What Makes a Great Personal Trainer (and Why I Became One)
From Coach Marla Guloien, BCRPA-certified trainer and founder of POWER OF 30.
What makes a great personal trainer? Most people say certification, a good workout plan, or help losing weight.
My answer is bigger: a great personal trainer gives you a new standard for what is possible in your life. That is why I went back to school to become one.
For me, becoming a certified personal trainer was not just about offering a new service or learning to train someone else. It was an investment in knowing how to live well.
In this post
What did I want to learn as a personal trainer?
Why did I choose this path?
Why is movement medicine?
What should you look for in a great personal trainer?
What did I want to learn as a personal trainer?
I wanted to understand how to:
Build real, lasting muscle.
Strengthen my bones and body from the inside out.
Protect my energy and mobility for decades to come.
Extend the quality of my life, not just the years.
Those four goals still shape every session I write.
Why did I choose this path?
My life led me to a place where I did not just want to get stronger. I needed to. Mentally, physically, emotionally.
I needed the discipline of movement, the structure of training and the science to back it up.
Going back to school
After my own transformation, physically, mentally and professionally, I returned to school and earned my personal training credentials through the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association, the BCRPA.
It was more than a professional upgrade. It was a commitment to mastering the science of strength, longevity and wellness from the inside out.
Bringing others with me
Once I started walking that path, I wanted others to come with me. Not out of obligation. When you feel your best, you want the same for the people around you.
Why you'll love it: it gives you a trainer's structure for building habits that last past day 30.
Why is movement medicine?
Movement changes everything.
It is not about the number on the scale. It is about carrying your groceries at 70, playing with your kids without pain, and taking on your next business idea with confidence and stamina.
It is training for independence, for strength, for longevity, and for the power to live fully, on your terms.
That is why I became a personal trainer. That is why I built POWER OF 30.
What should you look for in a great personal trainer?
Here is what I believe matters, and what I hold myself to:
Real credentials. Look for recognized certification. Mine is through the BCRPA.
A plan built around you, not a copy of someone else's program.
Structure you can follow on your own between check-ins.
A focus on strength and mobility for the long term, not just quick results.
Someone who raises your standard for what is possible.
What training with me looks like
POWER OF 30 is 30-minute strength sessions over 30 days. Every session follows the same rhythm: a warm-up, a strength block and a cool-down. You always know what comes next.
If you want to see how this plays out at work, read how INITIO Medical Group moved with POWER OF 30.
Who is Coach Marla?
I am a BCRPA-certified Personal Trainer and a Certified Life Coach. I am also the founder of House of GlamRock, a tech and design company rooted in Mind, Body, Business.
My background is in Communications and Interactive Design. I spent years helping entrepreneurs build thriving digital brands before expanding into fitness and women's health.
Now I combine personal development, training and digital business to support women and entrepreneurs who want to align their mindset, optimize their body and activate their full potential.
I believe movement is medicine, strength is a gateway to freedom, and education is the most powerful investment we can make in ourselves. I believe it so much that all of my business clients receive POWER OF 30 included.
Key takeaways
A great personal trainer raises your standard for what is possible, not just your fitness.
I earned my credentials through the BCRPA after my own transformation.
Movement is medicine: training for independence, strength and longevity.
POWER OF 30 is 30-minute strength sessions over 30 days, built on warm-up, strength and cool-down.
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