how to become a personal trainer

Contributed by our friends over at HFE the UK's leading provider of personal training courses and fitness qualifications...

In 2018, it was reported that the UK's health and fitness industry was worth an approximate £5bn and the number of gyms reached over 7,000 for the first time. It's also estimated that 1 in 7 people in the UK is a member of a gym. All these figures point to one simple fact: the best time to get into the fitness industry is right now!
 
Of all of the possible roles for young people available in the fitness industry, there's one that stands head and shoulders above all others in terms of appeal and mainstream popularity and that's of a personal trainer. There's no doubt you'll have a picture in your head of a personal trainer and you've probably seen a fair few when you've ever been to a gym. Now the common stereotype is that PTs just stand around and don't do very much. They've probably got a clipboard (or iPad if they're fancy), a stopwatch and they just spend time watching clients exercise. If you’re lucky they might even chime in every few minutes with words of encouragement. 

​The truth of the matter is that personal trainers have the ability to change lives and they take a very active and hands on role doing this. Of their many responsibilities, PTs typically involve themselves with the following:

• Helping clients set realistic short, medium and long-term goals for themselves
• Designing exercise programmes and coaching correct exercise techniques
• Giving nutritional advice and creating meal plans
• Tracking and recording progress that clients make  

 
So that covers what a personal trainer does, and hopefully dispels a few myths about the job, but what qualities do you need to really excel as a PT? It goes without saying that a keen interest in health and fitness is an absolute must! The best personal trainers also lead by example. Now that doesn't mean you have to be the most toned or muscular person in the gym to be taken seriously, but your passion for helping others should always shine through. On top of that, if you're highly organised, energetic, enthusiastic and have great communication skills then you can go for. In a recent interview, world-leading personal trainer, Matt Roberts went into more detail about this and discussed the skills and qualities he looks for when hiring personal trainers.
 
If you're confident that you have the skills needed to become a personal trainer then the next stage, a very important one, is to get qualified. For those who are brand new to the industry, the Level 2 Gym Instructor course will get you qualified as a gym instructor. In fact, you could actually use this qualification to work in a fitness environment, although it wouldn't permit you to work one-on-one with clients in the ways a PT does. For that, you'd need the Level 3 Personal Trainer Certificate and upon completion of this, you'll be a fully qualified personal trainer.
 
Perhaps a final myth that needs dispelling is about where personal trainers can find work. Naturally, a gym or health club might be the first choice but there are so many places including, but not limited to the following:

• Personal training agencies
• CrossFit boxes
• Cruise ships
• Holiday resorts and retreats
• Places of education - schools, colleges and universities
• Bootcamps
• Online programmes and virtual sessions

 
There are a few nuts and bolts things involved with becoming a personal trainer, like getting the appropriate qualifications for example, but in terms of the success a PT can have and the amount of people they are able to help. The only limit is their drive and imagination.

Author

Josh Douglas-Walton is a health and fitness writer for HFE, the UK's leading provider of personal training courses and fitness qualifications. In his spare time, he's a keen marathon/ultramarathon runner and frequently uses yoga and Pilates to supplement his training.


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