Have you read ‘Ignite The Fire’ by Jonathan Goodman? If not, then this book review is for you! We walk you through a summary of the book and what you can learn from it. You can then decide if it’s likely to be a good read for your needs…
In this article – we review Ignite the Fire and share our top takeaways from the book.
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Overview
Ignite the Fire was one of the first personal training books we ever read. And we think this book should be essential reading for aspiring personal trainers. It walks you through every step of the journey from getting certified and applying for jobs, to getting your first clients and training them successfully.
Unlike other PT books, it’s not about exercise techniques, anatomy, or nutrition. Instead, this book is about the practicalities of being a personal trainer and includes lots of advice on the day-to-day aspects of the job. It provides an overview of every aspect of PT you need to know as a newly qualified trainer.
What We Liked…
What we love most about this book is that it’s full of practical advice and real-world case studies. It covers 10 types of client and how best to work with them.
You’ll also learn about building relationships with club staff and deciding whether to take the leap into management. It even includes a handy list of reasons why people should hire a PT – gold dust for your marketing.
Read it for FREE with Kindle Unlimited or buy a paper copy via Amazon.
Our Top Takeaways
Here are our top takeaways from reading Jonathan Goodman’s Ignite the Fire…
- Clients work out for 3 reasons; performance (sports athletes), physique, and fitness (stress, weight, health, etc).
- Following up initial meetings with extra info gives you extra credibility and extends the conversation.
- An effective 4-step process to closing a sale includes gathering info, presenting results-based options, addressing objections, and getting a commitment.
- Help clients to understand how individual workouts are contributing to bigger goals to keep them on board for longer.
- Network with ‘mavens’ (referenced from The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell) who are people with influence over large groups of people, such as estate agents, doctors, local shop and business owners.
Ignite The Fire – Favourite Quotes
Here are some of our favourite quotes from the book and sections that really resonated with us…
“Personal trainers are now expected to be sales people, psychologists, nutritionists, post-rehabilitation specialists, and motivational speakers”
“Your job is to make your client excited to workout and have him or her love every single workout.”
“When it comes to client retention, passion is more powerful than all of the scientific know-how in the world.”
“I’ve found most of my clients outside of the gym, either at social events or from conversations with strangers in a coffee shop.”
“One of the easiest ways to pick up new clients is to work out when your gym is busy. Make yourself visible, leave your headphones off, and put on a show. Performing new or unique-looking variations of exercises may garner questions from interested onlookers which you can use to either build relationships or offer a brief free session or assessment on the spot. Make sure you look approachable and greet people watching you; that may be the opening someone is waiting for to start a conversation with you.”
Ignite the Fire Book Review – Summary
Our Ignite the Fire book review is basically a big thumbs up. It’s an easy and interesting read that’s packed full of practical tips.
If you’re want to learn about physiology and nutrition, then you’re better off choosing an accredited textbook (or checking out our list of the top courses). But if you want to become a better or more successful personal trainer, then this is our top recommendation.
