How to Become a Celebrity Personal Trainer

If you want to know how to become a celebrity personal trainer, we have all the answers you need! From a high income to the unique benefits that come along with the position, it’s no mystery why you’re wondering how to turn this dream into a reality. That’s why we will cover the following contents: 

• Is There a Guaranteed Way to Become a Celebrity PT?
• Methods of Enlisting Celebrity Clients
• Benefits of Becoming a Celebrity PT

If you’re ready to take the first step and get qualified, why not enquire about OriGym’s internationally recognised Personal Trainer Diploma. Find this and more in our downloadable course prospectus.

Is There a Guaranteed Way to Become a Celebrity PT?

In short, no, there are no complete guarantees, given the niche client base, there are fewer opportunities to amass clients than if you operate with the general public. However, there are ways that you can certainly increase the likelihood of this being your career path.

Below, we have 6 methods to increase your chances of getting celebrity clients on board, or at the very least getting your business up to the level of prestige in which celebrity clients will endorse your personal training services.

Methods of Enlisting Celebrity Clients

#1 Get Qualified as a Level 4 PT

In order to become a personal trainer that has more and does more than your average PT, you’re going to need higher qualifications and background. 

One way to do this is by separating yourself from the ‘norm’ of a level 3 in personal training and taking it up a notch to a level 4. A level 4 in personal training can help you develop your niche which is what can make the difference between you and another PT. 

For instance, you could choose from the likes of these level 4 courses to demonstrate the areas in which you specialise and excel:

• Level 4 Lower Back Pain Management (LBP) Course
• Level 4 Obesity & Weight Management Control Course
• Level 4 Diabetes Management Control Course
• Online Nutrition Course

As you can see, each of these courses have a level of specificity to them that can help set you apart from the masses. Something that you need to remember, is that to move up the ladder as a personal trainer you must first have completed your level 3 diploma in personal training. 

You should ensure that it is internationally recognised by looking out for relevant endorsing bodies such as CIMSPA. This can help to make sure that if you’re looking to move to places where some of the most successful celeb PT’s reside like L.A for example, your qualifications will always be recognised.

Showing that you have a higher level of qualification and knowledge behind you simply makes you more fit for the job. Plus, since you’re going to be charging higher prices for celebrity clients, you need to justify this price point by having the relevant qualifications and extensive background. 

#2 Seek Employment at High End Gyms

Another way to build your way up to the bigger clients is to get some experience in prestigious fitness centres and gyms. Nobody will be able to walk into a celebrity fitness role without any relevant experience.

With that in mind, you should do more than just seek any experience. Aim high, look for job openings in more prestigious gyms, in the UK some of these include:

• David Lloyd Leisure club
• Virgin Active
• Lanserhof at Mayfair
• Barry’s

You should gain experience in a mixture of clubs, some that boast exclusivity and luxury like wellness centres such as Lanserhof and alike. While also gaining some experience in international gyms and classes like Virgin Active and Barry’s.

This can help to show potential employers that not only have you worked in private companies that obtain a high-end luxury feel, but also the international gyms that while still boast a high-end climate, they also may be more familiar with. 

You can do your research to find out where celebrities often train in your area. Check out fitness influencers and celebrities of the calibre that you wish to train and see the style of gyms that they train in - this is where you want to gain your experience.

Not only does this provide you with valuable experience, but it is also a good place to network and to start to establish professional relationships that could get you the clients you want.

Networking is incredibly important, you need to get your name out there and show the right people why you have what it takes to train the big names.

#3 Contact Celebrity Agencies and Managers to Offer Your Services

One of the key ways to bridge the gap between you and potential celebrity clientele is to utilise celebrity agencies. 

These agencies can help you to offer your services to the right people and can be the best chance at gaining this level of client base particularly if you’re somewhat new to the industry.

So where do you begin?

First off, if you have a particular celebrity in mind that you want to train, a good idea is trying to reach them through their agency or manager depending on the size of the celeb. You could look out on the likes of their social media and ask yourself things such as:

• Are they clearly into fitness?
• Have they expressed that they want to hire a trainer?
• Have they started to post their workouts and gym trips more?

Try to get a lot from a little and act at the right time. For example, if they’ve asked in their stories any questions about getting started with fitness or training, it might be a good time to contact their agent.

For example, celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson who trains the likes of Khloe Kardashian says this below about how he gained his clients:

As you can see, the connection is typically made through trusted sources, like their agent or management. So, rather than directing your credentials and portfolio to the celebrity themself, keep it professional and address it to their management team. 

The last thing you want to do is have your application come across like a fan letter, instead you should present yourself throughout a professional portfolio and personal trainer CV. This should include the following factors:

• Your credentials: Level 3, 4 PT courses and any other relevant certifications.
• Direct your cover letter and CV to the celebrity agency directly
• Tell the management what you can do for that celebrity and why you chose to contact them.

You should be including your social media handles and any relevant content like your personal trainer website and professional LinkedIn so they can have a dig around your professional background.

#4 Make Sure You’re in as Best Shape Possible

There is always conversation surrounding the topic of whether you need to be fit to be a personal trainer or not, and this discussion will continue since there are various factors that can affect the answer. 

However, if you want to become a celebrity personal trainer, there are certain factors that may mean more than they would when compared to a regular level personal trainer. 

Celebrities want to get in good shape, the best way to do that is to show them the motivation by being the motivation. This is a common theme among celebrity personal trainers, often there is a particular level of aesthetic that comes along with it. 

We put together just some of the most famous celebrities including Kim and Kourtney Kardashian and Mark Wallberg’s trainers so you can see what their physique looks like:

You may notice that there is a common feature among these trainers, they’re all in incredible shape. 

Trainers who have shown their transformations can also have a much bigger impact on gaining attraction. For example, the female trainer that you can see within the aforementioned image showing her story is what bagged her the role as Kim Kardashian's trainer - you can see below the story of how this unfolded:

By showing your own fitness journey and how you got to or are working toward your dream physique and shape, you could inspire the right celebrity and get the job that you want!

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To read some more about the path your career as a PT can take, head over to these articles below:

• How To Become A Personal Trainer For Professional Athletes
• How To Become A Personal Trainer In Australia
• How To Become a Self-Employed Personal Trainer

#5 Market Yourself as a ‘Celebrity Exclusive PT’

The celebrity fitness personal trainer salary is so high because there is a level of exclusivity. 

Once you become a celebrity trainer and are working with another calibre of trainers, you’re setting the bar extremely high for yourself. This is how you can then market yourself to be above the rest and market yourself among the “Celebrity Exclusive Personal Trainer”.

You should be using phrases such as ‘celebrity PT 'or ‘celeb exclusive PT 'in places like your Instagram bio to establish your professional identity as part of your branding plan, like this PT does:

This exclusivity ultimately makes you more attractive to agents looking for a PT for their client.

You should also be thinking about where you want to market yourself.

Think about who you want to work for, what kind of celebrity it is and where they are located.

Many of the big stars are in the likes of the capital cities around the world, as well as key hot spots like L.A for instance. So with that in mind, it would make sense to network within these places by using digital tools like LinkedIn and other social media platforms to do your research on the most relevant agencies in those areas. 

This can help you get in touch with the right line of people and start the ball rolling on networking. After you have established where you want to market yourself, how do you go about it?

Utilising business cards and distributing them to potential connections can be a good way to do this subtly. You don’t want to overwhelm them with content so starting small can make a big difference.

You should also have a portfolio that markets your expertise, this is where you can mention things such as:

• Your qualifications: for example, you could introduce your services as “Level 4 qualified personal trainer, specialising in lower back pain management”
• Past celebrities you have worked with: E.g “Kris Jenner’s former personal trainer”
• Where you have worked: If you have worked in any prestigious places or organisations you can include this to show your level of expertise.
• Testimonials and your own personal fitness journey: Show how you can do the same for them.

Ensure you’re using relevant marketing strategies, avoid mixing up marketing with a serious CV but don’t make the advertising so ‘desperate’ that it doesn’t scream exclusivity. You must find the correct balance between the two.

#6 Use Word of Mouth Marketing to Gain More Celebrity Clients

We’ve reiterated the importance of networking throughout, and this is because it is among the most effective ways to gain clients since it is how you build trust and get reliable clientele.

Getting your first initial celebrity client is the more difficult part, but once you get beyond this point word of mouth starts to do the hard work for you, and so long as you’re providing a 10/10 service, there is no reason why they wouldn’t recommend you to their other celebrity connections.

You may notice that it is rare that celebrity PT’s would only have one client, they often have some celebrities within the same realm of popularity too; for example, take Aaron Williamson.

He has worked as the personal trainer of huge names including Sylvester Stallone, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and Jamie Foxx. These celebrities are huge internationally and of course have masses of contacts so gaining one can be the key to unlocking the rest.

Similarly, you could come across the right people that could get you in long-term roles. For example, training for film studios or actor agencies for when actors need to get in shape within a time frame. This is common in the industry and with the right motivation you could be that person for the job.

This may take a while and it’s by no means easy, you need to build your reputation, market yourself correctly and simply give potential clients a reason to trust you. But, when you do, this is going to act as one of the main driving forces that will give you the title of a “celebrity personal trainer”.

Benefits of Becoming a Celebrity PT

While some of the main benefits of being a personal trainer in general always apply, there are some things that we must mention as they make the journey of how to be a celebrity personal trainer that bit more worthwhile.

Celebrity PT Salaries Can Be High

First and foremost, your main question when doing your research might be - how much does a celebrity personal trainer make?

Simply put, more is expected of you and thus, the more you are paid. 

That being said, take a look below at some celebrity personal trainers, who they train and how much it is said that they earn annually.

• Jono Castano: Trains celebrities such as Rebel Wilson and is said to have a net worth of around $3 million.
• Jeanette Jenkins: Trained celebrities such as Alicia Keys, Serena Williams and has an estimated net worth of up to $9 million!
• Danielle Peazer: Trained Celebrities such as LittleMix girl band and has an estimated net worth of approximately $1.5 million.

Keep in mind that if you reach a particular level of celebrity endorsement yourself, you will start to gain attraction from people on social media. If this happens and you gain a big following, you could soon be getting paid for just posting on the likes of Instagram alone. 

There is more than just one stream of income when you get to the higher levels which is why climbing the ladder can come with a hugely satisfactory salary. 

Becoming a Celebrity PT Can Be Glamorous Lifestyle

Following on from what we just mentioned about gaining your own level of attraction, there are some things that come along with the life of a celebrity personal trainer. 

You could find yourself flying and travelling with your clients and you could potentially find yourself injected into a new world that is much more exclusive than the public life you may have been used to. 

For example, we mentioned earlier the celebrity personal trainer Melissa Alcantara. She had a huge transformation and now lives life lavishly with her new friend and client Kim Kardashian. She’s even been seen on episodes of Keeping up with the Kardashians and seems to be training Kim and sometimes her sisters in their huge Hollywood homes. 

This isn't to say that it’s easy, she worked hard to get there but there is no reason why other celebrities can’t also spot a special streak within you and take a chance on you as their trainer. 

This could have the potential to catapult you into a new world where you can make bigger career moves and ultimately, bigger money.

Before You Go…

Now that you’re aware of the hard work that goes into getting how to become a celebrity personal trainer, what are you waiting for?

Waste no time in getting your career on the road with our internationally recognised Personal Trainer Diploma here at OriGym. Find this and many other further educational courses to boost your portfolio here in our downloadable course prospectus.