Ignite the Fire: The Secrets to Building a Successful Personal Training Career (Revised, Updated, and Expanded)

The reason for my title is because I've fallen for ALL the "buy this book/training" and your business will increase 100%. Sad but true. The truth is that such teachings are SO broad and aren't specific to the Personal Trainer industry that all they tend to do is create more lack of direction (due to Broad business focus). All those CD,DVDs/book training systems are sitting on a shelf used once and I spent a ridiculous amount of money. Last year(2014) I found PTDC in my FB newsfeed one day and I've been quietly (reading not commenting) following theptdc for just under a year now and Reading every article he posts on FB and his site. It's because of how useful and easy to implement the tips on his site are that I decided to buy IGNITE THE FIRE book. All I can say is that for the inexpensive price and only being on chapter 6, it's been GOLD for me because his content is SPECIFIC to the personal training industry. I have numerous certifications but none provide the meat and potatoes of HOW to structure your mission, business and clients to truly grow and thrive as a Trainer. Often we look to TV personalities and Fitness trainers in magazine/Dvd workouts for advice but guess what? THEY are selling their business to you! There's no value in wasting time with that when you can buy this book and read it, implement the steps that are specific and clear in direction. I wish i hadn't wasted $1,000+ and years of precious time on all the other broad content nonsense Just buy the book. Thank you to the author, John Goodman, for sharing his knowledge, tips on what to do and what not to do on his website and in this book. It's been valuable to me as I'm changing directions with my business structure and he gave me the answers in ignite the fire and for that I am grateful!

Jonathan’s social media is really effective – – as a content strategist it was cool to see someone in the fitness industry talk so much about community and relationship oriented social media rather than blasting out your message. The stuff that Jonathan puts out is really smart — I’ve been thinking more and more about moving from a career in content to personal training I wanted to see what I could get out of this book. I learned a ton about how to scale a business successfully— if you’re a personal trainer trying to figure out business, I think this book is invaluable. Personally, one of the things I’ve struggled with a lot in my career is finding a niche and actually being able to evaluate the effectiveness of my niche a business owner – – i’ve switched from the types work that I offer quite a bit, and switched industries just as often. I think secretly I was hoping this book would help me determine if I could build a fitness oriented niche, especially because I really enjoyed teaching, training, and coaching, and I’ve done a lot of work around using HVP for stress management. Anyway, that’s all definitely more about my work than this book. A lot of the emphasis here is on getting a job at a gym and building credibility and relationships there. In some ways, this answered my question (how do you find leads and build your niche? By training!) even though I’m not sure what to do next. I’ll keep using these tools and resources!

I have been around fitness and wellness all of my life. I obtained a Bachelor's of Science degree in Adult Fitness and Wellness Management, spent some time in physical therapy, obtained an ACSM Personal Training Certification, and currently obtaining my Master's in Biomechanics. Though I may have the knowledge to obtain client results, that does not mean I know how to run a business by any means. When I started my personal training business, I came across Jon's work and invested in a couple of his books. The wealth of knowledge within is limitless. Since then, I have invested in every product Jon Goodman has released as I know he will help me be at the top of my game in order to help my clients be their very best! Though I obtained a degree and certification, Jon's work makes everything "click"! With that being said, his way of communicating the information is phenomenal and makes everything very clear. Since reading, my fitness blog and business has done extremely well. So well, that I have even made an entrance into online personal training, thanks to Jon. I even own both a hard copy and the kindle version after forgetting my hard copy at home. Because I wanted to finish reading it so bad, I decided to purchase the kindle version. So, whether you are a veteran or new trainer, you need to purchase this book and study it consistently. If you are not a trainer and looking for a gift for someone who is a trainer, this is the perfect gift! It is the gift that keeps on giving.

This is really an excellent book! I am very impressed with Jon and all the time and effort he has put into himself learning what it takes to be an excellent personal trainer, and the effort he has put into helping other trainers excel. Jon is very clear and easy to understand and uses really good examples to help the reader understand his message. I did notice a handful of typos throughout the book. Something I have occasionally seen on his website and other articles as well. Not a huge deal at all, but definitely slows the flow of the writing and acts as an annoyance in a book that otherwise is smooth and enjoyable. I also thought there was unnecessary redundancy book describes his block scheduling system and his focus system in two different sections. I didn't think it was necessary to describe twice in such detail. But this does not really detract from the overall message of the book. Overall, this book is a wellspring of excellent information, and really does, as the title suggests "ignite the fire" within to succeed as a personal trainer. I would recommend it anyone looking to pursue a career in personal training.

Was very informative; confirmed some ideas I already had. Pages are highlighted, dog eared with notes in the margins.

I have been a long time health and fitness enthusiast. Just recently I decided to take that passion and make it a career. I passed my NASM exam, and then found myself in the middle of a world I didn't feel ready for. A few months prior to all this I heard of "Ignite the Fire" on a podcast called, "The Fitcast." I decided to order the book and see what I could out of it. Within days of reading it, I could already feel my anxieties melt away. I hadn't yet trained one client, but I already felt prepared for what was to come. This book is a must read for any beginner trainer in my opinion. Even if you find yourself realizing you really knew some of this stuff all along, it is a great tool for shaping your own persona, and great as a reminder for when you need it. I especially enjoyed the section of the book where Jon talks about the different types of clients. This helped me a ton, since before I had a very one track plan for all my clients. I cannot recommend this book enough if you are a trainer who feels they haven't had proper training out side of the human movement system of training.

Being a good personal trainer requires expertise in a variety of different disciplines: anatomy, physiology, programming, nutrition. But it also requires a firm grasp of business, psychology, and marketing, all underpinned by a knowledge of human behavior. Tons of books have been written about the hard sciences involved in training but Ignite the Fire fills a gigantic void when it comes to the "softer" aspects of training that will actually make you a successful trainer. It is the best book specific to personal training that I've ever read. It covers a wide range of topics and does so in a well-organized, easy-to-read package. It is jam-packed with useful and actionable information. This book is indispensable for any trainer, new or experienced, and worth a re-read every year to brush up on some things you may have forgotten. Jonathan Goodman knocked it out of the park with this one, and my only regret is that I didn't get my hands on it sooner in my career.

This book was a pleasant surprise. The information in each chapter is like finding a diamond on the surface of the ground, you can't believe what you just found. I didn't find one chapter that wasn't valuable, no fluff. I am just getting in to the personal training space at 45 years old, and this book provided me with a blueprint, take away tips, and great advise. I started using some of the advise on friends and neighbors just to see how they would respond, and what I realized was people's interest peaked when I really stop to listen to them instead of me telling them all about their imbalances and what I thought they needed to do...I thought that was why they were asking. So many great points in the book...top 2 -The pause for 5 seconds...really cool tip. I learned so much more by not filling the void. And, finding a niche, not being everything to everyone.

This book is gold. Being new to the industry, Jonathan's words give me confidence that I can succeed. Easy to understand and has a lot of great points for beginners and experts. I particularly liked the mini interviews he had with fitness professionals. 5 stars!!

Even being a spanish guy who doesn't understand too much english the guide is easy to follow and teaches you how manage yours and your clients time, it is not an info you can discover in typical books of personal training. And for that price I recomend it.

This is the first book I have read from Jonathan Goodman. This book is so informative for a beginner. I have learned a lot of things and I will use that to use in future.

The self-help industry is full of crap. Most self-development books will get you nowhere because they fill you with philosophy and motivational quotes rather than things you can do. This book gives actionable elements to become a better trainer, help clients more effectively, and get more money in the end. The original version was already golden, but the fitness industry has evolved at record speed and Jon has kept up to date with all the latest trends so you don't miss out on new options and opportunities. I was lucky enough to buy the original version and follow Jon's collaborative blog early on. Since then I have used and tweaked Jon's focus system and not only did my programming become a no brainer, but clients were getting better results as well. Not to mention, they could see their progression more clearly and got more enthusiastic about their training sessions. A special gem is the ten types of client's personalities and how to work with each one. Jon really gets people. As a coach, it is an essential quality and you have to be able to get into people's heads so that you are able to trigger the changes that condition their success. Learning to identify what type of personality each client was has done wonders for me.

A really good book and a must read for all Personal Trainers. I worked in this industry for over 15 years and seen many PT’s come and go. I would have to say that as many as 95% of trainers that become certified do not make a career out of Personal Training. After working with many trainers I think one of the main differences between those that succeed and those that fail is PASSION! Also connecting with your client – not just communicating with them and socially integrating them and making them feel comfortable in and around other people within the facility is essential to your success. Goals, workout structure, and training technique are also very important, but it is those crucial people skills that trainers often lack yet need to succeed. Jonathan really talks you through these essential ingredients which is why I would have to give the book 5 stars and recommend it as an essential read to any Personal Trainer. Paul Sebo – Xcel Personal Training, Bingley. UK.