How to Prevent Personal Trainer Burnout

Dear Friend,

Personal training burnout can destroy your business faster than the blink of an eye… and you need to know how to prevent it.

Listen, when I first started training, all I cared about was getting clients.  And I never thought about how to prevent personal trainer burnout.

Within 6 months, I found myself burning out…

I started dreading even getting up for work.  And my attitude towards my clients started getting horrendous.  There were days I just wanted to go into a corner and sleep.

I even questioning if I was in the right industry…

So what happened?

Well, I didn’t have any boundaries when it came to my schedule.  And I was overworking myself right out of the gates.  That’s why this message will explain the secrets I use to prevent burnout.

In fact…

These are the secrets that have allowed me to keep training for over 20 years without burning out!

So let’s get started…

As I just mentioned, when I first started training I never gave thought to my schedule and I ended up having three clients spread out through the day: 6:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and 6:00 p.m.

It was just about the worst schedule you can have.  It got me up early and kept me late.

Before long, I agonized getting up in the morning and I dreaded to go to work.  Something had to give… and it did.

One day, I was training my early morning client, and he told me how he came back at 6:30 p.m. to do his cardio.  I promptly explained that it would be better for his body if he did morning cardio and trained with me in the evenings and he agreed.

It was like a breath of fresh air.  I felt recharged and excited from that simple change!

It’s vital that you set up a schedule that is flexible, but also allows you to feel good and avoid burnout.

Here are three tips you can follow.

Tip 1: Start with either a morning focus or evening focus

Here’s what I mean:  Most people work out before work or after work.  There is a small lunch crowd at some gyms, but not enough to justify staying at the gym all day every day and experiencing burnout.

So if you decide to focus on the morning, you should plan on being at the gym from about 5:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

And if you decide to focus on the evening shift, you should plan on being at the gym from 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

I would choose the evening shift if I was starting over again because I know when I wake up at 4:30 a.m., I burn out within two weeks.  I’d much rather get to the gym in the mid-morning and stay a little later.

Tip 2: Choose time slots for yourself

These time slots include when you work out, eat, work on your business, or catch your breath and recharge.

For example… when I had about 15 clients, I often over extended myself and I would miss meals or my workouts.  And it left me tired and resentful.

I had to actually block out spaces on my schedule and write, “Stu’s workout,” or, “Lunch.”

I know it sounds weird, but that’s what worked for me.  Otherwise, if a client asked to come at that time, I was afraid to say no.

… which brings me to my third tip…

Tip 3: Say No

I was so afraid to tell my clients “no” because I thought they would quit or get upset.  In actuality, they couldn’t have cared less.

I was very nice, but firm with my schedule and it worked best for everyone… my clients got the best workout because I was fresh and excited… and I felt great without burning out.

I’ve now been training for almost 20 years, and I’m still good!

But there was another big shift I made when I was a very advanced trainer that

will double your free time…

let’s look at what it is…

I usually carry a load of about 20 clients… or about 175 sessions per month (45 sessions per week).

In the beginning, I worked Monday-Saturday, and I had a few morning clients, a few mid-day clients, and several evening clients.

I used my free time to eat, work out and work on the business.  But…

It wasn’t enough time to get anything done – It was too long to do nothing, but not long enough to do anything substantial…

And I found myself frustrated again.

So I decided to consolidate my schedule, and pack all my clients together on certain days… Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

This would give me Tuesday & Thursday to immerse myself in my business and get exponentially more done.

At first, I thought I would lose a bunch of clients.  But I didn’t.

They were all happy to make the change, and it they actually preferred it!

Then something weird happened.  I started feeling guilty… like I must be making a lot less money because I’m not working enough.

Again… it was a lie in my mind.  I was still making about $80,000 per year, but only working four days per week!

It was the best schedule I’ve ever had, and…

It allowed me to accelerate my business in ways I was never able to do when I had an inefficient schedule!

You know, setting your schedule can make or break you and your business.  And if you set your schedule incorrectly… you can burn out and make terrible money.

However…

If you understand how to set your schedule, you can be making $80,000 a year while only working three days a week!

I know because this is my schedule and I’m sharing the actual techniques I use.

But this is just a small sample.

If you’re really want to set yourself up for success and start making $4,000 a month in 6 months or less, then you really need to check out my e-class.  Get more information here: https://thesixfiguretrainer.com/advanced-eclass/

If you’re an advanced trainer, with a full client load, you should seriously consider tightening up your schedule.

Decide what days you want to work.  Decide what times you’re willing to put in.  Then make your schedule and stay firm and committed to it.

There are enough clients out in the world to fill the schedule.  You just have to believe there are.

Sincerely
Stu

P.S. Leave me a comment or question below and let me know how I can help!  I can’t wait for you to share your success and let me know how things are going!