4 Mistakes New Personal Trainers Make (and How to Avoid Them)

The most common new personal trainer mistakes are waiting too long to start, talking too much in sessions, pushing clients too hard, and using one training style for everyone. Craig Massey, our Head of Education, made all four after he left a career in engineering. Here is what he learned, so you can skip the hard part.

Mistake 1: Waiting for the perfect time to start

There is no perfect time to change career. Craig planned his move out of engineering for 18 months to two years. He wanted enough savings to avoid any drop in lifestyle. He pictured a smooth handover from one career to the next.

It did not go that way. He loved coaching, so it got his best energy. His engineering work began to slip, and his employer noticed. He left about a year earlier than planned.

Looking back, he sees the waiting as the mistake.

"It was never going to be ideal. It was always going to be a challenge. There was always going to be a dip. If I would have known that going into it, I wouldn't have waited for so long."

"My regret is not doing it sooner. I was more than ready."

What to do: Plan your money, and accept that the first months will be tight. Then set a date. You can qualify and coach a few hours while you still work. Our guide on doing a personal trainer course while working full time shows how.

Mistake 2: Over-coaching

Over-coaching means giving a client far more information than they need. New coaches do it to prove they know their subject. Craig had status as an engineer, and he wanted the same respect in the gym.

He had also spent years reading about fitness. Once he was coaching full time, his clients heard all of it.

"I can imagine the headache they got when I was trying to explain the ins and outs of all sorts."

Now he does the opposite.

"When I'm coaching, I try and say as little as possible. I try and leave as much space for the client to think."

"The client doesn't need to learn how to coach like we do. They just need to learn how to look after themselves."

What to do: Give one short instruction, then watch. Let the client feel the movement before you speak again. Craig says this habit took him three to five years to build. Starting early gives you a head start.

Mistake 3: Pushing intensity because you enjoy it

Hard sessions suit the coach more often than the client. Craig loved high-intensity training. He had played sport since childhood, so his body was ready for it. He assumed his clients would get the same benefit.

They had different lives. Many had stressful jobs and busy homes.

"I was making it all about the gym. It was the wrong thing for me to do, despite my good intentions at the time."

He calls this the mistake that makes him cringe the most. He also says he still pays a physical price for years of training that hard.

What to do: Ask about the client's week before you plan their session. Sleep, stress and work all count. Most people get a lot from steady, repeatable training. Save the very hard sessions for clients who have earned them and want them.

Mistake 4: Putting every client through one method

A method is a tool. It works for some clients and some goals. Craig was deep into CrossFit and owned a CrossFit gym. Every client got a version of it.

"When I heard their goals, I was listening only to translate it into my language. It should have been the other way around. I should have been translating my thoughts into their language."

He sees the same thing today with coaches who love fitness racing, powerlifting or bodybuilding. They enjoy it, so every client gets it.

His fix is to work in a set order:

1. Values and beliefs. What you think good coaching is.
2. Principles. The rules that guide your choices.
3. Practices. The exercises and methods you pick for this one client.

New coaches often start at number three.

"We should go as coaches and enjoy our training for what it is. But then we shouldn't project that onto our clients."

What to do: Listen to the client's history and goal first. Then choose the method. Our article on what questions personal trainers should ask their clients gives you a starting list.

What do all four mistakes have in common?

Each one puts the coach at the centre. The coach's timing, the coach's knowledge, the coach's favourite session, and the coach's favourite method. The fix each time is to turn towards the client.

That shift is rarely taught on a basic course. It is the difference between knowing exercises and knowing how to coach a person. Craig now leads the teaching on the PFCA course, and these lessons run through it. You can read more in developing the coach to client relationship.

Common questions

How long does it take to feel confident as a new personal trainer? It varies. Craig describes his first three to five years as an apprenticeship. Confidence grows with every client you work with.

Should I leave my job before I qualify? You can qualify while you work. The PFCA course runs for 11 weeks with one live evening session a week.

Is high-intensity training bad for clients? No. It suits people with a good base of fitness who recover well. Many clients need to build that base first.

Do I need to choose a specialism straight away? No. Learn to coach people first. A specialism can come later.

Do good coaches still make mistakes? Yes. Craig says he would not change his story, because the mistakes shaped how he coaches now.

Your next step

Watch Craig's full video on our YouTube channel.

If you are not yet qualified, see how the Level 3 personal trainer course works. It is built to teach you how to coach people, as well as how to pass.