Jeremy, give a little background history of yourself.

I played sports throughout Jr. High and High school.  I was a state qualifier in the 110 hurdles/mile relay freshman, sophomore, Junior and senior year.

Went on to run the 400m hurdles, 110m hurdles, and high jump for Tarleton State.  Joined the Navy’s Special Warfare Program as a Combat Rescue Swimmer in 2007.

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

Growing up I wanted to be an athletic coach.  Most of the coaches I had pushed me in a positive direction, helped me better myself, and were tremendous mentors.  They helped me believe in myself and that I could achieve things that I didn’t think I could do. However, most of them had said that the worst thing about being a coach is dealing with the parents.  A trainer can do all of those things, be more personal with individual people, and most of the time not have to deal with any parents that think their child is a special snowflake.

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

I actually started in the Kinesiology program for my first year at ACC.  My sister-in-law started the personal training program and started talking to me about it.  I jumped on it fast.  Extremely happy about my decision.

What was the most challenging/difficult part of the program?

Without a doubt Anatomy and Physiology.

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

Two things that helped me the most, one was part of the program and the other was not.

Having a class where we trained a staff member.  It was extremely real-world accurate; adjusting workouts to their issues and available times, rescheduling for late or canceled appointments.

The other benefit of just being at ACC was having the ability to TA for several group classes.  I would highly recommend that anyone getting into the program apply for a TA position for a group class.

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

No I’m not I am working towards that.  I currently work at Castle Hill Fitness and they require 1 year working at the front desk in order to get to know clients better as well as have the clients get to know you, which makes it an easier transition to training.

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

Do not go into the job expecting to get clients super fast and make a ton of money.  Be patient, it’s a slower process than you might think.  It can be a very rewarding career.  People need you more than they probably realize.  Just be patient.

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