why choose a career in personal training?

A paid contribution by our friends over at Future Fit Training the leading training provider of Personal Trainers, Nutrition Advisers and Pilates Instructors in the UK. We think this is a useful and interesting article for all our readers and are happy to publish.

The numbers tell the story:

• The fitness industry has grown by 75% in the last decade
• The estimated total market value of the sector is £4.9 Billion
• Obesity in the UK is on the rise by around 18% year on year

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And with the demand for personal trainers and weight loss consultants outweighing the supply, there are plenty of opportunities out there for those looking to become a personal trainer. 

What is personal training?
In many ways, personal training is not so different than people management in sport. You are responsible for a person that wants to reach their own fitness goals and you will need to look at ways to motivate and engage with that person to make their journey as rewarding and exciting as possible.
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Personal training encompasses some skills that require qualifications, obtained through personal training courses, without which you would be at risk of potential lawsuits.

Be assured, there is a lot to learn!

Here are some specialist fields that professional personal trainers touch upon during their careers:

• Nutrition and weight management consultancy
• Physiology
• Exercises for fat loss
• Behavioural change
• Business, sales and marketing (when working as a freelance)
• How to build resistance in training
• Advice on nutrition for sport and exercise
• Pre & post-natal specialist consultancy
• Lower back pain advice
• Circuit programs

To set yourself apart from the competition, it’s a good idea to be trained in one or more of these specialist areas. Of course if your goal is to become a Head of Personal Training for a big brand, you’ll probably need to know about them all.
 
What are the skills in demand?
Clients must commit to a personal trainer work plan to reach their own fitness goals. So, the first requirement is passion. Simply put, you probably shouldn’t become a personal trainer if you cannot be a good role model for your clients.

Look around your gym. There is always that one Personal Trainer who is scrolling away on their phone rather than engaging with their client. Chances are, they’re going to be out of business soon. You must drive enthusiasm and motivation to help them succeed and this is something that a good personal training course can teach you how to do effectively.

Another skill in demand is practical industry knowledge. Not only should you know the latest trends in fitness and nutrition, you should know how to communicate these to your clients. Many personal training courses are now purely online, and the feedback from the industry is clear. Those graduates do not know how to communicate effectively in a practical environment. And how could they? They’ve never been in one before.

Further skills identified as lacking by the industry include:

• Commercial acumen
• Behaviour change skills
• Nutritional knowledge
• Counselling skills
• Technology and tracking activity

 
Why choose a career in personal training?
The personal training industry is full of sports lovers, ex-athletes, healthy eaters, former military staff and people who genuinely want to help others achieve their goals. For many it is an escape from the humdrum 9 to 5 routine.
Recent statistics show that well over half of personal trainers say do not get stressed at work.  This compares rather favourably to office workers, where only 21% claim not to get stressed.
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And there are a few other reasons to consider this career.

1. There is a skill gap. There is a growing demand for people with the right qualifications in personal training, specifically those qualifications that are accredited and from a reputable course provider.
2. Earnings. The typical personal training salary start at £20 per hour and can reach up £100 per hour, if you specialise or become a recognised expert in what you do. New personal trainers working for a gym start at between £15K to £20K and more experienced employees can reach £60k per year.
3. Versatility. If you choose a career path or specialisation in this field and you decide to alter the direction of your career later, you’ll likely only need a little training. And that’s because you will have already learned the basic skills in many different areas.

 
How do you get trained in personal training? 
In order to become a Personal Trainer, you will need to complete the following courses as a bare minimum:

• Level 2 Gym Instructor
• Level 2 Anatomy & Physiology 
• Level 3 Anatomy & Physiology
• Level 3 Exercise Programming & Coaching
• Nutrition & Weight Management

These courses represent the bare minimum to be a Personal Trainer in the UK and you can find them contained within Future Fit’s Level 3 Complete Diploma in Personal Training and our Total Immersion Diploma.

But let’s face it, it’s a competitive industry and bare bones is no longer enough to cut it. That’s why we pack our diplomas with other practical and e-learning courses, specially selected to give you an edge over your competition.

Our Level 3 Diploma contains courses on resistance training, core, circuits, building your business, fat loss, behaviour change and functional equipment. The Total Immersion contains all of this plus pre and postnatal exercise and nutrition, suspension training, kettlebells and the ability to accept GP referrals to provide a specialist premium service. You even get access to a host of specialist products and services in our Career Accelerator package.

So, as well as getting you qualified as a Personal Trainer, Future Fit gives you the opportunity to get practical experience, become an expert in other fields and learn how to run your own business.
If you are serious about making a career change, get the most comprehensive education. 

Author

Luca Tagliaferro is a Senior Digital Specialist for Future Fit Training, the leading training provider of Personal Trainers, Nutrition Advisers and Pilates Instructors in the UK who offer courses to obtain industry-recognised qualifications since 1993.


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