How to Become a Personal Trainer

A personal trainer is regarded as a fitness professional who instructs and guides his customers in the correct ways of exercising and of other kinds of trainings that involve physical activity; they are also in charge of giving their clients the motivation for achieving their established goals while also providing the necessary feedback to accomplish them.

Some personal trainers also possess additional qualifications by completing a CEC (continuing education credit) program. CEC courses can cover a wide variety of exercise related topics such as weight loss, strength training, kid’s fitness, nutrition, different training techniques or exercise styles, health conditions, physiology, lifestyle and rehabilitation.

The most common areas of specialization for a personal trainer are:

• Strength and muscle gain training
• Weight loss training
• Yoga & Pilates
• Marathon running
• Martial arts
• Muscular rehabilitation

Personal Trainers in Australia

In Australia, personal trainers are able to work independently or as registered members of a fitness association, for instance: Physical Activity Australia or Fitness Australia.

There exist a number of fitness certificates a registered personal trainer can obtain, these certificates are issued by nationally accredited colleges (TAFE, Australian College of Sport & Fitness, Fitness Industry Training, Australian Institute of Fitness, Australian Fitness Academy) by undertaking several courses and exams.

 The qualifications levels are:

• Level 1 – Certificate III in Fitness
• Level 2 – Certificate IV in Fitness
• Level 3 – Diploma of Fitness

Personal trainers who are members of any association are also required to complete short courses to obtain 20 CEC points as a minimum to maintain their registration.

Jobs as a personal trainer

Although not all fitness associations can guarantee a job after graduating from their courses, most of them often possess extensive networks and provide career support which can aid graduates in getting a job.

These are some of the most common and popular jobs a personal trainer can aspire:

• Gym Private Instructor
• Independent Personal Trainer
• Conditioning & Nutrition Coach

How much does Personal Trainer earn in Australia?

The medium personal trainer wages goes from $25 to $45 AU approximately. However, personal trainers may be paid extra commissions and tips by their employers and customers based on sales and results obtained.

Conclusions

Perhaps the greatest advantage of being a personal trainer is that the market demand is not only big but also on the rise, personal trainers who hold a fitness certificate can certainly aspire to a promising professional future; those that specialize will have even further employment and salary possibilities that those who don’t.

Remember that to be a successful personal trainer, you must not forget that this is also a business, and like in every other business you need to learn how to market your services to a certain niche of people and always be thinking of new ways to increase your client list.

An online presence is certainly needed, as some of the most successful personal trainers market themselves on Twitter and Instagram the most.

Above all, you should be able to motivate your clients into achieving their goals, by showing them how to avoid boredom in workouts, as well as pushing them to succeed whenever they feel like giving up. Only then you will a good reputation will increase and so your client list.