Meet Personal Trainer Michael Davies, from humble beginnings to a successful career. Find out more about our personal trainer of the day, Mick of Kudos Health and Fitness.

Who are you and what do you do?

Hi guys, my name is Mick and I am the owner and trainer at Kudos Health & Fitness. Kudos Health & Fitness is all about educating, motivating and inspiring our members to be healthier and happier versions of themselves. We do this through Personal Training, Boot Camps, Nutritional advice and Wellness Coaching. Our approach is a little different, as we like to give most of the control to the client and allow them to lead the way and make the important decisions. We find this makes them more accountable, more determined to reach their goals and ultimately gets better results.

How & why did you get into the fitness industry?

I was always the super skinny kid through school so initially, I just wanted to put on some muscle so I originally began training from home. When I started researching exercise and nutrition something just clicked and I fell in love with it. The idea of becoming a Personal Trainer was always in the back of my mind. The more I read the more I wanted to read. I wanted to learn everything I possibly could about the body, training, nutrition, motivation etc. After school, I did a Bachelor of Business with a major in marketing. I really enjoyed it but afterwards, in one of my first jobs, I realised I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life behind a desk. I was in a bit of a rut with my job at the time so I decided to go and live overseas. There I trained in a gym and saw first hand the impact PT’s had on their client’s lives. I then went on a cruise and attended some seminars on nutrition and this was when it finally hit home that I wanted to turn my passion for health, fitness and changing people’s lives into a career. When I returned home to Australia I got myself a job in a gym in sales and began my studies. Once complete I started to PT out of that same gym and have never looked back!

Take us through a typical day for you?

5 am wake up is pretty standard now. Initially, this was a real struggle but you get used to it… Eventually! A big brekky is always in order. Then it’s either to the gym or boot camp for a 6 am start. I train clients through until about 11 am then train myself. I get home at about 1 pm, have a big feed and then it’s time to do “business work”. This could be anything from writing programs, calling leads, writing articles, marketing etc. I am normally back to work at about 4 pm and have clients through until about 7:30 pm. Hometime. Eat. Sleep. Repeat.

What were some of the biggest mistakes you made when starting out your business? And what should their focus be?

One of the biggest mistakes I made when starting out was trying to do too much and not prioritising tasks. I had a list of things I wanted to do that went on forever. Just looking at the list made me feel sick and I never knew where to begin. In the end, I would often just procrastinate and the result would be very little productivity. I now have in my diary daily tasks that I focus on. This way I know the important things get done first.

What are some of the reasons your clients fail to hit their fitness goals?

I would say that they often aren’t truly ready to change. I occasionally see clients that say they really want to lose weight. They really want a flat tummy. They really want to drop 3 dress sizes. That’s all well and good but if they aren’t ready to make changes then results will not come. The truth is they often want beer, sweets and pizza more than they want their results. If something is that important to you, you will get it. Period! You will put in the effort, make the sacrifices and persist until you achieve it. Helping clients understand this is an extremely crucial element of their success.

What are some of your favourite exercises to do with clients?

My favourite exercises are generally compound, combination exercises. These are great at increasing the heart rate and getting the muscles to work in unison to achieve the movement. Such exercises would include plank to hover to mountain climbers, lunge press, clean and squat, deadlift to bent-over rows. The list is endless!

Any tips/suggestions for people looking to get into the fitness industry?

Make sure you are doing it for the right reasons. Just because you like to lift weights and know the basics about nutrition doesn’t mean you will make a great personal trainer. Having a passion for health and fitness is essential but make sure you do at least some basic study on running a business. I see so many people enter the industry that thinks it will be really easy and fun, yet fail to see the other side which is a lot of time and hard work invested in your business.

What do you think makes a personal trainer succeed in the long term?

Without fail the most important skills I believe a PT must have are relationship-building skills and people skills. If you can’t build relationships with people you are fighting a losing battle. As for longevity, I believe that you need to continually be learning and spending time on self-development. Reading, studying and learning how to be a better person, PT and business owner will be hugely beneficial. Also truly caring about your clients and their success will set you up. From this you will develop goodwill and referrals will be easier to come by.

Any useful resources, tools, books you can recommend?

One of the best books I have read is “How to win friends and influence people” by Dale Carnegie. This book is all about people skills and how to communicate and be more likeable. A must-read for anyone that deals with people on a daily basis… Almost everyone!

Where can people get in touch with you?

You can check out my website www.kudoshf.com.au which has more info about what we offer and alternative ways to get in touch with us.