I have always loved fitness even since
my secondary school days. My love for it turned into a passion when I got to
university and I was doing some real heavy lifting there. I played basketball
in uni and also trained the school’s basketball team. After I graduated, I worked
for a bit, and then met with up with a childhood friend, Dr Dayo Osholowu who
is a FIFA certified sports physician. We had a business lunch and I told him
about my desire to go into fitness training. He gave me my first break by
inviting me to come on board his sports medicine practice where I learnt what
the fitness industry is all about. I worked with him for some years, learnt the
business and made a few contacts and then I was ready to take it to the next
level and start fitness as my own business. I did some consultations and I was
encouraged. I however wanted to do things different from the norm and so I decided
that I would see hoe I can break into the celeb scene, work out with them etc. So
I called Davido manager and did my pitch and he was feeling it. Next thing, I had
a meeting with Davido and he was thrilled by the idea. Ever since, I’ve been working
with the HKN Gang. I’ve also worked with other celebs such as Iris, the Tinsel
cast, and some others. It’s been an interesting journey. It’s something I’ve
always enjoyed doing and hopefully will keep doing for some time to come. For me,
the key to achieving your fitness goal is in the acronym D.R.I.V.E. which is
Determination, Results, Innovation, Vision and Enthusiasm. If you put all of
that together, there is no way you will not achieve your fitness goals.
When I wake up in the morning, after
the usual stuff like prayer and getting a bath, the first thing I do each day is
get something to eat. Breakfast is a key meal in every day and mine usually is
wheat bread (four slices), two boiled eggs and a glass of orange juice. After that,
I relax for a little bit then I start my own personal workout program. My program
includes exercises that help with cardio, strength training, flexibility
exercises, and core exercises. After that, my day starts and I go out to see clients
I’m scheduled to train with. I also have corporate clients. I talk to the staff
on fitness and wellness and how we can incorporate that into their busy daily schedules.
Nothing stressful or strenuous, just routines that give staff the optimum
energy required to carry out the day’s tasks. I also train the Dordan Warriors
team (pro basketball club in Lagos). We meet up two to three times a week. Some
days are busy and some days are chilled. On less busy days, you can find me in
the library, reading up because I am constantly looking for new ideas to change
the face of fitness as practiced here in Nigeria.
For me, the exciting thing about being
a fitness trainer is giving people the opportunity to exceed their fitness
expectations. By this, I am referring to seeing a client move from one stage to
another stage. It’s a very exciting and even emotional process for me because I
am helping someone improve the quality of their lifestyle, I’m helping them
look fit, I’m trying to improve their energy level, all of that….. That’s pretty
exciting for me. In one word, I would say that the best bit about being a
fitness trainer is that it’s exciting.
The worst bit is…..
The worst bit is that people expect a
lot from me. I have people walk up to me and say “Look at you, in a few years, you
will be fat”, “this fitness thing you’re doing, you can’t sustain it for too
long” But hey, guess what, I have been
this way for thirteen years and it’s not gonna change. That’s pretty annoying. But
as regards my job, the part I don’t really enjoy is when you have to deal with
clients that are a little bit stubborn. It’s inevitable that you will have
some. I’m talking about those clients who want to be Usain Bolt overnight. It takes
a while and a lot of commitment too. So that process is not fun but it’s my job
as a fitness trainer to be able to speak to my client. But some of them can be
discouraging. I mean even as a brawny fitness trainer, I’m also human with
feelings. I can’t think of one word to describe what the worst bit is.
Personal qualities required…..
To be a fitness trainer, you have to
be patient, you need to have good communication skills because some clients are
very intellectual and if you don’t know what you’re saying, they will spot it
and you will lose the client’s trust. You need to be emotional too. Some clients
will require that part of you in order to be able to properly relate with them.
You need to be focused and goal-oriented. You can easily get distracted if you
are not focused especially when you’re working with the ladies. A typical
example is from my personal experience; I make my clients complete what I call
a ‘client consent form’. The form basically explains in detail every single
thing I’m going to be doing with you. There’s a particular part of it that talks
about the ‘touch program’ – that explains that if I am training a client and
the client is not doing the exercise the proper way, I would ask first of all, “will
you permit me to move your leg so you can do the exercise the right way?”, and then
I get a verbal consent before I touch the client. Sometimes, you might be
working with a hot chick and be in such a situation. You need to be focused and
not get carried away. That’s how people respect you, so that quality is very
key. You also need to understand the fitness industry itself. You need to have
a holistic understanding of the turf in which you’re playing.
How to get my job (Academic qualifications required)
There are many professional courses
you can take even online. You could also study physical education or health
management or physiotherapy in the university. The American College of Sports
Medicine awards certificates qualifying you to be a personal fitness trainer. The
key thing is self-development. I know some people just go to the gym, have a
good body, and want to teach others how they did it. This might work, but it
won’t get you very far In this day and age, some clients will ask to see some
qualifications. Most corporate clients will definitely want to know that you’re
certified to do what you do. Your qualifications also mean that in negotiations
for your fee, you can price yourself high.
I ask questions about aspects of the
job and Seun rates them on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the highest rating. Here’s
what he had to say.
Pay: 5
Hours: 4
Perks: 5
Effort to get the job: 4
Stress: 3
Glamour: 5
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