Uncover how a leap from the wrestling ring to the fitness studio can redefine success and passion. Hear from our guest, Chris, a former pro wrestler turned personal trainer, whose story of transformation is nothing short of remarkable. He peels back the curtain on the grit it takes to pivot careers, embracing the world of fitness with the same fervor he once tackled opponents. Chris candidly shares the hurdles of the certification journey, the art of managing a bustling client base, and the nuance of pricing his worth, laying out a roadmap for trainers navigating their first professional year.
Then we tackle the silent adversary of many trainers – burnout. I reveal my own battle with balancing the scales of work and life, while also taking you through the trenches of sales objections and the power of self-belief. You won't want to miss the insights from a fitness devotee who's smashing the stereotypes of aging. We discuss how consistent exercise isn't just about keeping up appearances; it's a gateway to mental clarity and sustained vigor no matter the number of candles on your cake. Together, we celebrate the deep connections formed within the fitness community and the unyielding spirit that keeps us all moving forward.
Want to ask us a question? Email email info@showupfitness.com with the subject line PODCAST QUESTION to get your question answered live on the show!
Uncover how a leap from the wrestling ring to the fitness studio can redefine success and passion. Hear from our guest, Chris, a former pro wrestler turned personal trainer, whose story of transformation is nothing short of remarkable. He peels back the curtain on the grit it takes to pivot careers, embracing the world of fitness with the same fervor he once tackled opponents. Chris candidly shares the hurdles of the certification journey, the art of managing a bustling client base, and the nuance of pricing his worth, laying out a roadmap for trainers navigating their first professional year.
Then we tackle the silent adversary of many trainers – burnout. I reveal my own battle with balancing the scales of work and life, while also taking you through the trenches of sales objections and the power of self-belief. You won't want to miss the insights from a fitness devotee who's smashing the stereotypes of aging. We discuss how consistent exercise isn't just about keeping up appearances; it's a gateway to mental clarity and sustained vigor no matter the number of candles on your cake. Together, we celebrate the deep connections formed within the fitness community and the unyielding spirit that keeps us all moving forward.
Want to ask us a question? Email email info@showupfitness.com with the subject line PODCAST QUESTION to get your question answered live on the show!
Welcome to the Show Up Fitness Podcast, where great personal trainers are made. We are changing the fitness industry one qualified trainer at a time, with our in-person and online personal training certification. If you want to become an elite personal trainer, head on over to showupfitnesscom. Also, make sure to check out my book how to Become a Successful Personal Trainer. Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review. Have a great day and keep showing up. Howdy everybody, and welcome back to the Show of Fitness podcast. Today, we are lucky to have one of the best names in the world, mr Chris, here. Thank you for showing up and we're going to talk to you about life as a trainer, oak Island, from pro wrestler to being a big hunk at young age of 46. Let's talk a little bit more. How's it going, my man?
Speaker 2:
Doing well. Can't be any better.
Speaker 1:
You have a really neat story. We'll talk about your wrestling career. But you wanted to find some more excitement and you got into the NASM career level zero. But then a big belt buckle smacked you across the face and you said you know, this makes a little more sense. So talk to us about your certification process and where you're at now.
Speaker 2:
All right. So you mentioned pro wrestling. I was saying, like, pro wrestling is my passion, just love it. When I left that world you can't do it forever because it takes a toll on the body. I was just trying to find something that I love, something that really matched my intensity level. I wanted to give back and I couldn't find it until I kind of thought about personal training and I was like you know what, let's give this a shot.
Speaker 2:
I thought about it years before but just never went into it. So as I was looking into how to get certified or whatever you do, nasm comes up first. As I'm going through learning about all that how to pass the test, show up, videos are showing up and I started taking note of those subscribe. They'd come up in all my searches and I'd start seeing people discussing how they'd pass that NASM test. But here's, show up, give them free information. And I was like I really like this. So, as I made a decision, I paid for my NASM, didn't realize I could get a refund, gave them money for nothing and went your direction. So, oh well, free money for them.
Speaker 1:
But it is. You're lucky because you have to think of it as long-term. You could go down to that whole dark hole of getting the next specialization, the next specialization, like so many trainers do, and that's where that statistic stands out level zero trainers who get their textbook certification. The likelihood of them making it past the year is really, really low. But look at you, You're at a spot now, and how long have you been training there for?
Speaker 2:
Going on a year, well, about a year and a couple of weeks now.
Speaker 1:
So how cool is that? And I mean, can you just compare the differences? Because we've never met in person. I'm intimidated by it because you got big biceps and you might do some wrestling moves on me, but we've never met in person. But you've been able to learn through the online program. How can you compare that?
Speaker 2:
to the textbook. The textbook. You said it best in one of the level one videos esoteric knowledge. I would. I had these flash cars as I was driving to and from where I live to where I'm at now. I was was making trips, studying in the car for three and a half hours trying to remember all these words Like how am I going to apply this? What is this? Not really understanding what they're doing, and it's like how would I apply this on a daily basis? I didn't really understand, but esoteric knowledge is the best way I can say it. When will I apply this? Cool to know it, but how does this work when we're trying to teach Susan how to squat?
Speaker 1:
There wasn't probably many times that you can recall that you've implemented those strategies from a textbook into your training. Now right, 100%.
Speaker 2:
I might have said a couple of the terms, just like hey, I know what that means, but the client doesn't care, it doesn't really matter. I've heard it before.
Speaker 1:
Your clientele base. Talk to us about your training and are you doing 30 minute sessions? How much did the sessions cost and what has some of those struggles been the first year training.
Speaker 2:
Okay, currently got about 25 clients. Most of them are 30 minutes. I do have a few hour sessions. They started slowly and they was always grown. They've always grown, so my book is full where now I'm not taking any more.
Speaker 2:
I've created a waiting list so I was giving a discount because I was kind of nervous to ask for the money. So I'm $60 for half hour, $120 for an hour and I felt like that was too much to ask. So we did give a discount for someone who would sign up for three times a week and now we're at the point where there's no more discount because I'm confident enough that I can ask for it and they're going to either do it or not, like you've always said. Here's how many times a week would you like to train? Here's how much it is. How would you like to pay? It's as simple as that. That was the first struggle trusting myself enough to ask for it and know I could provide the service and they would pay for it. And when you were texting me about doing this, I was at the bank and the lady at the bank was like I've been hearing your name at that gym, so it was pretty cool to hear somebody. I've only seen one other time mention my name from a friend of hers and a friend of hers, so my name is spread.
Speaker 2:
I'm doing well with the clients I've got. So the money was the first thing, asking for it, believing I could do it. Now I'm learning how to work around injuries. I've got knee issues, things like that. So really trying to learn more about that type of issues, things like that. So really trying to learn more about that type of clientele.
Speaker 2:
And, by the way, I've got clients from 13 to 75. So I've got all levels. I've got some smaller athletes and some just trying to stay stronger 65-year-olds and they lie to me about their diet. Sometimes I'm not eating anything but I'm not losing weight. We're in here with a couple times a week for me. Well, what are you doing outside of that? I'm learning about that. I've also learned that if they aren't really willing to put in a lot of time, the results aren't going to be there and it's a struggle to keep them coming. It feels like if I can't get them in there more than once a week, it's going to be like pulling teeth. Are you going to schedule me this week if we don't have a schedule already and that kind of pulls the fun out of it. I've got one lady who makes reels when we're training and she's like I love this, I got my butt kicked. Thank you so much, coach Swift. And I've got the other ones who are calling in sick all the time, so I've got both styles to deal with there.
Speaker 1:
So when you're on top of the ropes and taylor swift was your name and your heart rate is through the roof. You experienced that when you asked the client for 120 bucks right I really do.
Speaker 2:
And they say here's your card. I love that, as I got them, not got them.
Speaker 1:
But you know, I'm saying they they're gonna do it, we're gonna do something, that's cool just about that whole experience where there's a natural angst that $120 an hour that's a legitimate profession.
Speaker 1:
I remember growing up my dad would charge $100 as a PhD, as a psychologist and if you think about charging that same amount, someone has six years of post, you know, bachelor's of science, and it's pretty fascinating that we are medical professionals, because we're at the front line of defense. People need our services to move better and feel better and we help them with their confidence and, like you said right there, you're able to start to build your confidence even more, realizing that, ironically right, the ones who pay more and the ones who show up more, they get the results and they're your best clients, versus the ones who show up once and they're penny pinched and you know, I want to discount 30 percent. Those are your most difficult ones.
Speaker 2:
There they are. I had one today sign up and I give him a program. He trains four times a week on his own. He's going to do it. And I compare that to somebody who's not there whenever I say you know, come, get two days in just on your own, just do the treadmill. Just something small. Here's a crumb. I didn't show up. I mean, I always say this too. If I played the piano for 30 seconds a day, you play for a minute. Who's going to be better? I break it down like that. I just use things like that. Simply, I know I've got to do more, but are you? I can't do that for you?
Speaker 1:
I really like that because I know that our listeners are going to take that gold nugget and you're going to start hearing that one more from Coach Chris over here in North Carolina. I love that Way to go. Now can you talk to us more about some struggles that you experienced in that first year? Because it's not all of a sudden. Day one, you're not making any money as a trainer. Day 360, you're just, you know, bathing in cash and everything is great. I'm sure you had some ups and downs.
Speaker 2:
It's the. I think I kind of covered that too. The first it was are you able to pay for it? It's that example. Today I had a lady had to sign up with me. She was kind of like my first couple of clients that price tag is too much. So I break it down like okay, how many times a week do you have to eat three times at $50? There's $600 a month. Can you do that that? I don't want to give that up. So having people give up what they are doing to do something different is the first thing. I didn't know enough to say about that in the beginning. So, kind of running out of um examples and and and word plays and things like that, I could say here's what it is, let's do it. And I didn't know how to chase that. No, I know how to get rid of it. So the re, the objections and you always talk about. If the husband or wife says no, you know, let's call them. Then I'm waiting to use that, but no one's giving me that one.
Speaker 2:
Sorry about the dog so um, those just not having enough in my ammunition to throw at them when I would get a rejection. That was number one and, like I said, believing in myself to do it, I keep going back to. I know how to train somebody but I don't know how to sell very well, but it's just practice and I didn't have enough practice to begin with. We do some role playing in the gym and the owner of the gym has just got so much to say. I wish if I could just record his conversations with people and his he did online training. He does a lot of online training. If I could just record his conversations, listen to things he'd say I would buy those just to listen to his like, all the swerves and extra information he gives. I wish I had known that, but you know, I struggled through and I got them in there. Now they're some of my best clients. I've got a lot of the same clients I've had since the first week.
Speaker 1:
They're still there and something that I remember as a new returner I would do boot camps at 6 am and that was in Alameda, and then I would drive about an hour to my other gym, Walnut Creek. It was more uppity and it was only like 20 miles away in an hour because of traffic and I would train from roughly three to around nine and you start kind of burning the candle at both ends. I mean, I think one of the reasons I was able to overcome not burning out is because I'm so obsessed with just exercise and for a lot of people who they don't like their job, that's then going to spiral into not being disciplined and motivated to exercise. But when you love exercising, you're in the gym, you work out. So I think I was able to not experience too much burnout, but is that something that has crept up in your career?
Speaker 2:
so far it has. Beginning of the year, I was doing some classes for the gym and they're 6 am to 5.30. Plus I had people on the schedule around that evening time. So having time for everybody in the day excluding myself, is a struggle. Getting up early, I don't mind getting up early and that whole mindset of getting up early, get more done. Yeah, I've been there, done that, but my personal like is not as early. But I'll do it. I'll do some early days but to live it day in, day out.
Speaker 2:
It took a toll and the owner of the gym realized I was kind of bringing less energy. He's like you, okay, I was like I think I'm kind of hitting that burnout point. He's always talked to us about burnout. It's going to happen sometime, so let's catch it before you take it out on your clients, before your clients suffer. So he pulled the classes away from me. I had more clients fill those spots in that were beneficial to me, so I had to find something else to do. Still haven't really done a lot. I was going to do some jujitsu, do something else outside the gym, but it's like the energy to go do that after being there. I'll have 15 hour days a lot, or did? I was there 17 to 7.15 yesterday, but I don't have those every day now, but definitely the burnout's there and I have signed up a lot of new clients the past two, three weeks.
Speaker 2:
Um, I thought the the beginning of the year, like the new year's resolution, was gonna be overpowering the gym. It's been the spring. People, what I was looking for the first of january didn't really show up till the past couple weeks. Now they're coming in drove. So I've took on a lot more clients and the owner of the gym said you know, let's take a look at your schedule before you hit that burnout again. Don't if someone leaves which I've had a couple of people uh, can't not cancel, but stop, stop coming to training. Uh, leave that open for yourself. I've definitely had to accept that. I love the money but I love the time as well. So definitely a balance is an important thing.
Speaker 1:
And that's important for those that may not be in a gym and that's one of the things I respect about the gym is they give you at least a low hanging fruit. And so, if you can try to experience the different Chris who didn't go into a gym environment you lack the confidence and you don't have anyone to go to. You don't have an online platform. You go out there, you meet someone and they say I want to train with you. You're in great shape, you're fucking jacked, you got big arms. And you go um, it's going to be 60 bucks. And they go oh, oh, that's really really expensive. And you go no, hold on, hold on, I can do it for 45. No, that's still too expensive. I got to talk to my significant other.
Speaker 2:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
Okay, I'll do it for 30. And so then you start training that person and you're starting to think like, maybe that's your ceiling. And then you pick up someone for like 35 or 40, 45, 50. And then your book is overwhelmed and you're like, holy shit, I'm starting to get the hang of it. I like this, but I'm not making that much money. So what do you need to do? I need to charge more. And then you go to the person from 30, and then you go it's going to be 60 now. And they go, no, why would I pay more for the same services? It's not going to happen.
Speaker 1:
And then that's when the burnout to get this fork as a new train. You're like, well, this isn't a career that you can truly sustain, this is a shitty career. But then you take a step back and you go well, how did you learn? And unfortunately, the mechanisms for quote unquote success are that. And so it's really neat to see how you've been able to overcome it and experience it, because this is a very, very small hurdle and you're going to have more of them in the future, but it's great that you've been able to overcome those. So way to go, my man I'm proud of you Real quick on that.
Speaker 2:
I've got one lady I signed with in the beginning because I was unsure if I could do it for pretty cheap. And the other day I signed up somebody for $1,200 a month and it's like man, I would love to let this cheaper one go to fill in more $1,200 a month, but she's been a great client. But I definitely see, wow, I sold myself too short on that one because I didn't believe I could ask for what I really wanted.
Speaker 1:
And so what you have in that experience, you start creating a bond with them and you're like well, I, you know, I like little Betsy or whoever it is, and so a technique that I would always do is we're not, and people don't. Trainers don't typically think like this and it's not a knock, but there's nothing wrong with talking about your business and so letting that client know like I've been here for a year and three weeks, it's so cool. I just signed up my first $1,200 client. You're still getting that grandmother rate or whatever you know grandfather rate in. So I just want to let you know that my book is growing and management is starting to require us to bump up our clients and I love working with you and you're doing great.
Speaker 1:
There's other trainers here, but I just want to let you know that I may have to bump you up, but what I can do is I can keep you at this rate if you give me a referral for someone who's going to train at that $1,200. Because then it's like you know you're looking out for me again. I wouldn't do it, but it's on my boss and I was always told from my mentors blame it on the boss. The boss will always take the heat because it's just an easy push off. Now you're not the bad guy. They're thinking, oh the damn boss, but they're not going to say anything. Now they're going to try to do their work for you and then, potentially, you can start filling in some more slots.
Speaker 2:
Right, right.
Speaker 1:
So I remember going to a seminar in Long Beach with Thomas Plummer. He's a very well-known fitness guru. He's had probably 40 years of experience and he looked at this room of probably 150, 200 people. If you haven't been to one of the Perform Betters they're great One of the seminars I would suggest obviously ours, but it won't be out there soon here, chris in North Carolina. But he said I was at a conference the other and this was probably four years ago.
Speaker 1:
But he's like I was at a conference not too long ago and a medical professional, a doctor, said on earth, right now, 100%, there's someone who's going to live to be 150 years old, and everyone's like, oh my God, oh my God. And so I want to talk a little bit about age, because I've met a lot of people who are like I'm too old to be a trainer. I'm 35, I'm 40. You're not old, you're 46 years young. And if we have this life expectancy starting to creep up to 150, you're not even a third into your life. So let's talk about what it's like training at the young age of 46. And how's that going?
Speaker 2:
I question myself like wow, in four years I'll be 50 years old. I'm old, I have that thought, but everyone tells me I would have never guessed you're 46. I've been training since I was 15. So I've always loved the gym doing that and I know that's helped my aging. My family's got older lifespans in the 90s and so only when I question myself and say it to myself, don't worry about it. Everybody else thinks I'm younger and I act younger. I still do box jumps. I love it. I'm trying to stay mobile and do things like that. I want to be that person in my age bracket who's just blowing everybody out of the water Like wow, his hips move that way. So only when I question myself or start having those thoughts creep in does it ever show a problem? The other trainer at the gym is 20. The owner of the gym is 27. And they think the 27 year old is older than me. So when we compare you make everything worse and I definitely got to learn just stop comparing.
Speaker 1:
Those answers automatic negative thoughts and they create and it's so true. If you are active and you see this and it's not like saying you're better and like that People love to put words in your mouth but compare yourself to people in high school and you start looking at people on Facebook and, holy shit, he let himself go, she let himself go and they look 20 years older.
Speaker 1:
And then you kind of look at side by side. You're like this is what exercise does. It literally is the fountain of youth. People are feeling aches and pains in their 60s but they never exercised. You got to realize that you're not going to start really experiencing that until you're in your late 70s, 80s, 90s, who knows?
Speaker 2:
Right.
Speaker 1:
Those little aches and pains are part of life and it just kind of tells you you're alive. But it's fun to go out there and do stuff and people are like you're how old. That's pretty awesome, pretty awesome.
Speaker 2:
Well, one of the beach classes we do. We do beach classes in the summers and the owner of the gym had us doing like some tug-of-war and after the teams did it he said all right, Chris and Alex, the other trainer, I want you guys to have a tug-of-war. I'm like this 20-year-old is not going to beat me at a tug-of-war and I felt bad what. I had to wait until he was tired, really. But at the end of that I said don't ever do that again, because I'm not going to lose to him and I don't want to do that again.
Speaker 1:
So I had to make sure You're on the path for success. You're doing great, you're training past the year, but we can always get better. And if you were to go back and give yourself advice on day one, what would that advice be?
Speaker 2:
Um, decide faster and then focus more on the decision. Like I kept saying, maybe I should get the NASM, because you know you gotta have sometimes that. You know, don't have that dogmatic type of um, um, what's the word? I can't think of the word right now the uh, what is it? A resume? Don't have the dogmatic resume, you have just one. I kept going back and forth. I still need to get the NASM, whatever, just do the thing and prove you can do it.
Speaker 2:
That's the one thing I would have done. I could have finished with level one a lot sooner. I took more time doing it, consuming everything, just not really sure if that was what I wanted to do, but I knew it was. So just that information overload. I would have got that out of there and just gone on and done with it. I could have probably finished in two months, but I let it go for six months. But I loved being on the calls, so it was great doing all that. So just focusing on the test and getting it done, that's the main thing I would have done.
Speaker 1:
I think it's Ann Cuddy. She did a good TED Talk and I don't know if she actually created the same, but we've all heard of fake it till you make it. And that saying is so important because it's natural and you have to realize you're going to have those self-limiting thoughts I'm not good enough, I'm ugly, I'm fat, I'm stupid, whatever it is. Those are natural, normal thoughts. You got to change and rewire that, yes, but when you go into that interview, especially when you have the fundamentals of movement and you've gone through a level one, you are superior than your competition. So then you go in there and what happens? You absolutely crush it.
Speaker 2:
Absolutely. There are times I'll have clients come in or I'm preparing for a client and I'm like what do I do today? And the plethora of exercises we can do. All that information is kind of bogged my mind down. I go you know what? Cca? Bam bam, bam. It's a general population, it's done. It's quick and it's not a problem. But I overwhelm myself with trying to get cute. Let's add this, pull this, change, risk grip. Blah, blah, blah. Cca it's done.
Speaker 1:
Man, you're kicking ass. I can't wait to have you on here a year from now and talk about your successes. Thank you for everything you're doing. I'm looking forward to seeing you at our next seminar when we're over there, because we will, with our lifetime partnership, you'll have to teach me some moves. I'm looking forward to that.
Speaker 2:
I want to meet you in person too, so I will see you one day. Thanks,