What’s needed to become a personal trainer?
The key to success for anyone who works out at the gym relies heavily on having a professional and qualified personal trainer. There are a lot of people out there who lay claim to being professional trainers but aren’t. The good news is that you can become a qualified persona trainer by following a few simple steps. Here’s how to become one…
If you wish to become a personal trainer in the UK you first and foremost must attain a level 3 personal training certificate.
All practicing trainers based in the UK should by law have this kind of certification, and it is practically impossible to find employment without it.
The good news is that any person wishing to undertake a personal trainer course has a lot of options that they can choose from. All personal trainer courses allow prospective students give one the best employment opportunities in the fitness industry. They also expose the student to qualifications to important and recognized bodies such as the REPs better known as the Registry of Exercise Professionals.
Before going out to register with an institution that offers personal trainer courses, it is important that you know what you want to do once you have completed the course. The fitness industry is very dynamic and is constantly changing and this makes it very competitive. It is for this reason that you must have the end in mind.
There are thousands of people who want to be part of this industry. Knowing this, you must have skills that set you apart from other people pursuing the same dream. This is the only way you can be sure of being successful in your niche. When all is said and done you should always think of your practice as a business and a successful one at that.
Just like any other type of successful career you have to start somewhere. Most professional personal trainers become what they are after having passed their level two instructor certification. The best way to get to the top is to start from the bottom and work yourself up. As an aspiring personal trainer you therefore have to attain level 1 and 2 certification especially if you don’t have any prior experience.
Always make sure that you get accredited by recognized bodies; some of which include the CYQ and the active IQ. These bodies operate in full regulation of the registry of exercise professionals. Any professional and qualified personal trainer is recognized by the REP body. This body is in charge of regulating the standards in the industry and they are also in charge of the type of education that offered in regards to personal training.
Where then can I go to get trained to become a personal trainer?
The good news is that there are many institutions to choose from. That said not all institutions offering training in personal training are certified and disburse you as a professional trainer once you are done with the course. Have a look on the internet for online personal training courses to help find out where to start out on your way to becoming a PT.
As good measure, you should always double check to find out which institution is recognized by the REP.
Courses that are easily accessible include the vocational training courses. These focus mainly on improving the knowledge that the person already has.
This is the opposite of work based programs that emphasis more on improving the skills that a person who works in the training industry has.
A good example of a vocational training program is the National Vocational Qualification for personal trainers.
If you have done a little bit of leg work for yourself you will be at a better advantage. More skills make your portfolio impressive and give you a better chance of getting employment.
Also, when you become a member of more bodies the more visible you become.
As mentioned before, this industry is very dynamic and it keeps changing every day. For this reason, a personal trainer has to keep learning new things and has to keep upgrading their status as time goes by. That’s the only way that they can become up to date with the recent trends and keep up with their new clientele.
If you wish to advance your personal trainer training you can always opt for the advanced courses that allow you to specialize in specific topics that allow you to concentrate solely on one niche.
