Keen on a career in fitness? Having the right personal training qualifications will get your health and fitness career off to a flying start, but how do you choose the right course to get your career on track? Here’s what you need to study to become a personal trainer.
What you’ll need to get started:
To get your health and fitness career started, you’ll need these three things:
1. An industry recognised personal training qualification
2. CIMSPA membership
3. Public Liability Insurance
Let’s delve a little deeper into these points…
To work in the UK fitness sector, you’ll need industry recognised qualifications as these are essential to gain employment in a gym. Depending on your career goals, you can either have a Level 2 diploma in fitness instructing, or a Level 3 diploma in personal training.
What’s the difference between being a Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer?
A Level 2 certificate in fitness instructing will cover the basic skills you’ll need to get started in the health and fitness industry, including human anatomy, the principles of health and exercise and how to support clients.
Fitness Instructors are not able to provide one-on-one coaching, instead supporting fully qualified personal trainers and providing assistance to clients on the gym floor.
Find out more about becoming a fitness instructor.
A Level 3 certificate in personal training will take your career to the next level. You’ll be equipped with the skills and knowledge to recruit and train your own clients and help to transform their lives.
Combining both level 2 and level 3 certificates gives you a Diploma in Fitness Instructing and Personal Training – this is an industry recognised qualification and allows you to start working as a Personal Trainer!
Learn more about the benefits of becoming a personal trainer
If you want to be your own boss and work as a freelance personal trainer, you’ll need a level 3 diploma (or above – we’ll go into this a little later) in personal training.
Many gyms understand that personal trainers would rather have the ability to train and recruit their own client base. As a result, they often offer employment contracts that allow you to operate on a freelance basis inside their venue, in return for holding various fitness classes for members and helping out with the general day-to-day running of the gym. This can be hugely beneficial to you, especially if you are just starting out as you’ll have access to all the gym members (aka potential PT clients!).
Once you’ve gained a loyal client base, you can always run your business from your own venue or keep being successful where you are…the choice is yours!
Here’s how to begin your personal training journey.
If you are new to the fitness industry, it’s worth finding a training provider that will offer you career support once you’ve graduated. You’ll need a new CV to highlight your new qualifications and you can use their relationships with the top gyms in your area to make introductions and land interviews!
This can greatly improve your chances of getting hired as the gyms will trust the quality of graduates from the training provider and often hire them over other applicants.
Registering for a CIMSPA membership (the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity) provides support for professionals working in the health and fitness industry. It’s a good idea to join CIMSPA as many employers now seek to hire personal trainers with CIMSPA membership (you’ll need a CIMSPA recognised qualification to qualify). Get registered with CIMSPA here.
Once you’re qualified as a personal trainer, you’ll need Public Liability Insurance (PLI) to protect your business if something goes wrong. Many insurance companies offer CIMSPA members special discounts.
Qualifications that will help you go further:
There are many options available to boost your career prospects and increase your earning potential as a successful personal trainer.
Choosing to enhance your qualifications with a Level 4 Diploma in Strength and Conditioning will help you develop into an elite personal trainer and place you within the top 10% of fitness professionals in the UK!
Having a Level 4 qualification under your belt helps to open up many more opportunities for your career, including working with professional sports teams and athletes.
You can also increase the demand for your services by completing CPD courses. Continued Professional Development (CPD) workshops help you to upskill by giving you the skills to specialise in popular training areas, including studio cycling (spinning), gym-based boxing and bootcamp workshops.
Having a range of CPDs makes your business more desirable to a range of different clients, allowing you to expand your business, increase your client reach and boost your earning potential.
Find out how CPD courses can help you go the extra mile in your personal training career
Ready to get your career as a successful personal trainer started?
Here at The Training Room we offer a range of personal training qualifications that suit your career goals and give you flexibility over your career move. Whether you are looking for full-time, part-time or online learning, we have a course that’s perfect for you!
[See all personal training courses here]