Personal trainer/exercise specialist

By ROBIN MARTIN

In 1999 Jason Marshall decided that after 14 years it was time to come out of the kitchen. The chefing consultant and head chef at Auckland restaurant Soho decided to reinvent himself and retrain as a personal trainer.

Why personal trainer?

For a start, in the 14 years I had been chefing my wage had moved from $12 to only $21 an hour and, as someone once said, you can't make a million bucks by selling your own time.

I'd also got interested in the gym about 12 years ago after injuring my shoulder and when I was looking around for something new personal training fitted what I was looking for. It's a people industry, it has growth potential and I can control my own hours.

Describe a typical working day

I get up around 5.30am, breakfast and head to the gym for a 6.30am start. I train five or six clients with a bubbly and enthusiastic personality, lunch and then work with another four or five before heading home around 8pm. I then write up a couple of programmes.

Why is the job important?

Health and well-being are really important, particularly with the focus on people's general health these days and with obesity and diabetes being recognised as national problems.

What are you strengths?

Having been a chef I have a strong nutritional background and good time management. I have a well-rounded knowledge of fitness training that I'm continually updating, and I have good people skills that I wasn't able to express in the kitchen.

What about weaknesses?

Experience. After 3 1/2 years in the industry I'm still learning.

What do you consider success?

Recognition, not only among my colleagues but also from the general public. I get a buzz from referrals.

Just today I was in the gym and saw a young lady who had had a calf problem and she was walking on a treadmill just like anyone else.

Those kinds of things are a success - seeing people reach their goals, pick up a sport they had long given up or hear them say they can keep up with their 7-year-old again.

What's the hardest thing?

The flipside is that for all the people who are willing to put in the work to reach their goals there are those who aren't, and they are the ones who expect Jason to be the miracle worker.

What makes a good personal trainer?

Personality, a genuine interest in their clients, a good knowledge of current exercise techniques and health in general. A bit of life experience doesn't go amiss because it helps improve your all-round communication skills.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to become a personal trainer?

Get a formal qualification and perhaps some experience as a floor instructor at a gym before heading out on your own. That will get you used to correcting exercise technique and dealing with the public. Work on your business skills. These are part of the [personal trainer] curriculum but most people don't think they are going to need them - you will.

Be individual, don't do what everybody else is doing. Find a speciality. Make it one of your strong points that will sell you, be it boxing fitness, weight loss/gain or body building.

What's your dream job?

To own my own retreat which would combine health, relaxation and good food.

Name: Jason Marshall

Age: 34

Job title: Personal trainer/exercise specialist

Working hours: 6.30am to 8pm

Employers: Individual clients

Pay: $35,000 to $65,000

Qualifications: Certificate of Personal Training, AUT

Career prospects: Work with top-level sports people or teams, contract to specialist services such as rehabilitation, possible gym ownership