Career in Personal Training – How to Start a Career as Personal Trainer
Personal trainers are in charge of instructing individuals and planning a proper exercise programme for each of their clients. To give their clients the greatest exercise programme possible, they frequently work with various muscle groups and integrate this knowledge with cardiovascular exercise. They could give different exercise demonstrations and help their clients improve exercise techniques. They either work in a client’s house or a gym. Personal trainers offer fitness evaluations and consultations, create innovative programmes to support members’ and visitors’ personal fitness objectives while ensuring client safety across the facility. In order to succeed as a personal trainer, you must be prepared to work hard and put in the necessary time and effort. You must also be likeable, have a sense of humour, be an active listener, be knowledgeable, be trustworthy, and lead an active lifestyle. You must complete all of the education requirements and certification training in order to work as a personal trainer.
Introduction to a Career in Personal Training
Majority of personal trainers are enthusiastic about exercise and leading healthy lives. They support regular exercise, healthy eating, and learning about new workouts, dietary needs, and gym equipment. They are so committed to this way of life that they have made it their profession. However, personal training is more than just studying about food and exercise. Additionally, personal training demands expertise in customer service, sales, marketing, and financing. It requires discipline, dedication, planning, and a well-thought-out and specific plan to start and run a successful personal training business, whether you intend to operate it totally independently, as a virtual personal trainer, or at a neighbourhood health club.
Personal Training Job Profile and Skills required
Personal trainers perform a variety of tasks on a daily basis, beginning with evaluating the physical condition of their clients and designing customised workout routines for them. They also explain the exercises clearly and effectively and provide instructions about how to use the training equipment safely to prevent injuries.
A typical day might involve performing fitness evaluations to determine a client’s level of ability and fitness as well as conducting one-on-one or group meetings with clients to establish goals and design customised exercise programmes. Additionally, clients receive guidance on changing their lifestyles and providing recommendations on their health, nutrition, and eating habits. While assisting clients with their workouts, providing education and advice to help them maintain or achieve their fitness and health objectives requires staying current on the newest personal training methods and best practices. In order to keep clients motivated and engaged, it’s important to establish and maintain strong, professional relationships and trust with them. Proactively asking for feedback, giving it, helping with membership retention tactics for current clients, accurately tracking client training sessions, and keeping track of pertinent documentation. being a positive influence on all clients by speaking with them in a polite and professional manner. maximising the comfortable atmosphere where the client works out and analysing data regarding specific clients.
Personal Training Courses and Eligibility
In order to work as a personal trainer, one must acquire a Level 3 personal training qualification, ideally one that is recognised by a respected organisation like the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity or UK Coaching. This can be acquired through an internship or other training programme, as well as during the degree programme. Furthermore, having an appropriate first aid certification is advised but not required. Ideally, this certification should include a cardio-pulmonary resuscitation certificate (CPR). To work as a personal trainer, you don’t need a degree, HND, or foundation degree. The most pertinent courses, however, if one wants to pursue a higher education degree include fitness and personal training, health and fitness management, health, nutrition, and exercise science, personal training, and sport science and personal training.
A high school diploma or GED, Current Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) certifications, and holding of one of these credentials are some of the personal trainer education qualifications required to be qualified for the Personal Trainer Certification Exam. The National Commission for Certifying Agencies has accredited only a small number of the numerous certification choices available (NCCA). The NCCA, a reputable third-party organisation with national recognition, assists in ensuring that certification businesses operate in accordance with the highest standards. In the fitness industry, they want to be known for setting the bar for health and wellbeing.
Personal Trainer Salary and Recruiters
Since a significant majority of personal trainers are independent contractors, they are compensated per hour for every session they conduct. Earnings for independent teachers typically range from £20 to £40 per hour. If you work with high-profile customers or in certain places, this might be substantially higher, ranging from £50 to £100 per hour. For individuals working for a gym or a similar establishment, starting pay ranges from £14,000 to £16,000 and, with experience, rises somewhere between £20,000 and £30,000. The average yearly income for personal trainers in India is 3 lakhs, with salaries ranging from 0.4 lakhs to 6 lakhs.
One could work for several types of employers. Leisure centres, gyms, personal training studios, health clubs, hotels, resorts, spas, cruise lines, health care charities, the armed services, self-employed or freelance employment in a gym or client’s house, or a sizable company that offers workplace fitness facilities to employees are just a few examples.
Personal Training Course Fee (UG / PG Level)
One is well-versed in the ideas of fitness and nutrition as a personal trainer and coach to awesome bodies. Passionate in maintaining a healthy lifestyle as well as assisting others in achieving their health objectives, whether they involve gaining muscle mass, dropping pounds, or simply feeling better. Being a fitness expert requires a lot of enthusiasm and expertise because one must create beautiful bodies. Given that every person’s body is unique and so are their adaptations to a workout regimen, this requires a considerable amount of customisation. What functions for one person might not for another. Success is assessed by the clients’ shrinking waistlines and bicep swells, which are poignant testimonials to one’s labour of love.
Three factors must be considered when choosing the best gym certification programme:
- Course Fee
- Duration
- Course’s subject matter
Choose an entrance level or beginners’ course if you are just entering the field of fitness training so that you may become familiar with the fundamentals of anatomy and nutrition and develop your skills further by earning international certifications.
Certifying your skill is the first step if you want to stand out as a trainer. Learn in-depth information on the value of participating in foreign fitness training programmes.
The biggest non-profit health and fitness certification programme in the world, ACE, provided the science-based research that is the foundation of the ACE programme. The course material has third-party, unbiased validation thanks to NCCA’s (National Commission for Certifying Agencies) accreditation. The following courses are offered by ACE:
Exercise Specialist, Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor, Health Coach
Qualifications:
- One must be at least 18 years old to qualify.
- The requirement of a high school diploma as a minimum educational requirement.
- At the time of writing, certification in CPR and AED (automatic external defibrillator) usage.
- ACE administers tests in both urban and non-metro locations across India.
- To find the venue, go to the ACE website.
- Ten days before the exam, you must register.
- After selecting a location, sign in or enrol. To continue, you must omit the address check for an Indian address.
- ACE takes special care to confirm the validity of the instructor taking the exam. As a result, your name as it appears on a government-issued proof of identity (such as an Aadhar card, Pan card, passport, or driver’s licence) must exactly match.
- From the Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Exam category, you can select the exam type.
Fitness professionals are trained to work with individuals and small groups using the ACE Personal Trainer Manual and Group Fitness Instructor Program. The foremost authorities in the field it covers developed and wrote it. everything, including training methods and anatomies. Injury prevention, emergency procedures, and the legal challenges that today’s fitness practitioners must deal with have all received special consideration.
Time: Three Months (Twice a Week)
Fees: Rs. 28,090 (Access to the ACE Resource Center + Course Materials + Practical).
Fees for exams: Rs. 23,595
Fees for books: Rs. 18,563
Cost of the online exam: Rs. 26,965
Duration: 3 Months (Twice a Week)
Rs. 28, 090 in fees
Fees for books: Rs. 18,563
Fees for exams: Rs. 16,854
Rs. 26,965 for an online exam
Because fitness changes over time, ACE mandates recertification every two years. Gym instructors need 20 CECs for recertification, with each CEC (Continuing Education Credit) equaling one hour of instruction. Online courses, live workshops, a number of specialty certifications, and the ACE Symposium, a sizable annual conference for ACE personal trainers, are all available through ACE.
Personal Training Online Courses
To qualify as a trainer for employment, you can also complete an online personal trainer certification program. You will study about exercise science, client assessments, how to create programs, etc. in these certificates. However, unlike personal training certifications, which impart the necessary training expertise, online personal trainer courses just teach you how to be a successful online personal trainer.
Top colleges and Top online Platforms for Personal Training Course
Here is a list of top five colleges for personal training. These are contrasted based on a variety of various criteria, such as cost, standing, study guides, exam rigour, certification, and many others. Let’s find out which degree in personal training is the greatest fit for you.
One of the most prestigious personal trainer certifications available is from NASM. It is the ideal option for any serious personal trainer because to its comprehensive study materials and well-designed exam. The well-known NASM program emphasises corrective exercise and equips students with the knowledge and abilities necessary to become effective personal trainers. It provides a variety of options for studying, including guided study programs, self-study options, premium self-study options, and all-inclusive options. The all-inclusive version includes all of the additional features that NASM provides, while the guided study program contains 45 lectures and instructional videos. The self-study option is a fantastic alternative if you have prior experience in the fitness sector or have attended other courses. It contains their online course, the exam cost, a digital textbook, instructional videos, and quizzes and practise tests. Additional study materials, guided study sessions, a 90-day job guarantee, and the choice to retake the exam for free are some of the additional possibilities. To reduce the price, NASM frequently offers special specials, and you can locate discount codes online. The NCCA has accredited NASM, and all significant gyms accept it. It requires a high school graduation as well as AED and CPR certification, same like all other NCCA-accredited tests. People who have earned the certification have given it positive ratings online, and they highlight their top-notch customer service.
When compared to other options, Action offers the greatest low-cost certification because it allows you to take an exam that is approved by the NCCA for a very affordable price. A ction Personal Trainer Certification will equip you with all the knowledge and abilities required to instruct, inspire, and train individual training customers. One of the more recent qualifications, it was approved by NCCA in 2014 and is a fantastic option if you want to study at your own speed, are a self-employed personal trainer, or have other fitness certifications. Their study materials are accessible via an application, and you may buy a hardback textbook to go along with your studies. The cost of the study guides, which range from $99 to $249, is not necessary in order to take the test. Although you might not require the exam study materials if you have a history in fitness or a similar college degree, it is advised in order to fully prepare for the exam and proceed as a personal trainer. Re-certification for life, online CPR instruction, and advanced nutrition certification are all included in their platinum package. The registration fee for the exam is $99, and you must take it at a Prometric testing location. Major gyms do not accept their basic option because it does not involve an exam that is accredited by the NCCA. The exam’s lack of research-based content compares to other certifications we looked at is likely due to the fact that it is intended for entry-level personal trainers.
ISSA is an organisation that offers a personal training certification that balances all facets of health, exercise, and nutrition for particular population groups. It has been certifying trainers from all around the world ever since it began. Many employers accept the ISSA CPT certification, which is highly regarded in the fitness industry. There are three different study options offered by ISSA. The programmes last for a full year and cost between $69 and $119. Their fast-track programme is only 4 weeks long and offers unlimited retests so that you can keep on taking the test until you pass. It is accessible in all three of the aforementioned tiers. You can take the ISSA test in the convenience of your home and complete the entire process online. For people who don’t feel comfortable taking exams, the ISSA exam is open book and can be finished at home. In contrast to other programmes, only the most expensive programme offers the option of live instruction. You may also sign up for their expert forum to ask other trainers and students for assistance. To renew every two years, you require 20 hours of continuing education. The price is eliminated if you complete your CEUs through ISSA, though. The online ISSA CPT exam is not NCCA-accredited, which is a crucial point to remember. If your employer requires it, you must pass the NCCA-accredited examination at a Prometric testing location.
Reebok is a trusted brand in the fitness industry and has been involved in the development of step aerobics, aerobics, strength and flexibility training for the last few decades. As the fitness industry has evolved, so has Reebok, which is no longer just a footwear company but also a leader in fitness training.
In Delhi, Reebok India organises a course twice a year under the Reebok Instructor Alliance (RIA) programme. The two and a half-month 80-hour course culminates in an A-level Master Trainer Exam, which you must clear in order to be certified as trainer.
Conclusion
Personal training, in my opinion, offers several job choices, including those of club or gym manager, physical therapist, fitness specialist, and sports trainer. Successful personal trainers are aware that opportunities for job progression are virtually endless. They continue to be inquisitive and flexible. They create opportunities if they aren’t already there. One should be motivated by his work. The work one enjoys should make them look forward to it. If someone is seeking challenge and change, they should think about other options available.