Do you dream of sharing your passion for fitness with others, but don't (yet) want to give up the security of your permanent job?
The good news is: you don't have to decide. Entering the fitness industry can be realised excellently as a sideline business.
Becoming a fitness trainer on the side is a way to build up a second pillar risk-free. In this guide you will find out how to bring your training and your full-time job together without stress.
Why entering on the side is ideal
The leap into complete self-employment or a radical change of industry can seem intimidating. The part-time path offers you decisive advantages:
- Financial security: your main job continues to cover your fixed costs. You are not dependent on immediately having fully booked classes or personal training clients.
- Real-world test: you can find out at your leisure whether teaching and looking after clients really brings you as much enjoyment as your own training.
- Organic growth: you have the time to slowly build up a network and a solid client base before perhaps one day switching to full-time.
- More than an additional income: alongside the money, a part-time activity brings the satisfaction of accompanying other people on their way to a healthier lifestyle.
The right training: flexibility is trump
When you complete a fitness trainer training alongside your job, time is your most valuable resource. Your first milestone is usually the Fitness- und Bewegungstrainer Basic training, as it represents the absolute foundation for teaching on the training floor: it gives you the knowledge and the practical skills to lead training sessions safely and effectively, and to support, instruct and motivate your training guests.
When choosing your training provider, pay attention to the following criteria:
- Swiss training: many renowned Swiss academies now offer blended learning concepts. You work through the theory flexibly online on your laptop or tablet, while the practice takes place on a few blocked weekends. The update Akademie in particular builds its courses around people who train alongside a job.
- Free time management: choose a provider where you can determine the pace yourself. If your main job gets more stressful at times, you should have the option to pause or extend the training free of charge.
- Recognition: make sure that the certificates are recognised industry-wide (e.g. through the ISO or accreditation for the module examinations of the eidg. Fachausweis). A recognised certificate opens the doors to various fitness studios and facilities for you, and it increases your standing with potential clients.
Expert tip: speak openly with your current employer. In many employment contracts, a secondary activity is subject to notification. As long as you do not work for a direct competitor and your main job does not suffer, this is usually approved without problems.
5 strategies: time management for aspiring trainers
How do you find the time for training theory, the foundations of strength and endurance training and the principles of healthy nutrition when you work 40 hours a week? Here are the best strategies:
- Block fixed learning slots: treat your learning times like important business meetings. Whether it is Sunday morning from 08:00 to 10:00 or two evenings during the week, enter them firmly in your calendar.
- Use micro-learning: make use of dead time. Listen to podcasts or lectures while commuting, read a script during your lunch break or go over terminology such as muscle names during cardio training.
- Create synergies: connect the theory directly with your own practice. When you learn how the chest muscles work, apply the knowledge quite consciously during your next bench press training.
- The 80/20 principle (Pareto): concentrate on the concepts that are really relevant for the exam and your later practice. Perfectionism is the enemy of success on the side.
- Plan recovery phases: job, learning and your own training can quickly lead to burnout. Consciously plan off-days on which you neither work, nor learn, nor train.
The first steps after graduation
As soon as you hold the diploma in your hands, it is time for implementation. Don't sell yourself short, but be aware that you first have to gain experience.
- Taking on off-peak hours: fitness studios often look hard for trainers for the morning shifts, the evening shifts or the weekend. That fits perfectly with your working hours.
- Stand-in activities: offer yourself as a holiday and sickness cover for classes. That way you quickly gain practice and build relationships with the members.
- Being a good host: a successful part-time trainer makes sure that all guests feel comfortable in the studio. Be open, approach people, get to know as many of them as possible and build yourself a large network.
- Build up personal branding: use social media (Instagram, LinkedIn) to document your journey. Share your knowledge and show potential clients that you are now officially qualified.
Where you can go from there
The world of fitness is diverse, and the Basic training is only the entry point. With the Fitness- und Bewegungstrainer Advanced training you deepen your knowledge further. There are also further training opportunities in the field of nutrition, group fitness or athletic training. That way you can build up your second pillar step by step and in the direction that suits you.
The path to becoming a fitness trainer on the side demands discipline and perseverance. But the feeling of standing officially as a trainer on the floor for the first time and helping others with their goals is worth every minute invested.
Would you also like to turn your hobby into a profession?
Discover the various training programmes of the update Akademie to qualify as a fitness trainer.
