How Hard Is It to Become a Personal Trainer?

Becoming a personal trainer can be less demanding than other specialties. However, it does require an interest in health and fitness and an ability to motivate and work well with others. Additionally, the minimum required training may not be adequate for getting a job as a personal trainer.

  1. Basic Requirements

    • A trainer must be at least 18 years old, have a high school diploma, CPR training and certification. Many who want to become personal trainers also earn an associate or bachelor's degree in exercise science, especially if they want to work in management. The more education and experience a trainer has, the more credibility he has, and the more likely he is to get a job, according to AskTheTrainer.com.

    Certifying Courses

    • To have credibility as a personal trainer, it's important to have certification as a personal trainer. Courses are available online or as in-person seminars, and generally include a certification exam at the end of the course. Costs for the courses vary, but range from $250 to $550. Most courses have minimum requirements to enroll. Some require work as a trainer to enroll, but most do not. Quality courses cover correct exercise form, developing exercise plans, basic physiology and how to motivate a client to carry through with exercise and lifestyle suggestions.

    Certifying Organizations

    • There are many organizations that provide certification. Some of them include the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), the National Council on Strength and Fitness (NCSF) and the National Federation of Professional Trainers (NFPT). Research the certification body before enrolling in a class to see if the certification is widely accepted.