Perdip Kumar, Freelancer – Singapore

Hi! My name is Perdip Kumar, 34 and I’ve been in the fitness industry specializing in 1-1 personal training for almost 5 years. I hone my skills working for some of the best gyms in Singapore – Genesis Singapore, Ultimate Performance and TSquared Lab before deciding to work on my own as a freelance personal trainer. I provide a personalized approach to each individual both in nutrition and training while encouraging sustainable behaviors/habits to promote it as a lifestyle.

What made you pursue the career path you are now on? What was the main catalyst?

I was a skinny kid growing up and I didn’t like how I looked in the mirror. I used to invest my savings in gym equipments like dumbbells and weight plates to train at home as the gym was too intimidating for me back then. Once I started to see a change in my physical outlook and my confidence grew, I decided to train in my neighbourhood gym. It was only in 2019 when my wife, back then my girlfriend, told me to work in a gym as a trainer since I loved weight training and was very passionate about it. I applied for a PT position in Genesis Gym and it’s one of the best decision I’ve ever made.

I definitely think a PT certification is a basic requirement to enter the fitness industry but the actual experience is what matters the most as you have to walk the talk and emphatise with the client through the journey they’re going through. Just like how you wouldn’t learn maths from someone who has failed that subject or how you wouldn’t sit in a vehicle in which the driver has no license, a personal trainer should minimally have a PT certification and gone through a fat loss or muscle building journey on their own.

I don’t really have a specific idol as I believe everyone can learn something from someone. I have been grateful that I’ve worked with some of the best trainers in the industry who have helped me to grow and instill so much knowledge that I can now share this back with my clients to help them through their fitness journey. I also sign up for mentorships and courses from respected educators like RTS and Clean Health to further upskill myself.

As a personal trainer, I define success when I help any of my client succeed in their fitness journey. As an individual, I define success by knowing how to prioritize my work life balance.

There are times when client will be overwhelmed with external pressures like work and family which may cause them to lose track of their goals. Instead of adding to the pressure or giving up on them, I think it’s good to sit them down and listen to them. Communication skills and displaying a high level of emotional intelligence defintely helps as I always want my client to be both mentally and physically well at the end of the day.

I love what I do by helping my clients to change their lives for the better through weight training. I feel confident in my experience and knowledge and I charge a premium for my services to limit the number of clients I train so that I can focus on each client thoroughly and not just to clock hours to earn more. I always believe that my clients result is my result.  Oh and not forgetting that I get to enjoy the gym facilities too.

Before I start training any client, I try to dig out their “WHY”. This will the major push factor towards their goal. I also like to highlight small wins, eg, increase in the number of repetitions on a specific exercise or any weight increment  during their training phase to keep my clients going.