Grow up and get a "real" job

A few nights ago, a fellow trainer shared with me some negative comments he’d received about his chosen career. Specifically, this trainer was told he should “grow up and get a real job.”

It baffles me how anyone can think that what we do is not a “real” job. Having previously worked for a magazine, where colleagues and I spent hours crafting articles for readers whom we’d never met, I feel that personal training is as close to reality as it gets.

Every day, we are in the trenches. We might not be doctors or peacemakers or humanitarians, but our job consists of far more than stringing together exercises and demonstrating proper form.

Back in October, I had the opportunity to interview Tony Horton, the mastermind (and body) behind P90X. Tony related personal training to practicing medicine. If you are a trainer, he said, you can call yourself “pre-med,” as in preventative medicine.

But it goes even deeper than that. In some ways, our clients’ goals define what we do for a living. For example, two of my clients are trying to get in shape to keep up with their young kids. My purpose, then, becomes helping these two individuals be better parents. Another client is trying to take time off his marathon – my purpose is to help him become a better runner.

I can think of no undertaking more real than to help people reach their goals through physical, concrete means. I’m proud to be personal trainer.