So you want to be a personal trainer | Fitnorama magazine

Posted on 24 November 2012.

Personal training is a financially and emotionally rewarding career. As a personal trainer or PT, you have the opportunity to make a radical impact on the health and well being of your clients. Using exercise and dietary interventions, you can help people literally change their lives. While being a PT is a terrific way to make a living, getting into the health and fitness business and staying in can be a challenge. In this article we will give you all the information you need to get on the path to building a successful PT business.

Getting Qualified

Broadly speaking there are three levels of qualification in fitness instruction and personal training:

Level two ? gym instruction
level three ? personal training
Level four ? exercise for special populations and medical referral

Level two allows you to work unsupervised in a gym environment and write basic programmes for healthy exercises who have no specific workout requirements. At this level, your main job would be inductions and general exercise instruction. Level two instructors are commonly employed rather than self-employed.

Level three means that you can work with a wider range of clients, usually on a one-to-one basis. You may be employed or self-employed and will be qualified to work with people suffering from less serious medical conditions as well as helping people with weight management or fitness related goals such as sports training or bodybuilding as well as being qualified to offer nutritional advice.

Level four is currently the highest level of qualification for a personal trainer and allows you to work with people who suffer from serious medical conditions, post-operative rehab and work alongside medical professionals in exercise referral schemes.

Awarding Bodies, Training Providers and the Common Syllabus

There is no denying that some personal trainers are under qualified or completely unqualified although this number gets smaller each year as the government and gyms work to tighten up on unlicensed PTs. Many PTs may have attended a course but, unfortunately, their certificate may not be worth the paper it is printed on if it is from an unsanctioned course provider. Holders of unsanctioned qualifications are not able to get insurance. If you have a personal trainer, make sure that their qualifications are valid and that they have comprehensive insurance cover.

Most recognized personal training qualifications follow more or less the same syllabus made up of common units set by Skills Active, body that ?oversees? personal training qualifications on behalf of the UK government. There are numerous awarding bodies and a host of training providers that deliver the awarding body?s courses. This means that there is a plethora of course providers who all able to offer an identical level of qualification.

When looking for a suitable course and at the various training providers, it?s worth considering the following:

Full time versus part time courses ? while part time courses mean you can continue your employment while you study, it can also mean that it takes you up to a year or more to get a qualification that could be completed in a matter of weeks if you studied full time. Full time courses offer ?total immersion? in the subject but, for many, this is prohibitive as it means time away from your family and having to give up a secure job.

Location of the training venue ? will you have to spend lots of time commuting that would be better spent studying? Residential courses negate this problem but then you have to consider your accommodation options.

Face to face versus blended/distance learning ? many training providers offer blended or distance learning courses where you study the theoretical elements of PT online or in books and then attend their training centre for practical instruction and assessments. This is advantageous if you don?t want to quit your job and can?t spare the time for regular studies but also means that you have to study alone and be very self-motivated. It?s all too easy to adopt an ?I?ll study tomorrow? attitude when studying at home. Many students who start blended learning courses with the very best of intensions never actually finish their qualifications.

Course costs ? it definitely pays to shop around so don?t make any decisions before you have done your research. Some training providers employ salespeople whose sole job is to get you to sign on the dotted line. It can be very difficult to get out of a contract if you sign up for a course and then decide you?d rather go with another training provider and refunds are normally not offered. Don?t commit yourself until you have explored all the options available.

Continued Personal Development ? CPD is the term used to describe additional courses that help to ?top up? your basic level of qualification and make sure that you remain up to date with new industry developments. While not compulsory, CPD is one of the ways the government wants to ensure PTs keep their qualifications current. Assuming you enjoyed your training experience with your chosen training provider, you may want to stick with them for any subsequent add-on courses you decide to do. Some learning providers offer discounts for ex-students or only allow you to enroll on one of their CPD courses if you have studied with them before.

Getting started as a PT

You have two main options: employed and self-employed. Employed trainers are salaried and work a set number of hours and days per week whereas self-employed trainers work flexible hours and manage their own appointment diary, and, most importantly, only get paid when they have clients!

Self-employed trainers have another couple of options to consider: work from a gym or be ?unattached? and train people in their homes, place of work or local outdoor areas such as parks. If you base yourself at a gym you have access for the entire gym membership for sales and marketing as well as a well equipped gym but you will probably have to pay a ?ground rent? for the privilege. An unattached PT has no such commitments but will have to advertise locally to secure clients.

All of the options described can work and work well so it?s a matter of deciding what works best for you. Employed PTs can enjoy a degree of job security while self-employed PTs have a much higher earning potential. Gym-based PTs have a large number of potential clients to which they can market their services but may end up paying out ?600 or more per month to the owner of the gym irrespective of whether they have had a great month or a really quiet one. Unattached PTs have no such ground rent worries but will probably need to buy a selection of training equipment, have a car big enough to transport all the equipment from venue to venue, spend money on regular advertising and, if many local councils have their way, pay a stipend for using public spaces such as parks.

The bottom line

I have been involved in the fitness industry for almost 25 years now ? the first 15 years as a gym instructor and PT, the last 10 years as a lecturer and journalist. I can honestly say that, with my hand firmly placed on my heart, I will never leave the fitness industry and can?t imagine having done anything else. I thoroughly recommend working in health and fitness but not without some reservation. It?s a competitive, challenging industry and while the work is enjoyable and satisfying, it?s not an easy job and for many PTs, not the most well paid either. However, in terms of job satisfaction and the fact you get paid to do your hobby?I can?t think of a better choice of career.

Written by Patrick Dale

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Source: http://www.fitnorama.com/2012/11/24/so-you-want-to-be-a-personal-trainer/

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