provide them with the articles and resources and let them make their own decisions.

Their faces are priceless when they realize that not everything is classified as "bad" and "good".

17. I get to wear fitness clothes all day 
Have you noticed that more people are wearing fitness clothes as every day wear?

I'm one of those people.

I never have to worry about getting all dressed up to go to work because that's never been me. I am way to lazy to wear heels, make up, get my hair done all nice ugh forget it. 

18. In-home training is a growing industry 
It's sad to say, but more and more people are falling into the overweight and obese category, which means I'll never be out of a job.

Plus, the convenience of having a personal trainer come to your home and provide you with equipment and a nutrition plan AND a specific exercise program prescribed to you? It's too good to pass up.

19. CECs
This is known as Continuing Education Credits all personal trainers must stay up to date by doing new courses to reach a certain amount of CEC "points" within their certifying body. So this forces me to continue to be the awesome trainer I strive to be. 

20. I learn about myself
I don't know it all and I need to practice what I preach, sometimes my clients put me in my place (rightfully so!) and each day teaches me something new.

More specifically, I've learned to better organize my time, my client documents and sort through the never ending information on fitness and health.

​Are you in the personal training industry? What are the things you like?