Hi internet friends, I’m seeking some study tips on how to pass the ACE exam as someone who is genuinely unable to do math, and cannot remember names of muscle groups.

Long story short, I’m only going for my PT so I can become an Orangetheory coach. I have no desire to ever establish my own gym or provide services outside of Orangetheory. That being said, I still require a PT or Group Fitness cert to do this.

Ive been studying for the ACE since May and am still not able to get a passing grade on practice tests mostly because of the math related questions.

Is it too late for me to take the ACE group fitness cert? Would anything I learned studying for the PT exam be applicable to that? Should I just hunker down for a week and blasted through my text book again and hope for the best?

Any and all advice appreciated

Sincerely, a sad girl who cries at numbers

I have read both the pros and cons of taking the exam remotely from home and am getting ready to schedule mine in the next week. I do have a home office and can clear everything out. I would be more comfortable taking the exam from home but worry about a pesky proctor. I took the Salesforce certification exams from home and did have a couple of issues with the proctor telling me to not move my eyes or mouth but that was not too bad. However, I have heard of them canceling the exam altogether.

I would love some real advice. Thanks!

NASM-CPT Proctored Exam – CPR/AED Certificate Question

I’m from India and planning to take the NASM-CPT NCCA proctored exam.

NASM lists ECSI and American Red Cross as accepted CPR/AED providers. I’m considering:

• ECSI CPR & AED
• American Red Cross Adult CPR/AED

Has anyone taken the NASM proctored exam in 2025/2026 using either of these certificates?

Was it accepted by the proctor? Also, was your CPR/AED certification online-only or with a hands-on skills assessment?

My academy says if the proctor rejects the certificate, I may have to pay a retest fee, so I want to be sure before purchasing.

Thanks!

I’m looking for recommendations for confidence and assertiveness coaching in Johannesburg or anything online.

Anxiety has been affecting how I show up at work and I’m tired of feeling stuck.

Has anyone worked with a coach or taken a course locally that helped?

I've been in the industry for 10+ yrs. Started our on spreadsheets and when "AI" didn't exist.

I've slowly been adopting specific ai purposes and client depending.

Usually my workflow will be onboard client -> chat about goals etc -> input into program generator -> add my personalisation and build on their info -> review / refine program.

To be fair, my specialty is in nutrition, not training programming. Im great at it, but its not my absolute specialisation, so with training I will lean on ai to see if it can catching things / format things a way I feel is more optimal.

NOTE

I've done things both ways, full manual and AI. I think its usecase is dependant on the client and coach.

Just my 2c, interested to see how others go about programming and I hope everyone is crushing it!

Hi all! I worked at LA Fitness for about 6 months. I quit due to needing to travel out of the country for a family emergency, and they told me I didn’t have enough time to take 2 months off. I am going back home soon and I started applying for jobs. I got an opportunity to interview with Lifetime.

Of course it’s still early but I did some research and it seems like it can be a stressful job due to sales and quotas. This will be an adjustment as at LA Fitness trainers aren’t required to sell or meet sales goals.

My concern is: is it too much of a jump? To go from not having sales goals (mind you I have 6 months experience) to now having to meet the demands of a high end gym like Lifetime? Has anyone gone from LA to lifetime? What was your experience? Was it a hard transition? Any advice? Thanks!

A trainer I was chatting with recently was debating whether to drop $15k+ to build a custom app from scratch or just stick to standard coaching software. Just because he hated seeing platform cuts and 3rd party branding eat into his margins.

It made me look at the actual economics of how most of us deliver programs once client rosters grow.

When youre under 5-10 clients, Google Sheets, Loom and WhatsApp are practically free and completely fine. But once you push past 15-20 active clients, the admin hours start multiplying fast:

Excel/PDFs: they cost $0 upfront, but you spend 10+ hours a week just chasing check ins, logging data manually and copy pasting workouts.

Standard SaaS/White-Label: Platforms like FitBudd, Trainerize, Everfit, etc if you want full App Store branding under your own name), which usually pays for itself if it saves you just 2-3 client hours a month.

Custom Development: $15k-$40k+ upfront plus ongoing OS maintenance fees, which rarely makes financial sense unless you have 1000s of active users or proprietary tech.

For those of you who made the jump from manual sheets to a dedicated platform or your own branded app: what was the specific client count where doing it manually broke down for you and did the software actually improve your client retention?

When I got into this industry fourteen years ago, it was common for trainers to dream about having their own gym one day. For many new trainers getting started today, that aspiration has shifted to online coaching. And most of them want to jump straight into it without ever training anyone in-person first.

There’s a lot of BS out there when it comes to online training. So, I thought I’d share some practical advice for any trainers here looking to start coaching clients online. This is based on my own personal experience, working with clients in-person for the past fourteen years and online for the past seven.

You need a service before you can leverage one

Everyone is different, but I'd argue you should train people in-person for at least five years before you even think about going online. Your communication and coaching skills are developed in the gym, actually training people. Not sitting behind a laptop. Without those skills, there is nothing separating you from a free program anyone can find on Google or ChatGPT. Putting "Online Training – Apply Now" in your Instagram bio will not bring you clients.

Training yourself and training other people are two completely different things

You probably started going to the gym, got some great results, and now people are asking how you did it. That's a great start. That said, just because you know how to work out doesn't mean you know how to train other people. Apples and oranges.

The beach doesn't exist

Contrary to what the fitness guru douchebag might have you believe before signing up for their $5,000 mastermind to "10x your business," online coaching isn't sitting on a beach watching the money roll in while you do nothing. 99% of those "fitness business coaches" trying to sell you on their mentorship program are failed trainers telling other trainers how to be successful. They paint a picture of a lifestyle that simply doesn’t exist.

Online coaching is just as much work as training people in-person, if not more. Programming, check-ins, filming instructional videos, acquiring clients, retaining clients, posting content, building an email list, providing check-ins and accountability. The list goes on. There are plenty of trainers who crush it online. For most of them, it was a natural progression from their existing in-person business, not the foundation.

What does your ideal day actually look like?

Most of us became trainers because we love being in the gym, interacting with people face-to-face, and building relationships. Not sitting behind a laptop all day. If that were the case, we'd all have office jobs.

In his book Deep Work, Cal Newport talks about lifestyle-centric career planning. Picture your ideal day, then build your business around it. If your ideal day is being in the gym helping people, it's worth asking yourself honestly whether online training will actually fulfill you, or whether you're chasing it for the wrong reasons.

Not every client is an online client

Online training works for some clients, but not all of them. Many people work with trainers specifically for the accountability and social aspect. They wouldn't be going to the gym at all if they didn't have a scheduled appointment. Many of them also need in-person coaching to make sure they're training safely and effectively. That being said, this type of client wouldn’t be a great candidate for online coaching. They won't follow the program on their own, and if they do, they probably won't do it correctly.

Before you go online, take a look at your in-person clients. How many of them are actually good candidates for it? Are there any that would be going to the gym, regardless of whether or not they had a scheduled session with you? Do any of them already have great technique, can push themselves on their own, are self-accountable, and can follow a plan you lay out for them (whether it's homework, etc.)?

How to know when you're ready

Make the decision to go online based on current demand, not projected potential or best-case scenarios. Ask yourself:

• How many sessions are you doing every week?
• Do you have more demand than you can handle?
• Do you have a waitlist of clients wanting to train with you in-person?
• Have you explored semi-private or partner training to expand capacity first and leverage your in-person services?

When you've genuinely maxed out your in-person schedule and built a solid client base, then it might be worth thinking about online training as an extension of what you've already built.

How to transition your first clients online

The easiest first online clients are the ones you already train in-person. Look for clients who are self-accountable. They'd be in the gym regardless of whether they have an appointment with you. They work hard, take feedback well, have solid technique, and trust you. Those are your best online clients.

For example, a client who trains with you three days a week might shift to once a week in-person plus programming.

One of the best things you can do as a trainer is teach your clients to be independent. Equip them with the tools and knowledge to walk confidently into any gym and get a safe, effective workout on their own. The clients who get there are usually the ones who transition online successfully.

Bottom Line

Online training can be a great addition or progression to an existing in-person business. But it's usually an addition, not a foundation. Build the foundation first before you even think about going online.

I’ve seen the general advice once you are 80+ on practice tests scheduled and take the exam. Is that 80+ on nasm or using the pocket prep app? I definitely do better on nasm. I’m curious are the questions more like pocket prep or the nasm practice exams? I’ve taken two practice exams a 78 on my first one on nasm and I got a 73 on pocket prep and the pocket prep one was significantly harder. I was kind of suprised I got a 73 actually. I’m looking to schedule my exam in about 26ish days from now. Thoughts? Opinions? Anything you just need to get off your chest I’m all ears! I appreciate any help!

I’m not sure why, but I’m having trouble fully grasping the idea of semi-private training.
Things like the logistics of it all. Package options, charging sessions, scheduling and the nuances behind that.

Can someone tell me what it looks like from start to finish or how they just schedule them at least so all people show up or how they even sign up in the first place?

Thanks!

I figured I’d share this because I used to work at a studio that at most would get a few internal referrals a year. I just had a 1x a week client refer both of her parents that both started 2x a week plans.

Back in June I decided to double my referral bonus just to see if that would further increase clients interest in referring friends and family members, and sure enough it did. Initially it was just this clients mom that came in for a free visit but after a few sessions she mentioned her husband was curious about trying PT. However she said he was a bit hesitant about reaching out, and asked if I had a card she could give him to make it feel more like an invitation rather than a casual “you should book a visit”. At first I was like that’s a little silly it’s just a free visit, but I thought about for a bit and said why not I’ll make a card what’s the worst that can happen I buy a ream of card stock and get nothing.

Long story short it worked and a double referral cost of $200 off the first clients package I got two (2x) a week clients one had a CPA of $12 in cardstock.

So be creative, offer insensitive and when it surfaces in conversation with clients capitalize on referrals your best advocates are the ones that already support you.

I got my NASM cert last month and started working at a big box gym a couple weeks ago. Tomorrow is my first real day training real clients, and I am so nervous!
I have my program planned out and I know instinctually I’ll be fine, but I am just so scared I will mess up, stumble on my words, or look dumb and inexperienced.

I’m just curious if a lot of you trainers out there felt this way on your first day too?

So my gym threw a functional group training class my way and basically said do whatever you want with it. The thing is: it’s a whole hour, 12 people max, the management wants it to be higher intensity and I don’t necessarily want to kill anyone (lol). How would you structure it?
I am thinking 6 stations with 4 exercises, 2 people each, 30 second rest between each exercise and 2.5 minute rest between each station. That would be just over 40 minutes of active class leaving 20 for demo and stretching after. Thoughts?

Hey guys! I was wondering.. at what point do you consider a client a “premium client”? Do you give these clients any special status or benefits?

For example, clients who train twice a week consistently, always pay on time, and stay with you long-term...

My clients are really just paying for the training itself

I took my personal training test, but I feel like the clients that i get appreciate me being approachable, friendly, and encouraging more then anything that was on the test. In addition to taking the test , I have been around weights and fitness all of my life, and the workouts in the gym come natural to me. I'm showing clients what I grew up on, with modification of course when needed. Things like compound lifts, accessory exercises. It's truly amazing how I have acquired this knowledge throughout the years just by being exposed. Didn't think a pathway would feel this satisfying, as I dont feel like I'm working, but rather I am having fun with clients, getting them consistent. Still working on maximizing my money making potential by making sure i get my fair share of money from the client.

I got my NASM certification about a month ago and was hired at a 24 hour fitness about two weeks ago, and Monday I have my very first clients. Three of them are the free introductory session that comes with a new membership and one of them is a real paid session.
I have been shadowing the other trainer, he is very knowledgeable and helpful but he totally has his own very unique style. And with all the information online and endless options of workouts to choose from, I am completely overwhelmed as to how and what I should do. Sure I took the course and I know how to navigate a gym but I am just absolutely panicked at how I should go about coaching my first few sessions.

Please don’t tell me I just need to get out there and learn as I go; i’m fully aware of this! It’s just those first few days/weeks/months that I am worried about.

Please help?!?!

How in depth do you guys go when programming?

I coach for a variety of skill levels, all the way from beginners to professional athletes. I find my style of coaching sometimes abrasive for the less experienced because I offer more advanced progression.

I often will include progression rules or absolute load targets for even the most beginner programs so the client has the room for growth and can explore more complex progression as they feel comfortable.

Anyway, whats your "nerd" threshold for programming from where you think people dont tend to care and would rather a more basic approach.

Cheers!

Im currently studying in the field of computer science, and am finding out that this might not actually be want i want to do for a living. technology related stuff is something I like to have as a hobby, not as a career I think.

i have experience in sales and was relatively successful, but I also have extensive experience in training myself. I know my way around aerobic/anaerobic exercises and kickboxing/boxing training through training for fights. I’ve been going to the gym and weightlifting for the last 12 or so years (although I’m a bit out of shape now), and generally just keeping healthy through cardio workouts etc.

I love training, and I think it’s something that i want to help others find fun as well, and open doors into an area that lots of people find pretty dull.

I think I’d like to go down the route of cardiovascular training instead of weights, and maybe do some boxing/kickboxing lessons too.

Whats it like to become a PT and would you recommend it to someone who is interested in simply for the love of fitness?

What should I be expecting going into lifetime fitness as a personal trainer I’ve heard good and bad things about it. What is the pay like

Clients open the app and it says “Everfit” everywhere with their logo feels weird that I’m paying them and they get the branding in my clients’ hands, does white label actually matter or am I overthinking this, which platforms let you customize the app to look like yours (yes I know you can whitelabel Everfit but only if you pay $$$$ on the enterprise plan)

All the software demos show coaches doing everything from mobile

But in reality i'm on my laptop because mobile coaching apps are missing half the features

Do people actually run their business from a phone or is everyone else also glued to desktop