Burnout is becoming a major concern for personal trainers, and new data suggests it may also be affecting how much they earn.

According to the NASM State of Personal Training Report, 27% of personal trainers say burnout is capping their income potential. The report also found that burnout appears to be more pronounced among higher earners, with 35% reporting it as an issue compared with 18% at the other end of the income spectrum.

In this episode of Smittyville, Fitness World CEO Chris Smith and fitness business journalist Krissy Vann unpack those findings and debate what burnout actually means for a personal trainer building a long-term career.

Is burnout simply the result of working too much, or can it be a symptom of deeper problems around time management, prioritization, boundaries and self-discipline? Chris argues that many of the factors that lead someone toward burnout can be identified and addressed before they become overwhelming, including learning when to say no, managing time more deliberately and following through on personal priorities outside of work.

The conversation also examines why higher-earning personal trainers may be especially vulnerable. Trainers earning more than $100,000 may be servicing more clients, training at higher frequency and intensity, and carrying the pressure required to maintain that level of income. That creates a bigger question for anyone trying to grow in the fitness industry: how much work does success actually require, and how do you know when hard work has crossed into something unsustainable?

Chris also challenges the broader conversation around work ethic, asking whether attitudes toward hard work have changed across generations and whether there is sometimes a gap between wanting a particular career outcome and being willing to do the work required to achieve it. He reflects on his own experience working six days a week and 12-hour days for more than two decades, while also arguing that recovery, vacations and making time for the things that make life enjoyable have to be deliberately prioritized.

In this episode:

• What the NASM State of Personal Training Report says about trainer burnout
• Why 27% of personal trainers say burnout is limiting their income
• Why burnout appears more common among higher-earning trainers
• The relationship between workload, client volume and income
• Whether burnout is the problem or a symptom of something deeper
• Time management, prioritization and learning when to say no
• Why vacations and life outside of work matter
• The difference between wanting success and being willing to work for it
• Hard work, hustle and changing generational expectations
• How trainers can build a career that is both successful and sustainable

Smittyville is a podcast for personal trainers about business, leadership, money, career development and the things nobody teaches you on the gym floor. Hosted by Fitness World CEO Chris Smith and fitness business journalist Krissy Vann.

On this episode of Smittyville, Fitness World CEO Chris Smith pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to become a CEO — and what the job looks like once you get there.

Chris shares the unconventional path that took him from personal training and gym operations into executive leadership, including the intense boardroom “final exam” that resulted in him being named CEO. He breaks down some of the biggest leadership lessons he learned along the way: taking responsibility when things go wrong, doing the job you want before you have the title, learning to listen instead of always jumping in with the answer, and staying close to the people actually doing the work.

Chris and Krissy also get into the realities of running and rapidly growing a fitness business, from leases, financing and expansion to people management, hundreds of emails a day and the importance of knowing your numbers.

Plus, Chris explains how he protects his emotional energy as a leader, why he expects problems without allowing them to derail him, and the mindset behind his latest Smithism: you don’t have to get ready if you stay ready.

If you're a personal trainer, fitness professional, gym manager or aspiring fitness business leader wondering how to advance your career, become a better leader or eventually move into executive leadership, this episode offers a practical look at the skills, habits and mindset required to keep growing.

Smittyville is the podcast for personal trainers hosted by Chris Smith, CEO of Fitness World, and fitness business journalist Krissy Vann, covering personal training, fitness careers, leadership, business, money and the lessons nobody teaches you on the gym floor.

NASM surveyed 1,133 certified personal trainers to understand where the profession is heading, how trainers are earning, and what separates the industry’s highest performers from everyone else.

In this episode, Chris Smith breaks down the findings through an operator’s lens. The conversation covers trainer optimism, income growth, specialization, GLP-1s, burnout, the limits of one-on-one training, and why six-figure trainers are relying less on social media and more on referrals, local search, hybrid coaching and stronger business systems.

Chris also challenges parts of the report, including whether burnout is really the problem trainers think it is, and shares what he believes fitness professionals should focus on if they want to build a sustainable career rather than simply fill more hours on the gym floor.

This is a practical look at what the numbers reveal, where Chris disagrees, and what the future of personal training may actually demand.