Fitness Modeling 101 – How To Use A Media Kit To Get Noticed
December 1, 2010 by Jamin Thompson
Filed under Fitness Modeling, Recent Posts
I got several emails from readers asking questions about my previous post on how to set up a photoshoot. The most popular question was, “what is a media kit and what should I put in it“?
Here’s the thing, fitness modeling is a job just like any other job. What would you do if you were out of work in the corporate world and were looking for a new job?
Simple.
You would dust off your resume, put together a cover letter, maybe get some business cards made, and pretty much put together a marketing kit to help you land your next gig.
This same strategy should be used to book fitness modeling gigs as well, but the cool part about fitness modeling is that you are allowed to be much more creative with your media kit than you would be with your corporate job marketing kit. 
As I’ve touched on in previous posts, the most important people to constantly stay in touch with in this industry are the photographers. I cannot emphasize enough how important photographers are to the fitness industry and your career. Just think about what your favorite magazines, supplement ads, websites, etc would look like without that creative vision and working knowledge that the top photographers bring to the table!
These people can make or break your career so when you get to the point where the top togs start calling you for shoots you need to be sure you bring your A game every time. Trust me, if you bring your best every time, you will stay on their short list of models they know they can rely on and trust. Honestly this is how I book most of my work!
So contact a few top photographers via their websites, Facebook, or email and try to get your foot in the door to let them know how serious you are.
Now for the media kit. Here’s what you need:
1) Resume. This should follow a typical resume format and list any work you have done in the industry as well as any special skills and training you may have.
2) Cover Letter. This should be a short introduction about who you are, your goals, accomplishments, and your current conditioning.
3) Stats. This sheet should list all of your statistics (height, weight, body fat percentage, hair color, eye color, measurements, shoe size, jacket size, etc)
4) Photos. Select 2-3 of your best photos that show your physique and face. Be sure to include at least one headshot.
Remember this is a business and competition among models is FIERCE so don’t think you can just send in some ghetto looking media kit and be taken seriously. Your kit should be very professional looking and it should make the people viewing it say wow this person is a pro I want to work with them!
So think of your media kit as your oversized business card. It should reflect your personality, your creativity, and your potential. This does not mean it should be expensive to put together…you can type up a resume and cover letter in Microsoft word and then go to Kinkos and have them add some spice to it.
But you don’t have to do it yourself if you don’t want to…so if you have it in your budget to hire a graphic designer to do it for you go ahead and go that route.
Once you have your media kit put together you can then show it to agencies, casting agents, magazines, photographers, supplement companies, etc and hopefully start booking some gigs here and there.
Just remember there is no set way to do it, so just go with your gut but try your best to stand out from the crowd.
Remember, office trash cans are always just a 5 foot free throw away so be sure to grab their attention from the second your letter arrives on their desk. Always make it worth their time, and maybe even begin your cover letter by thanking them for taking the time to review your information.
Here is a sample resume so you get an idea where to start…
Joe Model Sample Resume
Magazines
FitnessRX – Cover Model
Muscle & Fitness – Cover Model
FLEX – Workout Layout
Men’s Health – Workout Layout
World Physique – Cover Model
Infomercials
Booty Blaster 5,000
Ab Blaster 10,000
Shake A Weight 3000
Air Squat Tower 3 Million
Television
Oprah – Celebrity Fitness Model
Dr Oz – Guest Fitness Trainer
YEGC Channel 8 – Celebrity Guest Trainer
UIQE Channel 37 – Celebrity Guest Trainer
MSNBC – Fitness Expert Panel
Fox 3 News – Celebrity Guest Trainer
Training
Acting workshop x, public speaking workshop x, script reading
Special Skills
Basketball, football, karate, tennis, bowling, lion tamer, juggler, fitness trainer
Of course you can spice yours up much more than this one (this is just a sample) but it should give you a general idea of what to include.
Good luck with your journey and if you have additional questions please post them as a comment below.
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