Personal Trainer Red Flags: What Bad Trainers Get Wrong

Ten people from the PT Launch Lab Podcast on how personal trainers actually win clients. Mac Livock and Ryan on why the gym floor is the only place to pick clients up, Maria on starting with a clinic nobody walked into, Jerome on why you never open with a correction, and Miles on the fear that stops PTs posting. Then what gets people to sign up: Ryan's £30 challenge that filled his diary, Marcus on selling the solution you once needed, Max Clark on showing client progress instead of yourself, and why you should get testimonials before you leave your job. And how to keep them: clients who follow you from gym to gym, making yourself crucial in every session, and never stopping the work that got you clients in the first place. This is episode 2 of Launch Lab Lessons, a series of the best moments from the podcast, one topic per episode. Watch it on YouTube, with links to every full conversation: https://youtu.be/cMmYpnyQS6o 0:00 Launch Lab Lessons: Getting Your First Clients0:11 Ryan & Mac Livock: Be In The Gym, Look Busy1:23 Maria: A Clinic With Nobody In It2:14 Jerome: Never Open With A Correction3:40 Miles: Fear Is Why You Don't Post4:18 Ryan: The £30 Challenge That Filled My Diary5:30 Marcus: Sell The Solution You Needed6:03 Max Clark: Show Client Progress, Not Yourself6:47 Sam: Be Honest About Where You Are7:27 Callum & Ryan: Get Testimonials Before You Leave8:01 Keal & The Hosts: Stop Sounding Desperate9:26 Callum & Ryan: Clients Follow You To Every Gym10:30 Callum & Ryan: Make Yourself Crucial11:42 Ryan: Still Training Them 11 Years On12:09 Miles: Don't Stop What Got You Clients Get your free PT Career Plan: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/career-plannerBrowse our courses: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/courses

Ten people from the PT Launch Lab Podcast on what starting out as a personal trainer is really like. Max Clark started training clients in his back garden at 15. Gemma left a corporate sales career that wasn't fulfilling her. Sam, Jerome and Mac Livock are honest about the first year: the money, the first client that went wrong, and why people skills matter more than biology. Then the advice: Kim Tomlin on why you know enough to start, Sohail Rashid on talking to 10 people a day, Mac on never charging a tenner, Ridge Holland on scaling down and learning your craft, and Callum and Ryan on qualifying before you quit your job. This is episode 1 of Launch Lab Lessons, a series of the best moments from the podcast, one topic per episode. Watch it on YouTube, with links to every full conversation: https://youtu.be/M8fAu1oSiCs 0:00 Launch Lab Lessons: Starting Out As A PT0:11 Max Clark: Started PT In My Back Garden2:31 Callum & Ryan: 17 And Nobody Took Me Seriously4:01 Gemma: A Corporate Job That Wasn't Fulfilling Me4:46 Sam: You're Going To Need Money6:17 Jerome: I Thrashed My First Client7:05 Mac Livock: People Skills Beat Biology8:43 Callum & Ryan: Saying Yes To Every Hour9:30 Kim Tomlin: You Know Enough To Start10:13 Sohail Rashid: Talk To 10 People A Day12:11 Mac Livock: Never Charge A Tenner13:27 Callum & Ryan: Qualify First, Then Quit13:49 Ridge Holland: Scale Down, Learn Your Craft16:26 Callum & Ryan: Do The Thing First Get your free PT Career Plan: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/career-plannerBrowse our courses: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/courses

This episode is brought to you by GoCardless. Automate your client payment collection, cut out awkward payment chasing, and claim 90 days fee-free: https://gocardless.com/podcast (Ts&Cs apply).Charles Townend had a stroke at 39, hired an online coach, and ended up a personal trainer with 10 years and 13,000 sessions behind him, now working the floor at Graft House in Leeds. He sits down with Miles and Callum for an honest conversation about the state of personal training: why he calls trainers the bottom feeders of the health industry, what a bad personal trainer actually looks like, and why qualifying doesn't mean you should be on the gym floor.They cover training older clients and menopausal women, keeping clients for years, sacking clients mid-session, what Charles would do if he started again from scratch, staying out of online arguments, where AI helps and where it doesn't, and the honest pros and cons of online coaching.Follow Charles: Instagram https://instagram.com/teamtcharles · YouTube https://youtube.com/@teamtfitnessnutrition80430:00 The Journey5:47 Bad Trainers20:02 Keeping Clients31:46 Starting From Scratch41:41 AI And Online―――Get your free PT Career Plan: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/career-plannerBrowse our courses: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/coursesBook a call: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/book-callOnline Personal Training Course: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/online-personal-training-courseEnrol now: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/enrol#PersonalTrainer #PersonalTrainerCourse #FitnessCareer #PTLaunchLab

Jay Johnston is 22, a qualified accountant with KPMG and Grant Thornton placements behind him, a coach with a photo shoot and a marathon on his CV, and now The Fitness Accountant, working only with personal trainers, online coaches and gym owners across the UK and Ireland. Callum sits down with him to find out how those two careers came out of one gym photo shoot that ended his football, and what he actually sees when personal trainers hand him their books.The second half is the money. The first three financial things to do the day you start a personal training business, why cash-in-hand coaching bites the moment you apply for a mortgage, sole trader versus limited company and the profit level where the answer changes, whether VAT registration is a badge of honour or a tax on your prices, what you can genuinely put through the business (branded uniform, gym kit, the business share of your phone, and the truth about company cars), why turnover is not profit, and the line between tax efficiency and tax avoidance that HMRC eventually finds. Plus the one legal tax move most personal trainers miss, and what a trainer on £30k a year changes to build a £100k fitness business.―――Take the 60-second quiz: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/quizBrowse our courses: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/coursesBook a call: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/book-callOnline Personal Training Course: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/online-personal-training-courseEnrol now: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/enrol#PersonalTrainer #PersonalTrainerCourse #FitnessCareer #PTLaunchLab 

Ryan and Callum sit down in the new studio for the first time in months — one of them now a professional boxer preparing for his second pro fight, the other building PT Launch Lab full time. What comes out is an honest account of what it actually costs to run a personal training business while chasing something else at the same time: the self-promotion nobody warns you about, the mental load that starts long before fight night, and why coaching people all day is the fastest way to kill your own training.The centrepiece is money. Ryan walks through every price rise he has made since starting at £10 an hour aged seventeen, why each one landed on a milestone rather than a date, and what happened the weekend a client asked him to match a £20 session at the gym down the road. From there the conversation turns to the craft itself — treating a new client the way a mechanic treats a diagnostic, why measuring yourself against who you used to be is the thief of all progression, what GLP-1s and steroids will and will not do for you, and why every armchair expert online is right about something and wrong about you.Watch on youtube: https://youtu.be/BWEaeD3ygp4―――Take the 60-second quiz: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/quizBrowse our courses: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/coursesBook a call: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/book-callOnline Personal Training Course: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/online-personal-training-courseEnrol now: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/enrol#PersonalTrainer #PersonalTrainerCourse #FitnessCareer #PTLaunchLab

Is the personal training industry saturated? Are GLP-1 weight-loss drugs a threat to coaches or the biggest opportunity the industry has ever had? And is becoming a personal trainer still worth it in 2026? No scripts. No sponsors. The honest version. Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pekkJVhEY8w ON THE PANELSohail Rashid — Brawn, investorTom Blackman — Owner, Ministry of FitnessChris Duffin — Peptide & resilience specialist (USA)Jon Baker — Operations Director, The Gym GroupJonny Grayshon — Personal trainer & online coachPaul Richardson — Investor, formerly GymsharkHosted by Callum Brown, Ryan Robinson & Miles Halstead CHAPTERS0:00 Welcome and panel introductions1:31 AI and the fitness industry4:38 Sohail Rashid: put guardrails on AI before you trust it7:33 Tom Blackman: a million people want in-person - that's the opportunity9:04 The sameness problem - when everyone's poster is AI10:31 Automating the boring bits: a diet plan by the end of the call12:02 Jon Baker: how The Gym Group uses AI operationally13:34 "Big box gyms don't talk to their members" - the LinkedIn backlash16:30 Jonny Grayshon: will AI replace personal trainers?19:31 The UK gym market in 2026: 18% penetration, an all-time high21:05 Fitness IQ and the rising expectations of members22:37 Gen Z, the social element, and whether that growth sticks25:31 Paul Richardson: Gen Z are fickle27:08 The over-40s: harder to get through the door, far more likely to stay30:06 Tom Blackman: running an independent gym in 202633:10 The £10-a-month problem - why discounting fails independents36:10 GLP-1s: the biggest growth opportunity in the field39:05 Sohail Rashid: the language we use about GLP-1s is the problem42:03 Chris Duffin on microdosing, GIP and GLP receptors46:33 "Everybody's still selling GLP-1 as kilos per month"49:30 Jon Baker: gyms cannot sit and wait for GLP-1 users to walk in52:32 The responsibility on gym operators and personal trainers55:40 The "get out of jail card" problem58:40 Chris Duffin: the people who damaged their health getting there1:01:41 What clients actually admit to1:04:38 Tom Blackman: why GLP-1s are good news for independent gyms1:09:01 "What do I take to get X result?" - why that's the wrong question1:10:33 Paul Richardson: the one progress metric that cannot lie1:12:08 Is becoming a personal trainer still worth it in 2026?1:13:32 Stop competing on price - how personal trainers should charge1:15:04 What gym owners actually look for when hiring1:18:10 Sohail Rashid: build the product before the personal brand1:21:00 In defence of group training1:24:10 Are we failing to demonstrate the value of personal training?1:27:03 The £20-an-hour race to the bottom Follow PT Launch Lab:Instagram: https://instagram.com/ptlaunchlabTikTok: https://tiktok.com/@pt.launch.labYouTube: https://youtube.com/@ptlaunchlab #PTLaunchLab #PersonalTrainer #PersonalTrainerCourse #FitnessCareer

Ridge Holland (real name Luke Menzies) sits down with Miles to tell his honest story — from being a Yorkshire rugby league prop forward to becoming a WWE Superstar, surviving career-threatening injuries, the controversial Big E incident, and life after his WWE release in November 2025. Now based near Orlando, Florida, and coaching online clients, Luke shares hard-won wisdom on training in your late 30s, recovering from major surgery, and what the fitness industry needs to stop doing. ――――――――――――――― ⏱ CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome Luke Menzies 01:10 Yorkshire to WWE 04:43 Released and Reinventing 06:12 WWE Tryout Mindset 08:08 Inside Performance Center 09:04 Finding Ridge Holland 11:32 Heel Character Challenges 12:44 Match Psychology Secrets 14:21 Planning TV Matches 16:26 Big Names and Austin 17:51 Training Week Breakdown 20:01 Look Standards and Safety 22:36 Life on the Road 24:03 Injuries and Comebacks 26:39 Career Derailed by Accident 27:53 Rebuilding Confidence in NXT 28:46 TNA Match Foot Injury 29:29 Neck Surgery and Recovery 30:15 Training Philosophy at 38 33:01 Biggest Training Mistakes 35:00 Programming for Longevity 39:32 Client Tracking and Coaching 42:12 Fitness Industry Grifters 46:00 Advice for New Coaches 48:38 Life Now and Future Plans 50:40 Where to Find Luke 51:29 Final Reflections and Goodbye ――――――――――――――― 🎯 Thinking about becoming a personal trainer? Take the free PT career quiz: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/quiz 📞 Ready to start? Book a call: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/book-call 🎓 NCFE Level 3 Personal Trainer Course: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/courses ――――――――――――――― About the guest: Luke Menzies (born 29 May 1988, Liversedge, West Yorkshire) wrestled professionally as Ridge Holland for WWE from 2018 to November 2025. A former British Rugby League prop forward who played for Batley Bulldogs, Salford Red Devils, Toronto Wolfpack and others (150 matches, 13 tries), he transitioned to wrestling after being released from Salford. In WWE he was part of the Brawling Brutes faction with Sheamus and Butch (Pete Dunne), and won the NXT Tag Team Championship with Andre Chase in August 2024. ――――――――――――――― Follow PT Launch Lab: Instagram: @ptlaunchlab TikTok: @pt.launch.lab YouTube: @ptlaunchlab Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUaye0j8p34 #RidgeHolland #LukeMenzies #WWE #RugbyLeague #PersonalTrainer #PTLaunchLab #YorkshireWrestler #BigE #WWERelease #PersonalTrainerUK #FitnessBusiness #NCFELevel3🎯 Thinking about becoming a personal trainer?Take the free PT career quiz: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/quiz 📞 Ready to start?Book a call: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/book-call 🎓 NCFE Level 3 Personal Trainer Course:https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/coursesFollow PT Launch Lab:Instagram: https://instagram.com/ptlaunchlabTikTok: https://tiktok.com/@pt.launch.lab  YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ptlaunchlab #PTLaunchLab #PersonalTrainer #BoxingCoach #AddictionRecovery #FitnessUK

In this video, Ryan is joined by Pembo – a full-time boxing coach, community motivator, and founder of Pembo’s Boxing & Fitness. In this raw and powerful conversation, Pembo shares his transformation story: from the army and addiction, through rock bottom moments, to finding purpose through coaching, sobriety, and building a supportive fitness community. This episode dives into his time at Golden Team, his energy at Burns Bootcamp, and the creation of his own app to support others going sober. Find out how fitness became the anchor for change and how Pembo’s mission now is to help others shift from an average to a savage mindset.   ――――――――――――――― 🎯 Thinking about becoming a personal trainer? Take the free PT career quiz: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/quiz   📞 Ready to start? Book a call: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/book-call   🎓 NCFE Level 3 Personal Trainer Course: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/courses ――――――――――――――― Follow PT Launch Lab: Instagram: @ptlaunchlab | TikTok: @pt.launch.lab | YouTube: @ptlaunchlab   Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpESntFMy0w🎯 Thinking about becoming a personal trainer?Take the free PT career quiz: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/quiz 📞 Ready to start?Book a call: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/book-call 🎓 NCFE Level 3 Personal Trainer Course:https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/coursesFollow PT Launch Lab:Instagram: https://instagram.com/ptlaunchlabTikTok: https://tiktok.com/@pt.launch.lab  YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ptlaunchlab #PTLaunchLab #PersonalTrainer #BoxingCoach #AddictionRecovery #FitnessUK

In this video, The hosts interview Sohail, founder and CEO of Brawn, about his journey from property law and PropTech (including building an early Facebook property marketplace and later View My Chain) into competitive powerlifting and then fitness tech. He explains how powerlifting shaped his identity and taught transferable lessons for business—planning, patience, handling setbacks, and especially resilience. Brawn started as a social platform for strength athletes, then pivoted during COVID into a virtual events platform used by major federations and brands, before shifting post‑COVID toward making strength training more inclusive by improving gym onboarding and access to coaching. Sohail argues in‑person personal training is “AI‑proof,” driven by growing demand for strength training, and outlines Braun’s AI onboarding and sales tools that match new members to PTs and book sessions. He also discusses GLP‑1s, peptides, TRT, and connecting users to gyms and coaches.   ――――――――――――――― 🎯 Thinking about becoming a personal trainer? Take the free PT career quiz: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/quiz   📞 Ready to start? Book a call: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/book-call   🎓 NCFE Level 3 Personal Trainer Course: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/courses ――――――――――――――― Follow PT Launch Lab: Instagram: @ptlaunchlab | TikTok: @pt.launch.lab | YouTube: @ptlaunchlab   Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZHxWBvBYrw🎯 Thinking about becoming a personal trainer?Take the free PT career quiz: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/quiz 📞 Ready to start?Book a call: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/book-call 🎓 NCFE Level 3 Personal Trainer Course:https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/coursesFollow PT Launch Lab:Instagram: https://instagram.com/ptlaunchlabTikTok: https://tiktok.com/@pt.launch.lab  YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ptlaunchlab #PTLaunchLab #PersonalTrainer #BoxingCoach #AddictionRecovery #FitnessUK

Jerome Scherrer spent his teenage years and most of his 20s in the Royal Marines. When he left, he spent four years working for the American government in Afghanistan. Then he became a personal trainer. In this episode, Jerome breaks down the philosophy he's built over years of coaching — and pulls no punches on what's wrong with the fitness industry, why most PTs are still winging it, and what it actually takes to build a coaching career worth having.   ――――――――――――――― 🎯 Thinking about becoming a personal trainer? Take the free PT career quiz: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/quiz   📞 Ready to start? Book a call: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/book-call   🎓 NCFE Level 3 Personal Trainer Course: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/courses ――――――――――――――― Follow PT Launch Lab: Instagram: @ptlaunchlab | TikTok: @pt.launch.lab | YouTube: @ptlaunchlab   Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5SsHmySSEs🎯 Thinking about becoming a personal trainer?Take the free PT career quiz: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/quiz 📞 Ready to start?Book a call: https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/book-call 🎓 NCFE Level 3 Personal Trainer Course:https://ptlaunchlab.co.uk/coursesFollow PT Launch Lab:Instagram: https://instagram.com/ptlaunchlabTikTok: https://tiktok.com/@pt.launch.lab  YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ptlaunchlab #PTLaunchLab #PersonalTrainer #BoxingCoach #AddictionRecovery #FitnessUK