Skills Needed to Become a Personal Trainer

Working as a personal trainer can be a rewarding way to make a living. There are many different settings that you can work in. You can become self-employed and set your own hours. You can work in a small gym or large health club. You can even find employment in a residential building. If you want to specialize, many hospitals and physical therapy centers will hire trainers to work with patients. You have to think about the types of clients and the work situation that appeals to you, and then seek out the proper training.

  1. Considerations

    • If you decide you want to pursue a full-time career in personal training working in a hospital or physical therapy center, you will need to have a Bachelor's and possibly a Master's degree. You can study exercise physiology, health science, exercise science, therapeutic recreation or athletic training. It is also helpful to choose a minor that can further define your specialty. It can also be helpful to visit local centers similar to the types of places you want to work and ask about trainer qualifications.

    Types

    • If you decide to work in a gym or for yourself, then a degree is not always necessary. However, you will need to complete a certification program. While there are many to choose from there are only a few that are reputable. Each program requires different levels of education, experience and training. One is the National Strength and Conditioning Association. This certification is good for those individuals who want to work in gyms that focus on weight lifting and strength training. There is also the American College of Sports Medicine. This organization offers various certification levels and choices. For example, there are certifications if you want to work in a gym setting and others if you want to work in cardiac rehabilitation. Two other choices are the American Council on Exercise and the Aerobics and Fitness Association. The latter two are the more popular as they offer several choices in certification and continuing education.

    Time Frame

    • Obtaining a degree is obviously the most time consuming requirement. Even if you already have a degree, you may need to take extra courses. Most colleges require that you have taken science courses, such as chemistry and anatomy within five years, to get credit. If you have not taken these courses within that time frame, you will need to take or retake them. The time it takes to get certified depends on your education and experience in exercise physiology. In order to pass the exams given by the above organizations, you need a solid education in anatomy and physiology, exercise prescription, client assessment, exercise testing, and basic course work in dealing with clients with cardiac and pulmonary concerns. If you have not had course work in these areas, you may need to take a couple of college courses or purchase text books to acquire the information. Again visit the websites of the organizations listed above to get a feel of how much pre-study work you will need.

    Warning

    • Be wary of quick weekend certifications and online courses that claim to train you to be a personal trainer. While they may provide a quick and inexpensive way to get your certifications, any reputable gym would not hire you unless you have a nationally recognized certification. Most of the well known certification exams require both a written and practical component to make sure you are ready to work with clients and know how to help them avoid injury. You should also be required to have your CPR and First Aid certification before being able to be certified as a personal trainer.

    Benefits

    • Being a personal trainer can be a wonderful career. You will be motivating and supporting people in developing positive lifestyle habits. Your clients will look to you for the assistance they need to lose weight, manage chronic disease and improve their quality of life. The better your education and training, the better equipped you will be to handle the many different clients that will come to you. After becoming certified, you will need to take continuing education courses in order to renew your certification, which usually happens every two to four years. Make sure that you take a variety of courses from different facilities to keep your training varied and well balanced.