Esteban, give a little background history of yourself.

I was raised in Salt Lake City, Utah.  As a child I had really bad asthma and was constantly getting sick.  I ended up with a physician who had me exercise as part of my treatment.  I started off slowly but with some effort and determination I was able to reduce the amount of asthma attacks I had.  Now I am able to do most things with little trouble.

What made you decide to pursue this area of study (i.e. Personal Fitness Training)?

One night I was out with my girlfriend at the time.  I got mistaken for an athlete and we ended up in an area with a bunch of athletes and their families.  I got to meet a lot of great people and had a really good time.  I kept getting asked questions like how long I’d been training, who I trained with, and where I competed out of.  Finally one of the guys who had retired came over and introduced himself to me and my girlfriend.  When he found out I ended up there by accident he looked me dead in the eye and said “If you are not competing or you’re not training others your wasting your life.”  The next day I started looking at different programs.

What made you to decide to pursue this interest in the Personal Fitness Trainer program at ACC?

I looked at a lot of programs throughout the country.  Of all the ones I had looked at the ACC program was the one that stood out to me the most.  I had also talked to several small gym owners.  Explained to them my options for pursuing this career.  I got a lot of positive feedback from them about the program.

What was the most difficult aspect of the program?

It is a difficult program especially compared to a lot of other programs.  There is a lot of requirements you have to meet.  The program can also take a long time to complete.  You have to learn and understand the criteria for several different certifying bodies.  These are also some of the reasons it is one of the best programs out there.

What was the best/most beneficial aspect of the program?

The professors of the program; hands down they are the best professors out there.  They really know their stuff.  They are approachable and really care about their students.

Are you currently employed as a Personal Fitness Trainer?  If so, at what capacity?  If not, why not?

I work as a trainer, group instructor, and member services.

If you had a single piece of advice for someone interested in being a Personal Fitness Trainer, what would it be?

My advice is keep an open mind and learn from everyone.  If you can ask questions to as many trainers, managers, and owners as you can find.  Ask what they look for.  What it takes to be successful in their business?  What traits are hard to find in a trainer?  What makes a trainer stand out to them?

Back to Meet a Graduate Page