When you’re at the very start of a new career path it can be difficult to know exactly where to start. At The Training Room we’ve been training Personal Trainers since 2006, so we know a bit about the journey that you’ll be starting out on, the challenges you might face and what you’ll need to know beyond qualification. So in answer to the question ‘how do I become a Personal Trainer’ we put together this blog for you.
Step 1: You Have Decided To Become a Personal Trainer
The first step in any journey is making that first big decision, in this case that you want to become a Personal Trainer. You may well have done some research, a quick google will give you a plethora of information to choose from. We suggest sites such as The National Careers Service , or Plotr for easy to digest information about a career in personal training.
Step 2: Making Sure That You Are a Good Fit For a Career in Fitness
There is no right or wrong ‘fit’ for a career in personal training and people who become Personal Trainers do so for a number of reasons such as loving fitness and wanting to make a career out of it, or those who have gone through a period of transformation (such as weight loss) and now want to inspire and help others to do the same. Whatever your reason for becoming a Personal Trainer there are a few core competencies which, generally speaking, will make you a good match for the job. These include: being a people person, being naturally motivated, having the ability to inspire others etc. If you want an ‘easy’ desk-job then this career choice is probably not for you.
Step 3: Getting Qualified as a Personal Trainer
In the UK you must hold formal qualifications in order to work as a Personal Trainer. Qualifications such as the Active IQ Level 3 in Fitness Instructing and Personal Training , offered by The Training Room offer you the opportunity to gain an internationally recognised, respected qualification which covers all core aspects of fitness instructing and personal training. Level 3 is the highest entry level into the industry and qualifies you to register on the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs).
Step 4: Deciding How To Study
There are a number of options when it comes to how you can study to become a Personal Trainer. At The Training Room, we offer full-time intensive courses which take place over a six-week period. We also offer a part-time option of the course which takes place over just seven weekends, over a six-month period. In addition it is also possible to complete this course via e-learning , which can be done at your own convenience in an average of three to six months.
Step 5: Specialise
In addition to the core skills that you will require, it is also a good idea to specialise in some areas. This can include activities like spinning, boxing or even battle ropes but what a specialism means is that you will be able to offer more to your clients. You will also be able to further your earning potential.
The Training Room is pleased to offer selected Continuing Professional Development Courses (CPDs) as part of their level 3 personal training course.
Step 6: Getting Your Career
You’ve qualified! Well done. Now comes the fun part. You’ve got the qualification - yes - but it has opened a multitude of different options to you.
Did you know that 80% of Personal Trainers work on a freelance basis ? This is option one, you’ll be self-employed and either renting space in a gym or being mobile.
Option two is being employed within a gymnasium, leisure centre or health club.
Option three is either one of the above options, but doing it abroad!
When you do a course with The Training Room you will benefit from three years of career support from registration on your personal training course. We’ll work with you to find you the opportunities which you want, from local to international opportunities!
Step 7: Getting Down to Business
This step is probably most relevant if you become a freelance Personal Trainer. In the first few months of being self-employed there will be some hard work needed if you want to be successful.
Firstly, there are all the legalities which must be dealt with when setting up your own business, this includes all the relevant paperwork including tax and insurance. Information about being self-employed can be found here. After you have set up your business you must market your services (this may include flyering at a local gym, building your own website, placing ads in the local paper or setting up a Facebook business page etc.) and you must work on growing your client base.
Step 8: Reap The Rewards
After you’ve been established for a few months you should start to see the benefits. On average a freelance Personal Trainer can expect to earn between £20-£40 per hour, higher profile clientele can pay up to £100 per hour. If you are employed and on a salary, you can earn up to around £22,000 per year.
Personal Training is a career where the more you put in, the more you will get out.
Step 9: Continue to Grow
Once established your aim should be to get bigger and better - this means further investment in training courses such as Exercise Referral or specialising in Lower Back Pain. Courses such as these will allow you to work with different clients, be referred clients by GPs and, of course, increase your earning potential!
Step 10: Celebrate
Step back and look at what you’ve created. You’ve done it. You’ve become a successful Personal Trainer.
Give yourself a pat on the back - you deserve it! Let us guess, you’re feeling pretty stress-free about the whole experience? Well that’s because compared to a measly 21% of office workers, a massive 51% of Personal Trainers say that they never feel stressed at work!
Go you!
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