I received an e-mail this am from one of my old boot camp instructors with a flyer attached that a local YMCA is offering a 7 week Group Exercise Instructor program and my old instructor thinks I would be AWESOME at it. BUT it costs $299 to take this. Now I look at it this way, I would spend the $$, could get a job at the YMCA and we would have a free membership (which we left the Y back in April 08 due to the cost of the membership).

I am studying to become a certified personal trainer (which will cost me about $500 in about 3 months or so).

I'm so torn here!!!

Who is there certification through? What organization?
Who is your PT through?
That makes all the difference. Because if you do not get a job with the Y, it needs to be a cert. that other places will accept.

Have you thought more about this Debi? What are you thoughts on it?

Here are a couple of things I would think about:

-Definitely the quality of the certifying agency
-Do you like the Y? (I have to be in a gym I love. There are some places that I would loose my momentum if that is where I had to go. KWIM?)
-Do you enjoy group instruction?
-Obviously personal training tends to be more lucrative, buuuuuut you could study for that while teaching the group classes.
-Have you looked into the Y's PT program? Do they offer certifications for PT? A lot of gyms will have like all day Saturday trainings. If so, maybe you could get a discount if you already were an instructor there. It never hurts to ask.

In the end, if you are wanting to really make a "profession" of this, you are going to need both. If it is just something you want to do on the side, just figure out which you prefer more.

Good luck with your decision! You will be AWESOME at either or both!!!

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I went through a similar program with 24 hour fitness... and its one of the best decisions of my life. It wasnt so expensive though. I can teach at any 24 Hour. It cost me $150 and I can teach 5 different classes. I got invited to a free training which added another 3 classes and I audition to teach tease and kickboxing on Tuesday! The pay is AWESOME! Free membership for me and my husband and I get to pick my own schedule. I will go do the FREE PT program that they have too! I say go for it. Youll make your money back quick if the pay is decent!

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~~Ember~~
Mommy to Bailey 10/02, Brooke 9/04, & DJ 6/06

Thanks for everyone's advice. I have decided to do it in conjunction with my PT studies.

I'm excited for this all!!!!