From a graphic designer to a personal trainer, Zik, has no regrets in choosing this pathway. In fact, Zik is enjoying his life as a personal trainer at Pinnacle Fitness now. What Zik loves about his job is that he gets to be a fully functional personal trainer without having to worry about sales. His daily routine involves training clients, own workout, paperwork and readings for self-improvements. FiT Malaysia decides to have a chat with their very own student, Zik; just to find out how his career has been going.
What makes you want to be a personal trainer?
Back when I wasn’t busy being a graphic designer, I found myself enjoying my time at the gym or the park more than anything else. When I was working out I was always pushing myself and achieving new goals. With this passion I thought it would be great to help other people do the same thing, and here I am today.
What top 3 qualities you think a personal trainer should possess?
Perseverance, Assertiveness and Pro-activeness: more often than not clients will struggle with their goals and we need to help them through it, push them through and understand their obstacles ahead even before they face them.
What was your previous job? Why did you change job?
I was a freelance graphic designer. While the money was all-right, I found that I was loving my time at the gym more than in front of the desk. Once, someone asked me how to do a particular exercise – and as I taught him, seeing him being able to properly execute it, something clicked. The rest, of course, is history.
Understand you took the Personal Trainer course from FiT & now you are ACE certified, what have you learned that helps you in your practice now?Without FIT’s ACE certification I would never have gotten my job here in the first place. You see, Pinnacle Fitness requires that all trainers be certified and won’t hire just any trainer so everything I learnt helps. However to give you an example, at Pinnacle Fitness every single client has their own training program which is customized to their needs and goals. These programs need to be written by the trainers and approved by Vanessa, our Programs Director. Now, understand that not all exercises share the same name and that it can be quite a hassle to describe certain stuff to the Program Director! One thing that I’m extremely thankful for would be Sanaz’s hard work in hammering into us exercise naming conventions. So when Vanessa tells me I should include a multi-functional exercise such as a Side Lunge with Unilateral Dumbbell Reach and Trunk Flexion, I understand exactly what she is talking about.
You are now a personal trainer at Pinnacle Fitness, what will be your typical day like?We have 2 gyms, one in RSGC (Jalan Tun Razak) and the other in Bangsar. So I usually have early morning RSGC clients, then I travel to Bangsar (15 minutes ride) just in time for lunch. While I do sometimes have clients at noon, after lunch till evenings are for exercising or paperwork, or for some further study. Once paperwork for the day’s done it’s usually time for more clients – all through the evening. Fun stuff.
Apart from financial contribution, what do you find great/satisfactory about training clients?
Seeing them succeed in the end. How happy they are when they tell you they need to buy new smaller pants, or that their golf scores are improving!
Do you have a specific type of clients that you train? If yes, why you chose that specialization?
Not yet. I’m still exploring my choices; from lower back pain, knee problems, senior training, sports specific to just plain fat loss – they all have their obstacles and different solutions. It’s a good thing that Pinnacle Fitness has awesome mentors like Vanessa and Mark – I have ample opportunity to learn about all these things – and more!
How you think this job might be different from other fitness facility provider?Our clients are either professionals over the age of 40 who enjoy their privacy, or those who have specific health issues. From your daily run of the mill rheumatoid arthritis to clients with pacemakers. I’ve even created workout programs for a client who has virtually no strength left in the left arm due to her recent bout with cancer!
We also have a propriety fitness rating system that measures your fitness level, helping us create programs to cater precisely for their fitness needs. However, the absolute best thing about working here would be that I absolutely don’t have to do sales! My job is simply to train Pinnacle’s client base and that’s it! That, and free valet parking for all clients – which is really cool. Oh and the other thing that makes our place different is that all trainers must pass a fitness test every quarter. Woohoo.
How do you find your career now?
I’m loving it! A lot of people are asking me why I didn’t do this sooner!
What word of advice would you provide others who are thinking of making a career change into fitness now?
Go for it! however to be at the top of your industry and to find great jobs with great companies make sure you know your stuff by doing the right courses. I thank FiT so much for helping me change my career and for their help in getting me an interview at my current employer, where by the way, did I mention, I don’t have to do any sales?
Describe your typical weekly workout.
I’m currently in a calisthenics mood, which is helpful because sometimes my schedule is so packed that I’m only able to train at home with limited equipment.
Day 1 I do anterior chain exercises, consisting of push-ups, bodyweight squats and all their variations (wide hand pushups, diamond pushups, pistol squats, etc).
On the second day I focus on posterior chain exercises like pull-ups, bodyweight deadlifts and other variations. (wide grip pull-ups, chin-ups, Glute Ham Raise, etc).
Third day I do core exercises such as v-sits, jackknives, planks and other stuff. Honestly though, I don’t have a proper program this day: it’s the one day I just have fun and do random core work-outs that I feel like doing.
I repeat these on days 3-6 and rest on Sundays. That’s it! That’s my current weekly workout!
Finally, anything else you’d like to say?
Of course! I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at FiT for all their support in getting me to where I am today. Thanks guys!
Related Course Information
Personal Trainer Development Programme (PTDP)
This is the perfect blend of all that are essential to make you a competent personal trainer. Leave this 54-hour course feeling confident and ready to bring the best out of your client(s)
Upcoming: Price:
