If you are passionate about fitness and want to help others reach their goals, becoming a personal trainer is a great career. You may be a fitness enthusiast who has done some unofficial personal training in the past. Maybe you have coached yourself or developed a fitness program. There are still more steps you can take to become a certified personal trainer, to find a job, or to start your own business. Find out more about the career and decide if this is right for you
Consider Personal Training for Yourself
Personal training can seem like a rewarding career. It is. It’s flexible and offers many options. You can also work in an area you enjoy. Personal training has many benefits, but you should consider all the angles before deciding to take the plunge.
Personal trainers, like other professionals in specialized fields, need a wide range of skills. A successful personal trainer is analytical, motivating, and nurturing. You should be able to work with people of all types, self-motivated and be a good listener. You can also succeed in this industry with organizational skills, patience and persistence.
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Challenges
It’s helpful to have some experience in the field before you start. You can certainly improve your client-training expertise over time. You can learn about the daily operations of the personal trainer business when you become certified. However, hands-on training is the best way to learn. It may look easy, but training is more difficult than you think.
You’ll be working with clients like:
They are afraid of pushing too hard or they want to push more than they should
They do not comply with the exercises you give them
You are to blame if someone doesn’t achieve their fitness or weight-loss goals
Cancellation with very little notice
Exercise is not done for various reasons.
You may have injuries or other conditions2
Need good models for the most basic exercises.
Do not forget to bring your workout shoes and other essential exercise gear.
You need to know how to push each client and determine what they want and what their needs are. You must also be flexible, and willing to make changes on the fly if an exercise doesn’t go well.
Pros and cons
Personal training is a rewarding career that offers many benefits. Here are the top benefits of personal training, from the actual work to the connections with clients.
It’s flexible. You can often set your own schedule. If you are self-employed, you may be able set your own fees.
It’s rewarding. It’s rewarding.
There is always room for improvement and variety. Personal training is often a stepping stone to other careers, such as fitness instructor, health writer or higher education.
You can build relationships. Personal training is a great opportunity for people who are good with others. You can get to know your clients, learn about their situation and use your creativity and knowledge to design workouts that suit them.
You should be ready for the challenges of becoming a personal trainer. Consider these factors when deciding to become a personal trainer.
The client’s convenience is the key factor in determining peak hours. Customers may cancel or change their schedules without notice. Most clients will train before or after working hours and at weekends. Your busiest times will be the weekends as well as very early mornings or late nights on weekdays.
You will have to learn how to sell your service. You may not be in this business because you love to sell, but it is an important part of the job, particularly if you are working at a commercial fitness center. You will need to be a part trainer and part marketer to sell your training services to clients.
Pay is variable. Personal trainers may earn anywhere between $15 and $100 per hour depending on their location, where they work and how much experience they have. Your income is also based on how many hours per week you can work.
The income may not be steady. Personal training is a field where cancellations are common. You may have an active schedule one day and then no clients the next. This means that you are not paid.
Burnout is more likely to occur. Both physical and mental energy is required for personal training. You can easily burn out if you train all the time.
Get certified as a personal trainer
The next step after deciding that personal training is the right choice for you is to become certified. If you’re deciding where to get your certification, the most important thing is that the organization has been accredited.
The National Commission for Certifying Agencies, for example, accredits the certification protocols and procedures of certifying organizations. Find out what certifications an employer requires or recognizes.
Look for the answers to these questions on the websites of certifying organisations:
Do you have to attend an exam on site or can the test be done online? When and where are the on-site exams held?
Is the exam a home study program? Does it require home study?
What is the cost? The cost can range from $300 to over $1000, and this may not include study materials or workshops.
Is it a national/international certification? Is it recognized by all countries?
What are the requirements for renewing the certificate in terms of continuing education? Most certifications require that you complete a specific number of hours of continuing education. This is an additional expense and commitment.
What are the requirements for the test? The majority of exams require that you have a high-school diploma, CPR certification and be at least 18 years old.
Certifying Organizations
There are many other certification organizations, but these are the most well-known.
ACE (American Council on Exercise) is accredited by NCCA
NCCA (National Council for Accreditation of Sports Medicine) accredits ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine).
AFPA is not accredited
IFPA (International Fitness Professionals Association) is accredited by NCCA
ISSA (International Sports & Sciences Association) accredited by Distance Education Accrediting Commission
NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) accredited by NCCA
NCSA (National Strength and Conditioning Association) accredited by NCCA
NCCA (National Council on Strength and Fitness) is accredited by NCSF (National Council on Strength and Fitness).
NFPT (National Federation of Professional Trainers) accredited by NCCA
Find a job as a personal trainer
You may work for a company as an employee or independent contractor. You can also train clients on your own. Many new trainers start out by working for a well-established business. This gives them experience. You can find employment in the following areas:
Commercial gyms: Gyms like XSport 24 Hour Fitness Gold’s Gym Planet Fitness and 24 Hour Fitness are always hiring new trainers. Working on commission can mean lower pay and lots of sales. You may also have to spend long hours orienting new members to attract new clients.
Corporate fitness: If you want to work in a company which offers wellness packages to businesses who wish improve the health of their employees, then this is a great opportunity for you.
Many cruise ships offer guests personal training. Cruise Ship Job Finders, an online resource that allows you to search for cruise lines and different job opportunities.
Personal trainers are employed by many hospitals to assist patients in recovering from illness and other conditions. Some of these opportunities require a higher level or a specialization to work with clients that may have health issues.
Local community centers: Ask your local park district or community center if they have any clubs in the area that employ personal trainers. Personal training is available at almost all fitness centers, so this may be the best place to begin.
Studio dedicated to personal training: These studios are almost exclusively devoted to small-group training. They may be more specialized and require more education or experience, but they also pay more.
All-inclusive resorts hire fitness instructors or personal trainers to lead exercise classes. Job boards such as Cool Works and ResortJobs.com list jobs for resorts, parks, and spas.
