Hello everybody, today we have Group Exercise Fitness Trainer Martin, Chief GX coordinator from True Fitness. I still remember when I first got to know Martin, he was teaching some workouts program in a primary school as a freelance instructor for the students. I was there as well to teach kickboxing to kids that are overweight.

Subsequently, we became colleagues at Planet Fitness., which is now known as True Fitness. Martin is someone whom I hold in high esteem, someone who fulfilled his vision by taking on the job as a gx coordinator of the club and thereby working his way up to become a GX manager.

He had a hand in implementing systems that enabled clubs function better and more efficiently in the GX department. For eg: making sure equipment in the studio were being packed away neatly, providing candles for Yoga classes thereby creating a more holistic experience for members, and essentially he puts in much effort in creating a better working environment for all fellow instructors.

In my opinion, this is what makes a great GX manager. If you want to achieve greater success in your career and get noticed, you have got to stand out from the rest and make a difference. Martin made a difference.

Here I present to you everybody Chief Coordinator and GX Manager Martin Cheang.

Name: Martin Cheang

Age: 34

Country: Singapore

Qualifications: BSc. Computer Science / BSc. Sports and Exercise Science / AIC

Achievements: GX Manager for Planet Fitness / GX Manager for True Fitness

1) How long have you been in this industry?

Since 1997

2) What are the pros and cons about this career and how to overcome it?

Pros – Flexible work hours / financially rewarding / satisfaction of instruction

Cons – Age – Solution: Continual re-training

3) What do you think of about career in the fitness industry?

Needs a lot of confidence and perseverance. Have to be relatively thick-skinned.

4) What are your future plans like?

1. Conduct training for upcoming and talented instructors.
2. Convince people that GX is a viable career path.
3. Association of GX instructors.

5) You are successful in the fitness industry, tell me what are your secrets to your success?

Consistency and professionalism.

6) What do you do in your free time?

1. Home improvement.
2. My pet.

7) What are your advice for people who wants to go into the fitness industry?

Go for it!

8.) How much do you think a fitness professional can earn in a month?

Average? 4-5K ++

9) Do you advice to just focus on only personal training, only group exercise or both?

Personal opinion – GX

10) People tend not to see much of this career, what are your views on this?

This is because most GX instructors these days still conduct classes like they used to in the old days.

Which is why people tend to see this career as having a short life span. The instructional methods must be changed to reflect the times.

11) What is the best thing that happens in your career as a fitness professional?

When I had the chance to work in a management role in addition to teaching.

12) What is the worst thing that had happen in your career as a fitness professional?

When I have to discipline/sack a fellow colleague.

******

Thank you so much Martin for taking some time out from your busy schedule to share some insights with everybody.

Remember if you want to be somebody as an Exercise Fitness Trainer, you got to make a difference and be larger than Life!

Anil is one of the most promising Yoga Teacher in the Fitness Industry, he is fairly new to this industry and yet he commands the respect from his peers.

He is constantly upgrading himself and learning new workouts program. I must say his wife Meena and him is the only Yoga Teachers from India that I know is taking up exercise programs like Pilates, Les Mills Body Balance and etc when they are here in Singapore.

These are spirits of a Successful Instructor, never be afraid to learn new things. 

Here I present to you, Yoga Teacher Anil.

Name: Anil

Age: 26

Country: India

Qualifications:

• yoga instructor
• yoga therapist
• Pilates 
• Les Mills body balance instructor

Achievements:

Gold medals in yoga competitions at university level.

1) How long have you been in this industry?

3years

2) What do you think of the kind of Yoga practice in

     Singapore nowadays?

In Singapore you can find every form of yoga practice. Traditional as well as  modern form.

3) What do you think of the Yoga Instructor coming out

     with their own form of breathing technique?

I follow the tradition way of pranayama. No comments on other instructors.

4) What happens to the body when this kind of breathing

     is practice?

Our yogis took years of their self experiments on their bodies to develop the pranayamas.

So what came out is great in itself. We can’t modify them to please the modern society.

Modification can’t give you 100% benefits.

5) What do you think of teaching Yoga as a career?

It’s great. I love my work. If you do it by heart it’s a great career.

6) What are your future plans like?

To do something in the yoga field. To serve the humanity with my best work and dedication.

7) You are a successful Yoga Teacher considering you 

     are still new to teaching, tell me what are your

     secrets to your success?

Dedication and serving from heart.

What do you do in your free time?

Reading yoga books, doing my yoga practice.

9) What are your advices for people who wants to teach

     Yoga as a career?

Enjoy your work and give your 100% for your inner satisfaction.

10) How much do you think a Yoga Instructor can earn

       in a month?

It depends on the quality of an instructor.

11) People tend not to see much of this career, what are

       your views on this?

Today’s world is more materialistic. People think they can make more money in other career.

12) What is the best thing that happens in your line as

       Fitness Professional?

Interacting with different people and different talents. Learning a new lesson from every class.

I feel good when I help people in achieving good health.

13) What is the worst thing that happens?

People who don’t smile in the class.

Fantastic! Thank you so much Anil for your insights and I’m sure everyone will benefit from it. Anyone who are interested to become a Fitness Trainer in Group Exercise should have the qualities of Anil, ongoing learning and passion in your work. You will go a long way!

Anil is also a Vegetarian and has very high disciple in his Yoga practice, he has won Gold medals in Yoga competitions in his University days.  

Hi everyone, this week I have my buddy Chris. Chris is my long time good friend back from our secondary school days. We entered this industry together from wondering how to become a Personal Trainer, to what we are today widely qualified in various workouts program through sheer hard work.

Chris is one of the most qualified instructors in this industry and a very versatile one as well. Chris is also one of the few Exercise Fitness Trainer that is trained in both Personal Training and Group Exercise.

We have gone through many courses together from Body Combat, Body Jam, Yoga, and Muay Thai. We both gone through thick and thin in this Fitness Industry, so look out for what Chris has to say.

Here I present to you some precious insights to this industry from Chris.

Name:  Christopher Lim

Age: 31

Country: Singapore

Qualifications: 

• Personal trainer under American Fitness Professionals
• Sports Nutrition under  the International Sports Science Association
• Level 2 Muay Thai Instructor (Muay Thai Institute, Thailand & World Muay Thai Council
• Master of Yoga under the Sivananda Vedanta Centres in Uttar Kashi, Himalayas Body Combat, Pump and Jam instructor
• Reebok Core Systems Instructor
• Stomp (Freeclimber) Systems Instructor
• Wushu Coach under the SingaporeWushu Federation

Achievements:

• I represented Planet Fitness at the Maldives when they had a joint program with  Club Med.
• Established a yoga studio called Inner Room. Even though we eventually closed it, the lessons I have learnt were priceless.
• Establishing a clientele base ranging from 9 years old to 85 years old.
• Having had 9 beautiful years in this industry , 13 years if you count my wushu coaching years  

1) How long have you been in this industry?

9 Years

2) What are the pros and cons about this career and 

      how to overcome it?

It’s a great and vibrant industry to come into if it is your passion and desire not just in keeping fit and healthy but also in helping people achieve the same joy as you do through proper exercise and diet. You get to meet all kinds of people and have different experiences a normal 9 to 5 job can’t give you. 

However, it can be physically and mentally tiring too if you don’t pace yourself. Many instructors become very drained and unmotivated. That will affect your quality of instruction whether it is in group exercise or personal training. Just make sure you always take time out for yourself and invest in your own training and rest too. 

3) What do you think of about career in the fitness industry?

The potential is definitely greater than say 10 years ago. Someone wanting to come into the industry must be prepared to start from the very bottom like being a floor trainer of a well-established gym while being willing and open to constant upgrading through proper training and courses from recognized associations.

It’s always good to start working for a gym first before thinking about going freelance. There are many professionals who turn freelance without proper preparation and return to regular employment after a while.

4) What are your future plans like?

Continue my growth in the various areas I coach in. There is always so much to learn from the many areas of our industry.

5) You are successful in the fitness industry, tell me 

     what are your secrets to your success?

Staying grounded and trusting in God. Constant upgrading and an openness to new principles and discoveries be it in training, nutrition or other related areas.

Advance Yoga Teacher’s course in the Himalayas

6) What do you do in your free time?

I am very involved in my church dance ministry. I also love video games . I also train actively in Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiujitsu. I am also continuously studying the scientific aspects of Yoga and anatomy.

7) What are your advice for people who wants to go

     into the fitness industry?

There are many knowledgeable professionals out there right now so unless you are truly passionate about this and willing to learn, you won’t last long in the industry just based on good looks and character. Be teachable and approachable.

Be prepared for a pay cut at first but if you are willing to work hard, the rewards are worth it, be it financially or otherwise.

8) How much do you think a fitness professional can

     earn in a month?

Ranges from $1000 to $15,000.

9) Do you advice to just focus on only personal

     training, only group exercise or both.

I would advise diversity but start building up each area slowly. Get really good in one area before starting on

another.

10) People tend not to see much of this career, what

       are your views on this?

When I first came into this industry, I got the same reactions from friends and relatives. 9 years later, I am still going strong and doing better than before.

Persevere not to prove anything to people but to yourself. 

11) What is the best thing that happens in your line

       as a fitness professional?

The people whom I manage to have a positive influence on. When someone comes up to me to thank me for helping them with a nagging back problem or that my classes are very educational, the sense of achievement is unbelievable.

12) What is the worst thing that happens?

When I see other less qualified instructors trying to bluff their way through, giving wrong advice or providing wrong training methods. Sad to say, there are many out to take advantage of the lack of knowledge by some to make a quick buck. That really saddens me.

Thank You so much Chris for sharing your views with everyone, I’m sure all of us or any Fitness Exercise Trainer will benefit from your invaluable insights in the industry.

  Hi everybody, I’m so honored to be able 

 to interview Yoga Master Dr Venky in

 this Yoga interview.

 I must say I’m very impressed with his 

 knowledge of workouts exercises in 

 Yoga, both in traditional and his 

 physiological explanations on the various

 postures.

 He is the very first teacher that I know of

 who can explain successfully the

 physiological changes that go through the human body when one practices a certain Yoga posture.

This is a vast contrast to sweeping statements that some instructors may say during the practice of a Yoga posture for e.g:”practicing headstands will ensure that all tumours will disappear!” 

As such, I have the utmost respect for Dr Venky, as he the not only and expert in his field but he is also able to pass on his valuable knowledge to others.

So Dr Venky will share with us on what a career in the fitness industry is like and how you can become specialized in teaching Yoga.

Let me present to you Dr Venky,

Name:Dr. Venky

Age: 36

Country: India

Qualifications:

Master of Commerce, Doctor of Alternative Medicines, Diploma in Physiotherapy, Diploma in Yoga, Diploma in Yoga Therapy.

Achievement: 

Successfully treated conditions like cervical spondylitis, lower backache, diabetes, asthma, digestive problems by using holistic methods. Designed Yoga Teacher Training Course modules based on scientific information and research papers.

1) How long have you been in this industry? 

Teaching Yoga since the last 14yrs.

2) What do you think of the kind of Yoga practice in Singapore nowadays?

Somehow I can’t find the true essence of yoga and yogic practices, most of the time the class structure is more based on physical activities, which causes undue strain on various systems of the body. One should practice Yoga the way it is invented,modification is good but then again you can’t use Yoga principle for those practices.

So I would suggest you follow exercise science if you are making any modifications in yogic practices. This way, you would not unwittingly place people in situations of vulnerable injury.

3) What do you think of the Yoga Instructor coming out with their own form of breathing technique?

I can only say, please don’t play with your breaths unless you are sure of what you are doing? Please follow traditional information on breathing practices and stick to that.Breathing practices are most serious practices in Yoga.

4) What happens to the body when this kind of breathing is practiced?

Respiratory system is a very fine delicate system of our body. It responses to the state of mind and muscular movements immediately. If it is practiced incorrectly, one can be a permanent victim of breathing related problems.

5) What do you think of teaching Yoga as a career?

Teaching Yoga is a one of the best career options, as it provides you and society the most valuable treasure of health. Plus one can make a good living out of it.

6) What are your future plans like?

I am planning to build an ashram (Residential yoga school) in India in 2012/13,You can check my blog for more details http://drvenky-shivshaktiyoga.blogspot.com/

The Ashram will be surrounded with tranquil river, the natural waterfall and a panoramic view of nature.

7) You are a very successful Yoga Teacher; tell me what are your secrets to your success?

One should engage in proper study on the subject and try to read more scientific-based information on yoga and deliver proper and correct techniques to your students.

8) What do you do in your free time?

I spend most of my time studying human physiology (from a yoga point of view) and am always looking into the information which is based on scientific research on yogic practices.

9) What is your advice for a person who wants to teach Yoga as a career?

I can say, attend yoga courses which focus more on scientific-based information on yogic practices, because if your knowledge on theory is weak, your explanations will not be good enough to satisfy your student’s questions. So do place importance on your study of theory and your success will be guaranteed.

10) How much do you think a Yoga Instructor can earn in a month?

It all depends on teacher to teacher, I think one can make 3k to 12/15k a month.

11) People tend not to see much of this career, what are your views on this?

Actually there is lots of opportunity in this career, one should try.

12) What is the best thing that happened in your line as a fitness professional?

Every day I meet lots of people from different walks of life, and every individual teaches you something different about life, What I mean is that you can learn a lot from people about life, their professional advice, personal philosophies, psychology and lots more. Plus the most important thing is that on top of this, you make your living as well. So yor are always gaining and not loosing anything.

13) What is the worst thing that happens?

So far I never come across any such situations.

14) What are the special features of your Yoga teacher training course and why should one join your course?

My yoga teacher training course module is developed by me and I used my 14yrs of teaching experience while making this module. This course module is based on scientific infomation: from research papers published by one of the biggest and famous Yoga India KAIVALYADHAMA.

I also engage a physiotherapist to give lectures on human anatomy, which helps my students to understand the human body properly.This course module is the most effective tool for those who want to teach Yoga in a scientific and effectivce way. 

15) So far how many students of yours are working as a yoga teacher?

I think nearly all of them are working in this field, some teaching Yoga as part time job, and some teaching full time.

16) Based on your experience what is the best advice you can give to aspiring yoga teachers?

Please study the theory of yoga properly; this will enable you to become a very effective and successful teacher. If you wish to do modifications in yogic practices then please study human anatomy and physiology properly. And one should not play with your breaths unless you know the scientific information on those modified breathing techniques.

As you can see from the above interview, Dr Venky has provided valuable insight into the dos and donts’ of yoga practices. Primarily, one should gain a strong foundation in the theoretical knowledge of Yoga as well as the human anatomy. 

Any modifications done to traditional yoga postures, breathing exercises, and workouts program withour scientific backing or support may cause irreversible damage to the body.

I would like to thank Dr Venky for his time and effort in providing us with his invaluable insight on teaching yoga. I’m sure everyone has benefitted greatly from the above interview.