The KIPS Podcast with Tyler Valencia

Over the last decade, senior fitness has evolved significantly, shifting towards a more holistic and inclusive approach. Innovative fitness trends, such as functional training, now cater specifically to seniors. Additionally, there’s an increased focus on community-based programs, fostering social connections while promoting health. This evolution reflects a broader understanding of aging as an op...

Becoming a personal trainer in 2025 presents an exciting opportunity to thrive in a rapidly evolving fitness landscape. As health and wellness continue to gain prominence, the demand for knowledgeable and skilled trainers is expected to rise. Aspiring personal trainers will benefit from obtaining certifications focusing on fitness knowledge and experience working with various client demographics....

Establishing yourself in a new gym as a personal trainer can be difficult. While learning the ropes and protocol, you’re trying to build a client list that develops more monthly income. Pat Rigsby joins the KIPS Podcast to share valuable insights for personal trainers looking to establish their brand and market their services in a way that speaks directly to new clients. Ultimately, potential clie...

As a personal trainer, you constantly seek ways to grow your client list. More clients equals more monthly income and a prolonged career in the fitness industry. What if an “untapped” workout format existed that your clients would enjoy and could quickly establish you as the go-to instructor? Training your clients in the pool offers numerous advantages while being attractive to gym members who obs...

Motivating your client as a personal trainer is essential for building a strong relationship. Clients have various motivating factors, and it’s crucial to remember that most do not enjoy exercise. Therefore, your goal is to make training sessions as enjoyable as possible. By doing so, you can improve training effectiveness and retain clients who are likely to purchase personal training packages ag...

The career of being a personal trainer is evolving as those in the fitness industry learn more about what makes a successful professional. According to American Spa (2019), the fitness industry has a turnover rate of roughly 80%, which may be even higher when you talk to current gym owners across the United States. A significant issue with personal trainer education is that it doesn't emphasiz...

When the realities of being a new personal trainer set in, one quickly realizes how important the business fundamentals are to growing a client list or creating consistent monthly revenue. Interpersonal skills such as active listening and empathy are imperative to building your value package and helping personal trainers make a relationship with the potential customer standing before them. Underst...

You quickly understand that there is no blueprint for a successful fitness consultation and that no two clients have the same health history. In most entry-level personal trainer certification courses, a special populations chapter covers the basics of working with clients with chronic diseases or illnesses. There is so much more that goes into working with clients who are going through or have go...

The day-to-day career of a certified personal trainer looks incredibly smooth in corporate advertisements, but the real-world floor is a demanding, high-hustle grind. Between mastering grueling early and late morning split shifts and scrambling to secure a solid client list in your first 90 days, rookie coaches face an uphill battle to avoid washing out of the industry completely. In this episode...

Active agers, or those 55+, looking to live a healthier, more active lifestyle, are not only one of the most available demographics in a gym environment but are also most likely able to afford services like personal training. For personal trainers looking to build a career and grow a client list, specializing in training active agers can be rewarding and a cornerstone of your training schedule. In...

Entering the fitness industry as a new personal trainer or group exercise instructor can be an exciting opportunity with many benefits. However, it’s not a smooth path, as popular fitness education companies often portray in marketing campaigns. According to American Spa (2019), “the industry has an annual personal trainer turnover rate of 80 percent.” Before the realities of the fitness industry...

“Aqua fitness allows multiple demographics to train in the same environment with the same equipment.” What’s Ahead Perception of Aqua Fitness Evolution of Aqua Fitness Where to Start? The evolution of aqua fitness is a trend that personal trainers and fitness instructors should immediately incorporate into their programming. Aqua Fitness is no longer just for the active-aging population, and pool...

Foot care has evolved in recent years beyond simply removing your shoes during exercise. A building-from-the-ground-up approach can benefit your client's program and provide cues that help them connect more deeply with each exercise. Emily Splichal, DPM, offers advice on gym footwear, integrates sensory training, and explains how personal trainers can incorporate various foot-care approaches....

The single most common stigma attached to pool exercise is that it’s exclusively reserved for older generations. Not only is this entirely false, but ignoring the pool means you are missing out on a massive, untapped business opportunity to add more hours to your schedule and grow a highly loyal client list. In this episode of the KIPS Podcast, host Tyler Valencia, Ph. D.(c), highlights the massiv...

The commercial marketing surrounding the fitness industry is almost always presented as all smiles, flexible hours, and an effortless way to monetize your passion for exercise. But the boots-on-the-ground reality of building a sustainable career as a certified personal trainer is incredibly demanding, serving as an intense wake-up call for fresh coaches. Statistical tracking shows that roughly 80%...

Social media platforms update, and the content emphasized by each platform changes almost bi-yearly. One of the biggest mistakes fit pros make with social media is spending time creating content that worked 10-15 years ago. Audiences want to be entertained, and each social media platform has developed tools to enhance content creation. In this episode of the KIPS Podcast, Tyler Valencia, Ph. D.(c)...

The sensation of completing your personal training certification is truly gratifying, opening up new pathways to immediate employment across the fitness industry. But after your initial six months on a commercial floor, it becomes clear that the daily reality of being a coach is significantly more challenging than standard industry ads portray. In this episode of the KIPS Podcast, host Tyler Valen...

Connecting with your audience is more than just hitting the record button on your camera and going through the motions of instructing an online workout. One of the unique qualities of YouTube is the ability to identify and speak to your ideal audience member. This might sound different at first, but it helps you to develop your brand and coaching style. In a traditional gym, you are more likely to...

As dedicated fitness professionals, our primary instinct is to publish positive, highly disciplined, evidence-based information. But when we enter the digital landscape of YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook, we quickly discover that pure science isn't always as instantly marketable as sensationalized fitness fads. In this episode of the KIPS Podcast, host Tyler Valencia, Ph. D.(c), confronts the...

There are indeed significant similarities between working in a gym and creating content for YouTube. In this episode of the KIPS Podcast, host Tyler Valencia, Ph. D.(c), not only highlights these similarities but also emphasizes how your existing skills and experiences can be leveraged in both these domains. This validation of your abilities should boost your confidence and motivate you to explore...

Fitness instructors who want to create content for YouTube might hear discouraging statements like "You need an expensive camera to start on YouTube," Workouts without speaking perform best on YouTube," or" It’s too late to start recording content for YouTube." However, these statements are not entirely true. In fact, YouTube is a unique platform that allows fitness instru...

Entering the fitness industry means accepting the reality that your hours will be highly unconventional. But far too often, entry-level fitness instructors and personal trainers spend substantial chunks of their week performing essential business labor—like customized program development, social media marketing, and equipment setup—completely off the clock. In this episode of the KIPS Podcast, hos...

Building a thriving, sustainable career in the personal training space requires far more than just compiling technical certifications and writing basic exercise blocks. The true defining metric that separates entry-level instructors from top-tier, high-earning fitness entrepreneurs is the mastery of interpersonal communication and client psychology. In this episode of the KIPS Podcast, host Tyler...

YouTube is an ever-evolving platform that offers endless possibilities for creators to showcase their talent and reach a wider audience. However, succeeding on this platform takes time, effort, and patience. One of the keys to success on YouTube is to learn from your mistakes and continuously research the best practices that work for growing channels. It is essential to stay updated with the lates...

There are numerous videos and guides available that can teach you how to create high-quality social media content. These tutorials can show you how to edit, make cuts, add transitions, and more. However, what about the basics? Social media can be daunting for some, but it’s an ever-changing process where practices that worked five years ago are outdated. In this episode of the KIPS Podcast, host T...