Pros
1. Opportunity to thousands of potential clients through their membership base. 2. Continuing education provided (required in many cases). 3. You're part of a well-known, reputable health club 4. Ability to grow a business (which takes time, hours, and a strong work ethic) 5. Ability to earn a substantial income if you're good at what you do. 6. Advancement opportunities for those who excel. 7. Some of the greatest leaders in the PT and Pilates industry - on the business end, lead teams at LTF (shout out to Eduardo Perez). You can learn a lot from these people. 8. If you're on a winning team, it's very rewarding.
Kontras
1. You must be a self-motivated, driven fitness professional with a strong work ethic to succeed at Life Time. 2. There truly is a top 10-20% who do well (as PTs and Pilates instructors). And there is the other 80-90% (who complain a lot about not being part of that top 10-20%). 3. Lots of free time must be given in order to truly grow a business and succeed. But to make it as a fitness trainer anywhere, this is the case. 4. Lots of online (& unpaid) training that comes up year after year 5. A scale of commission that is difficult for many to climb (thus the 80%) 6. PTs: It's likely that you'll work with some unethical, dishonest people on the leadership team who have the potential to block success or help you succeed quickly. For example, department heads and their assistants work closely with membership advisors to fish through new members who join with full intent to purchase services of a trainer. The leadership team gets those contacts - often when they are signing up for their membership, and they don't always disperse them to the 80%). Another reason why working your way up to that level through your own hard work and time ultimately CAN pay off if you want to be part of that team. 7. Corporate "goals" can be unrealistic, humiliating and de-motivating for the majority who fall in the 80% below the top 20% of achievers, and because they literally email out (weekly) where everyone is falling on their sales. 8. Group fitness instructors are not paid at the high end of the scale for today's Group X compensation. While I was there for 8 years, group fitness instructors were NEVER given a raise. But teaching Group X helps any trainer to build a business....so as a trainer, think of it as paid time to connect with members and sell yourself as a potential trainer. 9. The stress level of constantly having to reach monthly sales goals is high. Once you reach that level, it still won't be enough. They will start asking you for "110%" and then 120%. Unfortunately, even when you're successful, you may feel like it's never good enough for LTF. They will always want more.
