How to Become a Personal Trainer
Personal trainers (PTs) are always in high demand, with people around the world wanting to look and feel better by getting fit, toning up and caring for their bodies, so you will never be out of the job in this diverse role. If you are a dedicated fitness expert who loves to help others live a healthy lifestyle, then check out our guide below on how to become a personal trainer.
What is a Personal Trainer?
Personal trainers help clients on a one-to-one or group basis, to increase their personal fitness and reach their body goals, by using their expert knowledge of the body, health and fitness. Trainers can either work for themselves and take on clients as and when they wish, or work for a gym as a gym instructor or elsewhere in the fitness industry such as for specialist health clubs.
Personal trainers will first need to get a health and fitness history of the client, see what level of fitness the client is currently at and plan realistic long and short-term goals alongside them. Throughout the process, the trainer will then help the client with exercises, help them with general health and diet, keep track of progress and motivate them to continue their journey.
What Qualifications Do You Need to Be a Personal Trainer?
Most personal trainers have some experience as fitness instructors, having spent time doing fitness instructing in a gym or within a healthcare company. However, whether you have experience or not, you can gain expert knowledge and practical skills through ceertified personal trainer courses, which are available both part time and full time to fit around your schedule.
One of the best personal training courses which will help you become a qualified personal trainer is the Level 3 Personal Trainer Practitioner Diploma. You can enrol on the Personal Trainer Practitioner Diploma here at CoursesOnline, which is suitable for any fitness enthusiasts wanting to get into the industry and gain a qualification as a personal trainer. You can study either online and by attending college, or purely online, meaning you can gain your certification in a way which is flexible and affordable for you.
Skill Set Required for a Personal Trainer
The key to getting into personal training as a career is by building up a solid client base, therefore having excellent people skills is essential. There are a range of skills needed to be a personal trainer including:
An in-depth knowledge of how different exercises, foods and other factors can influence and change the body
– including what fitness plan is effective for different clients personal goals, and how people can achieve these goals without injury and in a healthy way.
Understanding and catering to individual differences
– to acknowledge and be able to adapt standard fitness plans to individuals, using your own expertise to modify plans to help people reach their fitness goals.
Excellent people skills and communication skills
– including patience and understanding, the ability to motivate people to stick with their fitness plan as well as maintaining a good rapport with clients.
Using creative skills to create personalised fitness plans
– in order to conduct an engaging and motivational environment for clients.
What Does a Personal Trainer Do?
Personal trainers use their skills and expertise to aid people in their health and fitness goals. Usually, this consists of making up a diet and exercise plan, specifically tailored to a client’s specific set of needs, goals and existing fitness levels.
PTs can choose to set up solo and work for themselves, or they can partner up with a gym and work as part of said gym’s personal training staff. Depending on their level of expertise and specialisation, they may also be able to work for specialist health clubs or as physiotherapists for the NHS or a private practice.
Typical Duties for a Personal Trainer
The roles and responsibilities of a personal trainer go beyond doing plenty of exercise and creating meal plans. Some other duties involve:
Popular Career Pathways for Personal Trainers
The best way to ensure continuous career progression as a PT is by regularly updating your skills and knowledge with personal training courses.
Courses are also a great way of obtaining a specialisation, ultimately allowing you to offer more diverse and higher quality services to your clients. Examples include physiotherapy, yoga, pre and post-natal exercise and many others.
The above will help your salary expectancy to soar and help you obtain a solid client base, which will eventually allow you to succeed as an independent personal trainer.
