If you’re passionate about fitness, becoming a personal trainer is the ideal profession. You get to make a career out of your love for physical activity and help others to achieve their fitness aspirations. By providing motivation and guidance to those trying to lose weight, build muscle, or improve their performance, you can truly make a difference to someone’s life. Add to this the fact that you can be your own boss, work flexible hours and have the potential to make a high income, it’s clear that being a personal trainer is a fantastic opportunity.
But if you have no experience in the industry, how do you begin? Here are the most important steps you will need to follow in order to become a PT at the top of your game.
Do your research
Before you take your first step on the path to becoming a personal trainer, you need to decide whether it is right for you. It’s a big commitment, and you need to know you are prepared to put the work in. Do some research and find out exactly what is required to succeed at the job, and the attributes and lifestyle you will need to adopt to make it work. You are most likely already interested in fitness, so talk to other trainers and fitness instructors at your local gym or sports club to find out what the job is like. They will be able to give you a detailed insight into everything the role involves and their personal experiences, as well as providing helpful tips on how to get there. If you don’t know any personal trainers, you could always reach out to some on social media or through their websites. They got into their line of work to help people so there’s a good chance they will be more than happy to give a budding PT some advice.
Some of the key factors you’ll need to consider when doing your research are:
- The specific qualifications you will need
- How much it will cost to get qualified
- How long it will take
- How hard it is to complete the courses
- What your career prospects once qualified
- What the job is actually like
It’s helpful to take a look at your personality and character and decide whether you are right for the job. As well as requiring knowledge and passion for fitness and exercise, you will also have to be patient, hard-working and motivational when working with clients. Building these qualities may take time, but you need to be prepared to work at it.
Figure out your area of expertise
Believe it not, being a personal trainer is more than just helping people get fit. It is a science. And in the same way that doctors and scientists specialise in different areas, personal training can take you in many different directions. Although you can be a general fitness trainer, you might decide you want to specialise in an area such as weightlifting, athletics, physiotherapy or gender-specific training. Many PTs obtain a qualification in nutrition, which enables them to provide a more holistic training program for clients. Personal training is a competitive line of work, and having a niche will help you define your identity and distinguish yourself in the industry. Decide what route you want to go down before you start to choose your qualifications.
Get qualified
By now, you should have a clear idea of what you want your personal training career to look like. It’s time to start putting the work in. It’s not a requirement to have any qualifications when working as a personal trainer, but it is strongly advised. Most employers will not even consider an unqualified trainer, and you will struggle to find clients. Taking the time to study up on fitness and the body will make you a better personal trainer and give you the advanced knowledge to help your clients meet their goals. Additionally, a qualification will help you stand out when looking for work and will give you an edge over any less-qualified competitors.
There are a number of different PT courses and qualifications you can pursue, but the most important certifications are a Level 2 Certificate in Fitness Instructing and a Level 3 Certificate in Personal Training. You can take courses online or in person, and at a schedule that works for you. Intensive courses can take only a few weeks, while most generally last a lot longer and allow you to fit your studies around your job and personal life. While costs vary, in the UK you will typically have to pay around £2500 in total to become a personal trainer.
Decide how you want to work
As a personal trainer, you generally have two choices. You can either work as an in-house trainer for a gym or fitness club, or you can work for yourself, like online fitness coach Andy Griffiths. Both have their pros and cons.
Working in-house means you can benefit from guaranteed clients, job security and a fixed income. You will also have all your equipment provided for you, and you won’t need to worry about things like promotion, negotiation and invoicing. However, it doesn’t provide you with the freedom and flexibility that come with being self-employed. Running your own business means you can choose your hours, generate your own clients and charge whatever you like. You are effectively your own boss so you can run your business the way you want to. The downside is that you will have to work harder to generate income at first, as well as having to deal with all the technicalities of running a business.
Many people start out working in-house before building up enough experience and knowledge to go solo. You can choose whichever path you like, but whatever you do, you’ll need to build up your profile within the industry. Use social media to promote your services, build a network of fitness contacts, and attend industry events and functions regularly.
Becoming a personal trainer takes a lot of time and energy, but with commitment and hard work, you will be able to make your dream a reality.
