Fitness Instructor Training
A Fitness Instructor Training interview
with Scott Thompson of Fitness Together
MPTS: Scott thanks for joining us in the 1st of what will hopefully be many conversations with you about fitness instructor training. We’re very excited to have you here, not only as a friend, but as an authority in a field that is of high interest to our readers here at “My Personal Trainer School.
Scott Thompson (ST): Boh thanks for having me. It is my pleasure to help those interested in learning what career avenues are out there in the personal training world.
MPTS: Now, we go back quite a long way, but I’d love for you to introduce yourself to everyone reading this.
ST: Name is Scott Thompson born and raised in Brockton, Ma and I currently reside in Westchester County, NY. My current job is Area Developer of NY for the World’s Largest Personal Training Organization Fitness Together. We are a private one on one personal training franchise that helps producers in the personal training industry become business leaders. Boh and I met at Bridgewater State College where we both graduated in 2001 as Exercise Science Majors.
MPTS: Tell us a little bit about your childhood. What were some of your biggest influences, and do you think they shaped some of your academic and then career decisions?
ST: As a boy growing up in Brockton I came from a single parent home and my biggest outlet was baseball and basketball. I played pretty much every sport but loved basketball and baseball. I would say my Aunt Sandy, Uncle Barry and my Grandmother taught me about hard work and dedication in my early years. My Mother is the one who pushed me academically and that is why I graduated college in 4 years vs. 5 or 6 like some people I know. One of the biggest decisions I made after college was to go into business for myself and open my first Fitness Together franchise in Dedham, Ma.
MPTS: I'm not sure who you are referring to as far as 5 years is concerned :) I know what eventually brought me to Bridgewater State College, but how did you decide upon the school and the program?
ST: Let me go back to when I started college at Rivier College in 1997 in Nassua, NH, I chose that school because they had a great Physical Therapy program and I was recruited to play basketball for them. After my freshman year over the summer I tore my ACL in my left knee. I had to make a difficult decision to return home and have surgery. While home I took a semester of classes at Massasoit Community College and began having physical therapy on my knee. After having this therapy I realized that this was not going to be my passion. Exercise was my passion so I began looking at programs that had an Exercise Science program and found Bridgewater State and the rest is history…
MPTS: So, at the end of your academic career, is what you are doing today what you envisioned yourself doing?
ST: Not at all! I thought I would be doing cardiac rehab at a local Boston hospital. I have to say that owning my own business and still having a passion for what I do has been a blessing for me.
MPTS: Our readers have varied backgrounds. Some are just embarking on their fitness career voyage, while others have been sailing for a while. What can you tell them about your organization, starting from the ground up?
ST: I started with Fitness Together and only stayed as a Trainer at this organization because they had great growth opportunities for their trainers. I never wanted to trade time for money for the rest of my life but I didn’t want to leave the personal training field. I decided to stay with Fitness Together and opened a franchise in Dedham in 2002 after three very successful years I opened two more locations one in Norwell and the other in Ashland. I then put an investment team together to open 30 locations up along the east coast and then the CEO Rick Sikorski came to visit and told me he want me to be the Area Developer of New York. I sold my three studios in Massachusetts and moved to New York in 2005 and have been here since. I have added 30 locations and continue to help personal trainers follow their dreams of owning their own business. Fitness Together is a growing organization and is a great place for a successful trainer to take his or her career to the next level.
MPTS: Many of our readers are in the process of choosing their certifications and are just beginning the study process. What are the specific requirements for your Personal Training team as far as education?
ST: That is a great question! We require all of our trainers to have a 4 year degree and have one of the major certifications out there. NSCA, ACSM, ACE, AFFA and ISSA. We also have each trainer go through our IN-House Personal Trainer program which is a 50 hour certification where they will learn our system of doing customer service/Training and at the end be qualified to train in the private training suites.
MPTS: I’m going to ask the question that is always on every new Personal Trainer’s mind…what can a Personal Trainer joining an FT expect to make as a salary? How is the pay structure set up?
ST: We typically pay a full-time trainer a base salary of around $30-$50k a year depending on experience and fit for the studio. We also have 50% health benefits paid by the FT studio and bonus structures on referrals and earned sessions. The most important reason why a trainer would want to work for our organization is the ability to join our producer to leader program which after 18 months the trainer will be eligible to own his or her own studio. We help them with the financing of their studio as well.
MPTS: I can remember when I first began Personal Training being very excited about working one-on-one with clients and in groups, but I also knew that I wanted even greater responsibilities on top of that. What are the opportunities for growth within your organization?
ST: We have Lead Trainer roles, Assistant Management roles, Sales Director roles, Full Management Roles, Minority Ownership Roles and Ownership opportunities.
MPTS: Now, out of all the roles that you’ve helped with the organization, what was the most challenging at each level and what was most rewarding?
ST: The most challenging was being a boss and owning my own facility. The most rewarding I’d have to say was when I owned multiple facilities because I had an opportunity to help a great deal of clientele and help my trainers become more successful in their careers. Leadership can be very rewarding.
MPTS: For someone debating on whether to “go it alone”, or to join a company like Fitness Together, what would you tell them about the various pros and cons.
ST: I would say if you plan to open on your own you should hire a business consultant or coach to help guide you through the process. There are many pitfalls that people do not think about prior to opening their own business and if you are not careful it could be costly and you may go out of business before you ever get a chance to open your doors. Buying into a franchise concerns a lot of trainers because they feel they will lose their identities as trainers. This is actually not the case Fitness Together allows for you to put your own flare on your workouts and training but provides you with the business structure and coaching that will help propel you into a successful business person who can make a good living doing what you love.
MPTS: Looking back on your professional career thus far, is there anything you would change?
ST: Absolutely Nothing! I’m extremely blessed and thank God everyday for giving me this great opportunity with a growing company.
MPTS: Alright, last business question (at least for this installment). What advice do you have for aspiring fitness professionals that are either just entering the industry and/or are having trouble finding their way in what is really a lucrative yet competitive market?
ST: I would suggest to them to not focus all of their attention on being the best technical trainer but to spend time on learning professional skills such as communication, psychology, sales skills and how to manage your time more effectively. These skills will ultimately help them with difficult clients, overcome objections in the sales process and allow for less down time and more training.
MPTS: Anything new and/ or exciting in your life outside of work? What’s next for Mr. Scott Thompson?
ST: We are looking to buy a home maybe in NY or back in Beantown??? I’m also looking to open a franchise consulting business to help people who aspire to franchise their business.
MPTS: Now, what our readers have been waiting for…….what are your predictions for the NBA Finals? Celtics maybe?
ST: CELTICS raise number 17 in Boston!
MPTS: Scott, thank you so much for joining the “My Personal Trainer School” family today. I know that your experience and expertise within the fitness industry will prove invaluable to our readers.
ST: Thanks for having me and I look forward to helping people believe in themselves and follow their dreams.
MPTS: If you’d like to contact Scott Thompson to learn more about Fitness Together and their career opportunities, you may contact him by:
ST: scottthompson@fitnesstogether.com or visit www.fitnesstogether.com or call our office at 781-603-7656
MPTS: Thanks again Scott. We’re all looking forward to speaking with you again soon.
See you soon!
Boh
David Bohmiller, BS, NSCA-CSCS
President/Owner
My Personal Trainer School LLC
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