my job
By Laura French • jobslink@startribune.com
Christopher Frechette was a successful business-to-business sales representative for an office supply company. He liked the company, but, he said, "I just had zero enthusiasm to talk about trash liners." He did have a passion for sports and fitness that started with wrestling, baseball and football at age five. He started working as a personal trainer part-time about three years ago, completing both personal trainer and sports nutrition certifications.
"I was really looking for the right place to land, and 9Round is what I fell upon. It's a 30-minute workout. You get the experience with a personal trainer, but on your own time," he said. "We don't do the drill sergeant training. We always have a personal trainer to help them with form, motivate them, cheer them on. It's a pretty high-intensive workout. People who come in really do want to work out." The routine changes every day, he said, but is always designed to provide a full-body workout.
Frechette said the client mix is about 60 percent women and 40 percent men. "The biggest hurdle we have to jump over is the intimidation factor. People think 'kickboxing' — they will come in and learn how to fight. We use it as a form of fitness, not to fight. Our motto is, 'Get fit, never hit.'"
What is the best part of the job?
The best part is actually being able to see people reach their fitness goal. It's an amazing feeling when you had a role in helping people be more happy and healthy.
What are some challenges?
In the personal trainer world, the hardest part is to keep people motivated enough to get into the gym. It's having that really personal touch to make people want to come in — be excited, not dreading it.
Do you see an upswing in business in January?
There's a slew of people who every year make that New Year's resolution: "I'm going to get healthy, lose weight." A lot of people come in for the month of January for a three-week stint. There's the few that really truly get motivated and reach their goals, and another group that falls off the bandwagon. In my past experience I see that more with the big box gyms — they are very motivated, but they're not exactly sure what to do. A lot of people get unmotivated really quick.
What advice would you give for sticking with fitness goals?
The biggest thing I can tell people is to make realistic goals. Everyone wants instant gratification; it would be great to lose 20 pounds in a week, but that's not realistic and it's not healthy. Look at the big picture — especially nutrition. Set realistic goals — proper diet as well as whatever kind of fitness you want to do, basic or extreme. Be realistic with your lifestyle, your personality. It's a lot more of a process than people would like, but once people get on the bandwagon, those are the people who stay on the path.
What tips do you have for working with a personal trainer?
The more communication you can have, the better. It's much appreciated by all personal trainers. Nobody knows a body like the person who's living inside it. You never know if you're pushing someone too hard or too lightly. â–¡
