The Show Up Fitness Podcast

Send us a text if you want to be on the Podcast & explain why!

IG Glenda_garay GYM eleva_fitness_studio

Glenda walked into her first gym role with a big goal and a shaky toolkit then built a studio that’s now heading into year three. We sit down with the Eleva Fitness owner from the San Francisco Bay Area to talk about what actually changed her career: investing in education, learning real anatomy and programming, and showing up with a level of coaching presence that makes clients feel safe. When your clients can feel your confidence, retention gets easier, referrals increase, and your value stops being negotiable.

We also get honest about box gym culture and what happens when you start leveling up. Glenda shares what it’s like when other trainers compete, criticize, or try to poach clients, and why leaving a toxic environment can be the smartest business move you make. From there we break down gym ownership basics in plain language: rent, pricing, and why multiple revenue streams matter. We dig into a sustainable fitness studio business model where small group training can cover overhead while personal training becomes the profit engine.

If you’re searching for how to become a successful personal trainer, how to open a gym, or how to market a personal training studio, you’ll take away practical ideas you can use this month: collaborations, workshops, local partnerships, and the focus required to avoid doing 30 things at once. Listen through to the end for Glenda’s no-nonsense advice on betting on yourself, then subscribe, share the episode with a trainer friend, and leave a quick review so more coaches can find it.

Want to become a SUCCESSFUL personal trainer? SUF-CPT is the FASTEST growing personal training certification in the world!

Want to ask us a question?  Email [email protected] with the subject line PODCAST QUESTION to get your question answered live on the show!

Website: https://www.showupfitness.com/
Become a Successful Personal Trainer Book Vol. 2 (Amazon): https://a.co/d/1aoRnqA
NASM / ACE / ISSA study guide: https://www.showupfitness.com

Send us a text if you want to be on the Podcast & explain why!

A brand-new Equinox trainer asks a simple question with huge stakes: how do you program for a 54-year-old lawyer who’s 260 pounds, 42% body fat, fresh off a divorce, and dead set on getting to 200? We walk through exactly how we’d run the first two Equifit sessions so the client feels safe, seen, and genuinely excited to come back, not crushed and embarrassed after 15 minutes.

We get specific on the assessment that makes you look like a true professional, including why taking blood pressure and resting heart rate is a credibility multiplier and a real service to the client. From there, we map out a “Goldilocks” first workout: warm-up with engagement, smart upper-body work before heavy legs, simple circuits built on push, pull, core, carries, and accessories that keep the session fun without turning it into random chaos. The goal is adherence and momentum, then progressive overload as conditioning improves.

Then we shift to the part most trainers avoid: the sit-down conversation that turns a great workout into a committed client. We share how to present personal training packages clearly, why fewer options sell better, and how to add value with bonus sessions, reviews, and referrals while still playing the long game on your career. If you coach with competence and consistency, your rates rise because your results rise.

If you got something from this, subscribe, share the episode with a trainer who needs it, and leave a quick rating and review.

Want to become a SUCCESSFUL personal trainer? SUF-CPT is the FASTEST growing personal training certification in the world!

Want to ask us a question?  Email [email protected] with the subject line PODCAST QUESTION to get your question answered live on the show!

Website: https://www.showupfitness.com/
Become a Successful Personal Trainer Book Vol. 2 (Amazon): https://a.co/d/1aoRnqA
NASM / ACE / ISSA study guide: https://www.showupfitness.com

Send us a text if you want to be on the Podcast & explain why!

Personal training certifications look simple until you realize the industry is split between marketing machines, legacy nonprofits, and smaller programs that bet on real skill. We build a March Madness style bracket to compare the big names in fitness certification and then pull the curtain back on what actually drives popularity: ad spend, search results, partnerships with gyms, and how easy it is to pass the exam. If you’re trying to become a personal trainer in 2026, this is the reality check that helps you stop chasing logos and start building a plan.

We get blunt about NCCA accreditation and why it often signals process and paperwork more than coaching competence. Then we land on the question that matters most: where do you want to work? Your target gym can dictate your CPT choice, whether that’s a big-box chain, a boutique studio, or a premium club. We also talk about the real career risks for new trainers, including why so many quit in the first year when they don’t know how to assess, program, sell, and communicate with confidence.

You’ll leave with practical personal trainer career advice, including a simple interview move that flips skepticism into proof: offering to take a manager through a 60-minute workout and backing your skills. If you want to become hireable, competent, and able to charge more, press play, share this with a future trainer, and leave a review with the gym you’re aiming for next.

Want to become a SUCCESSFUL personal trainer? SUF-CPT is the FASTEST growing personal training certification in the world!

Want to ask us a question?  Email [email protected] with the subject line PODCAST QUESTION to get your question answered live on the show!

Website: https://www.showupfitness.com/
Become a Successful Personal Trainer Book Vol. 2 (Amazon): https://a.co/d/1aoRnqA
NASM / ACE / ISSA study guide: https://www.showupfitness.com

Send us a text if you want to be on the Podcast & explain why!

Picking a gym is not a vibe check, it’s a career decision. We build a March Madness bracket of the best places to get hired as a personal trainer in the United States and tell you what the bracket is really measuring: income potential, quality of clients, coaching “reps,” interview standards, and how fast you can grow from new trainer to highly paid professional. If you’ve ever wondered why some trainers struggle to break past low session rates while others climb into premium training fast, the answer is often environment. 

We compare budget-friendly, high-volume gyms like Planet Fitness and LA Fitness with higher-end clubs where clients expect more and pay more. We talk real numbers on session pricing, why 30-minute training models (EOS, Anytime, and similar clubs) can sharpen your coaching quickly, and why improving brands like Crunch can be a strong stepping stone. Then we put the two giants head-to-head: Lifetime versus Equinox, including how scheduling and weekly hours can impact your first-month income and your ability to stay in the industry long enough to build a book of business. 

We also share a practical challenge: aim for the best gym you can realistically access in your market, especially in major fitness hubs, and surround yourself with strong trainers so your standards rise. If you’re serious about turning fitness into a profession, hit play, share this with a trainer friend who’s job hunting, and subscribe and leave a review so more coaches can find the path faster.

Want to become a SUCCESSFUL personal trainer? SUF-CPT is the FASTEST growing personal training certification in the world!

Want to ask us a question?  Email [email protected] with the subject line PODCAST QUESTION to get your question answered live on the show!

Website: https://www.showupfitness.com/
Become a Successful Personal Trainer Book Vol. 2 (Amazon): https://a.co/d/1aoRnqA
NASM / ACE / ISSA study guide: https://www.showupfitness.com

Send us a text if you want to be on the Podcast & explain why!

How do you properly train a 13-year-old soccer athlete without risking injury or burnout?

In this episode of the Show Up Fitness Podcast, we break down exactly how to design a safe, effective workout for a young soccer player, focusing on long-term development—not short-term performance.

Whether you’re a personal trainer, coach, parent, or youth athlete, this episode will help you understand how to build strength, speed, and coordination the right way.

You’ll learn:

• How to structure workouts for a 13-year-old athlete
• The balance between strength, speed, and skill work
• What to avoid when training young athletes
• How to reduce injury risk and support long-term development
• Age-appropriate exercises that actually transfer to soccer

This episode focuses on building a strong foundation for performance, confidence, and durability—so young athletes can improve without being overtrained or pushed too hard too soon.

Want to become a SUCCESSFUL personal trainer? SUF-CPT is the FASTEST growing personal training certification in the world!

Want to ask us a question?  Email [email protected] with the subject line PODCAST QUESTION to get your question answered live on the show!

Website: https://www.showupfitness.com/
Become a Successful Personal Trainer Book Vol. 2 (Amazon): https://a.co/d/1aoRnqA
NASM / ACE / ISSA study guide: https://www.showupfitness.com

Send us a text if you want to be on the Podcast & explain why!

Want to truly understand the knee and pain, not just train around it?

In this episode of the Show Up Fitness Podcast, we break down knee anatomy in a way that actually applies to real-world training, rehab, and performance. We cover the 14 key muscles around the knee and how they influence stability, movement, and injury risk.

Whether you’re a personal trainer, kinesiology student, nurse, physical therapy professional, or coach, this episode will help you connect anatomy to function—so you can better assess, cue, and program for your clients and patients.

You’ll learn:

• The 14 muscles that support and move the knee
• How these muscles impact knee stability and pain
• Common misunderstandings about knee function
• How to apply anatomy to training and rehab settings
• Why most trainers overlook key structures around the knee

If you want to level up from basic programming to true movement understanding, this is a must-listen.

Want to become a high-level personal trainer?

The Show Up Fitness CPT (SUF-CPT) is designed for trainers who want to stand out with real-world coaching skills and career opportunities in top gym environments.

Learn more about the SUF-CPT and how to build a successful training career.

📘 Recommended reading: How to Become A Successful Personal Trainer Vol. 2 by Chris Hitchko (available on Amazon)

Want to become a SUCCESSFUL personal trainer? SUF-CPT is the FASTEST growing personal training certification in the world!

Want to ask us a question?  Email [email protected] with the subject line PODCAST QUESTION to get your question answered live on the show!

Website: https://www.showupfitness.com/
Become a Successful Personal Trainer Book Vol. 2 (Amazon): https://a.co/d/1aoRnqA
NASM / ACE / ISSA study guide: https://www.showupfitness.com

Send us a text if you want to be on the Podcast & explain why!

Are you a personal trainer thinking about going independent—but worried about how to actually get clients?

In this episode of the Show Up Fitness Podcast, we break down exactly how to leave the gym, go independent, and build a profitable personal training business without relying on a big box facility.

Whether you’re working at a gym like Life Time, Equinox, or 24 Hour Fitness, or you’re already on your own but struggling to grow, this episode covers the real strategies successful independent trainers use to own their clients, increase income, and create freedom.

You’ll learn:

• How to transition from gym employee to independent trainer
• How to get clients without working at a gym
• The biggest mistakes trainers make when going independent
• Simple marketing strategies that actually work
• How to build a sustainable fitness business (online or in-person)

This isn’t theory—this is the real-world blueprint for trainers, coaches, and service professionals who want to stop trading time for sessions and start building a business.

If you’re ready to quit the gym, own your clients, and take control of your income, this episode is for you.

Become a SUCCESSFUL personal trainer vol 2 will help ANY personal trainer turn their passion for fitness into a career. SUF-CPTs make 2-5x more than the average personal trainer with a NASM, ACE, ISSA, NSCA, ACSM personal training certification, That's why the SUF-CPT is the fastest growing and best personal training certification for trainers with our elite partnership with life time fitness and equinox.

Want to become a SUCCESSFUL personal trainer? SUF-CPT is the FASTEST growing personal training certification in the world!

Want to ask us a question?  Email [email protected] with the subject line PODCAST QUESTION to get your question answered live on the show!

Website: https://www.showupfitness.com/
Become a Successful Personal Trainer Book Vol. 2 (Amazon): https://a.co/d/1aoRnqA
NASM / ACE / ISSA study guide: https://www.showupfitness.com

Send us a text if you want to be on the Podcast & explain why!

If you’ve ever said “I’m training quads” and assumed that meant one muscle, this one will sharpen your coaching brain fast. We’re leaning into more video-supported teaching because anatomy and biomechanics click when you can see what we’re describing, especially around the hips, knees, and feet.

We break down lower body anatomy for lifters, coaches, and personal trainers who want clearer cues and better exercise choices. You’ll get a clean, practical tour of the quadriceps (yes, all four muscles), why the rectus femoris is the only biarticulate quad, and why the popular VMO “isolation” idea on leg extensions does not hold up the way people claim. Then we move to the hamstrings you can actually palpate, explain what it means to cross two joints, and show how foot position on leg curls can bias medial hamstrings versus biceps femoris.

From there we connect the dots through adductors, glutes, and calves, using simple landmarks and memorable cues like the “belt buckle” for posterior pelvic tilt and glute control. We also clear up sarcopenia vs atrophy so you stop mixing up aging-related muscle loss with injury-driven muscle shrink, because that confusion leads to sloppy training advice. Along the way we hit the Achilles tendon, the calcaneus, and even the sartorius, the longest muscle in the body, to round out a true hips-to-toes mental map.

If you want better results from strength training and better explanations for your clients, press play, then subscribe, share this with a training partner, and leave a review. What lower body muscle do you want us to break down next?

Because the SUF CPT exam is conducted verbally, this episode focuses on helping you explain the muscles clearly and confidently, just like you would during the test.

You'll learn the muscles of the glutes, hips, thighs, and lower leg, along with simple ways to remember their actions and roles in training.

Perfect for:

• SUF CPT candidates
• New personal trainers
• Coaches improving anatomy knowledge
• Anyone studying lower body functional anatomy
• Interested in becoming a personal trainer and those who are changing careers into personal training.
• SUF CPT is the fastest growing personal training certification with elite partnerships at Life Time Fitness and Equinox.

Want to become a SUCCESSFUL personal trainer? SUF-CPT is the FASTEST growing personal training certification in the world!

Want to ask us a question?  Email [email protected] with the subject line PODCAST QUESTION to get your question answered live on the show!

Website: https://www.showupfitness.com/
Become a Successful Personal Trainer Book Vol. 2 (Amazon): https://a.co/d/1aoRnqA
NASM / ACE / ISSA study guide: https://www.showupfitness.com

Send us a text if you want to be on the Podcast & explain why!

Pickleball elbow can sneak up on you fast, then hang around for months and make every grip, lift, or backhand feel like a mistake. We sit down with Dr. Rosh from The Prehab Guys to get precise about what’s actually happening with lateral elbow pain, how to test it confidently, and why “tendonitis” isn’t the best label for most cases of tennis elbow and pickleball elbow.

https://pro.theprehabguys.com/checkout/annual-access?coupon=SHOWUP COUPON CODE SHOWUP

We walk through the practical diagnosis process you can use right away: palpation at the lateral epicondyle, Cozen’s test, pain-free grip strength, and the wrist extensor stretch that actually targets the tissue by adding forearm pronation. Then we zoom out to the common traps that keep people stuck, including workload spikes, returning to racquet sports too quickly, and technique that turns the forearm into the main power source. We also cover when lateral elbow symptoms may be coming from somewhere else, including cervical radiculopathy or radial nerve irritation, so you know when to refer out instead of guessing.

On the treatment side, we map out a clear rehab strategy built around education, unloading, reloading, and prevention, with starter isometrics, progressions toward isotonics, and smart ways to use soft tissue work, flossing, and bracing as symptom tools rather than “the cure.” We also get honest about injections: why cortisone can feel great short term yet backfire over a 6 to 12 month tendinopathy timeline, and what the current evidence says about PRP and other orthobiologics. If you’re a trainer, you’ll also hear how to build trust, reduce fear, and use a movement library to support clients between sessions.

Subscribe for more evidence-based coaching conversations, share this with a friend dealing with elbow pain, and leave a five-star review if it helped. What movement or sport flares your elbow up the most?

Perfect for:

• Pickleball players of all levels
• Active adults and recreational athletes
• Coaches and trainers
• Anyone wanting to move better and avoid injuries
• Elbow pain and elbow injuries

Want to become a SUCCESSFUL personal trainer? SUF-CPT is the FASTEST growing personal training certification in the world!

Want to ask us a question?  Email [email protected] with the subject line PODCAST QUESTION to get your question answered live on the show!

Website: https://www.showupfitness.com/
Become a Successful Personal Trainer Book Vol. 2 (Amazon): https://a.co/d/1aoRnqA
NASM / ACE / ISSA study guide: https://www.showupfitness.com

Send us a text if you want to be on the Podcast & explain why!

Ready to trade burnout for better results and better pay? We sat down with two Oakland gym owners who prove that education, assessment, and community can turn a small studio into a scalable, trusted brand. From expanding a 2,000-square-foot space to a 20,000-square-foot facility to building a loyal client base through local partnerships and community workouts, this conversation gives trainers a practical, boots-on-the-ground blueprint for growth.

Providence Athletic Club Address: 2134 Market St, Oakland, CA 94607

We get candid about why so many coaches stall: too much focus on programming, not enough on assessment, communication, and business systems. You’ll hear how to build confidence with a simple screen-plan-retest flow that improves client pain and performance in a single session—and why that transformation makes charging $100 to $200 per session both ethical and sustainable. We also talk mindset and mentorship: escaping rooms where people gripe about gyms and stepping into rooms where owners share the exact steps to raise rates, tighten packages, and stop working 60-hour weeks.

If you’re a fitness professional in the Bay Area—or anyone serious about leveling up—you’ll also get the details on our two-day, hands-on seminar at Providence Athletic Club. Expect real-world anatomy and assessment, business strategy you can deploy on Monday, and a network of mentors and peers who actually pick up the phone. We’ll break bread, swap playbooks, and show you how collaboration beats scarcity for long-term success.

Subscribe, share with a colleague who needs the nudge, and leave a quick review to tell us the one skill you’re committed to improving next.

Want to become a SUCCESSFUL personal trainer? SUF-CPT is the FASTEST growing personal training certification in the world!

Want to ask us a question?  Email [email protected] with the subject line PODCAST QUESTION to get your question answered live on the show!

Website: https://www.showupfitness.com/
Become a Successful Personal Trainer Book Vol. 2 (Amazon): https://a.co/d/1aoRnqA
NASM / ACE / ISSA study guide: https://www.showupfitness.com