How to become a Personal Trainer

In guest author FitPro’s final instalment of how to become a Personal Trainer, they conclude and round up all of the information from the blog series into simple takeaways to get you started, as well as offering guidance on which steps to take now and the best places to look to get your journey started.

Part one: A good player doesn’t necessarily make a good coach.

Just because someone may have an athletic background or enjoy using the gym themselves, doesn’t mean that they will automatically be and love being and good Personal Trainer. Some of the best personal trainers are those with limited gym experience but a willingness and passion to work on themselves and help others.

So be a PT for the right reasons, don’t be afraid to jump in to an active job, work on your craft and join an industry which drives a positive lifestyle!

Read part one: Is personal training the right career for you?

Part two: Select your style.

Personal Training is a diverse industry and as a new PT it’s easy to dilute your style of training and get lost in the width and arrays of clients and techniques and lanes that there are to explore. Some routes will sound more exciting than others and you may be tempted to try and take them all but be wary not to get lost. Instead, begin by finding a lane that you can drive in, move through the gears and build up momentum. As you gain experience you’ll then be able to create your own lane or move to another.

Read part two: Which type of Personal Trainer are you?

Part three: Brand your business.

Once you have found your training style everything people see, hear and feel from you should match you style. The Nike “swoosh” was born because ‘that’s the sound you hear when someone wearing a pair of Nike trainers comes running past you’. It’s instantly recognisable and delivers a strong sense of what people can expect by buying in. You are the brand, so live, breathe it and communicate it in a way that attracts your own unique audience.

Read part three: How to build your brand as a Personal Trainer

Where to now?

Get qualified
Get insured
Find a base
Upgrade

Get qualified

New PTs now have a luxury of ways to become qualified. You can qualify in person, online or blended and over a short intense or longer period. It’s about finding a pace and style of learning that suits your life and way that you learn best!

Most courses begin with a Gym Instructor (Level 2) qualification giving you the basics you need to assist people in the gym and then you move on to the Personal Trainer (Level 3) qualification to upgrade your learning and coaching skills in order too be able to work with people on a one-to-one basis.

Get insured

Insurance is a legal and sensible requirement as a Personal Trainer. If someone was to become injured, ill or worse whilst under your supervision, then having insurance would help to support and cover yourself and your business.

Did you know that you should also have insurance whilst learning to become a Personal Trainer?

Find out about learner or graduate Personal Trainer Insurance.

Find a base

Find a place to work that works for you. Don’t be afraid to shop around and compare the PT market.

For some gyms you will need to become self-employed, some will take you on as an employee and some will contract you. Each comes with pros and cons.

Some gyms will ask for a flat fee rental payment, some will take a percentage of your earnings and some will pay you a flat or tiered fee.

Alternatively, there are also opportunities to work as a remote PT or open your own space.

Each opportunity come with its own table of positives and negatives, risks and rewards, so take your time, find out what’s on offer and do the math!

Upgrade

Upgrade your learning and skills from the get-go and forge your path towards building a strong and clearly visible brand. With an ever-evolving industry built upon new techniques, skillsets and trends, set yourself apart from the rest by keeping your skills and on-point. Continued Professional Development, otherwise known as CPD is a requirement in order to keep your Level 3 qualification up to date.

Resources

See the latest in fitness education.
Receive access to free fitness education webinars.
Read the latest in industry knowledge on the FitPro blog.

So now you are armed with everything that you need to make the decision, put your best foot forwards and explore a business, a lifestyle and an industry that gives so much to others and in return gives so much back to you!

Good luck!