Become a Personal TrainerPersonal Training Courses

Finding the course that best suits your needs takes time and consideration. Make sure the course you choose is accredited by the relevant regulatory body and provides you with the support needed to successfully complete the course.

• First you need to find the right training provider, what does your training centre offer you throughout your training, and upon graduation, so how much support will you receive, can you get help getting into employment.
• What qualifications do I need to become a personal trainer?
• Is your personal training qualification CIMSPA endorsed?
• What learning option is right for me, face to face or online?
• How long will it take you to graduate as a personal trainer?

• Now you have decided what personal trainer course is right for you, it’s time to get enrolled onto a course.
• You will receive a welcome email, a video induction, access to our e-learning platform, and a support call from a tutor to ensure you are all set up on your course.
• On average our fitness instructor qualifications can take 4-6 weeks, but you do get 2 years to complete the qualification.
• Support is on hand throughout the qualification, you can speak to a tutor via phone, email, or online chat.
• Once you have passed both theory and practical elements of your Level 2 Fitness Instructing qualification, the industry standard, CIMSPA endorsed qualification. You are now ready to start your career as a fitness instructor.

If you are looking at working in a local independent or commercial gym, then there are some great options for you, 

• One option is a combination of being employed and self-employed, you are contracted to work a set number of hours for the gym, some gyms will pay you for these hours, some won’t, all hours are in lieu of rent on the facilities, you would be responsible for the day-to-day tasks around the gym, gym inductions, consultations, gym floor classes, and the general upkeep of the gym floor and equipment, this could be a valuable opportunity for you to market yourself, getting access to any new members during the inductions, letting current members know what you do and how you can help them.
• You could, if you found the right gym, receive a wage from them for your services as a personal trainer, with commission on any personal training sales, it would be a profit share on any sales, this option is rare.  
• The option to be a self-employed trainer is very popular.  You will pay a rental fee to the gym for use of their facilities to operate your business, fees will vary depending on the facility and location.  

Business Platform 

Now you need to decide from which platform do you want to deliver your services, your options would be.

• At a gym – as either employed or self-employed. You would have the benefit of a large range of different pieces of equipment, allowing you have huge variety of exercise selection in your programming. You would also have access to a lot of potential clients with the current members. We have commercial gyms looking to give our students their opportunity after graduation The Gym Group, 
• At home or mobile – This option would not require the added expense of a rental fee for the facilities, but you would need a selection of your own portable equipment to allow you to deliver your training to your clients from your home or mobile.
• Online personal training – This platform is very popular with clients, some people don’t have the time to attend the gym regularly due to their commitments elsewhere, work, family, education. Some people don’t like the gym environment, it can be loud, intimidating, and very busy at times, so they would prefer this option. Here are some of benefits of online personal training, there are many more.
  • You can deliver your training anywhere, wherever suits you.
  • You can create an online library of exercises and programs, allowing your clients to always have access to see how anything you have programmed is performed. 
  • Multiple platforms to provide support, by live webinars (Zoom, Microsoft Teams), phone, by email.
  • Nutritional advice and strategies to success.
  • Constant support and guidance, keeping your clients motivated and inspired.
  • You can make it more affordable for clients which is always popular, even having a monthly subscription available, guaranteeing a monthly income for you from each client.  

You can have as many clients as you want and can work with a group of clients at one time, working in person is limited by the hours you have available at the gym or mobile. Become an online personal trainer

Considering how to run and market your business once qualified is imperative. Ensure you have a strategic business plan that includes your target number of sessions, timeframes and client prices. CPD is an ideal opportunity for you and your business to generate more revenue and offer further services to your clients. 

Business Marketing

Now you have decided where and how you are going to deliver and develop your personal training business, you now need to think about creating a business plan, considering your target number of sessions, timeframes, how much you are going charge, any concessions for multiple sessions purchased, and any other methods of increasing your business revenue. 

You also need to consider how you are going to market your business, how are you going to let people know who you are and what you can do for them. You need to put a strategy together, so are you going to use any marketing materials, such as fliers, banners, business cards, are you having your work clothes labelled, so people can see you are a trainer, and then how you are going to generate leads for your business, how are you going to show people what you can do, then your knowledge and skills can help you convert these leads to personal training clients. 

Social media is one of the most valuable sources of marketing, how are you going to advertise on your social platforms. If done correctly this will effectively generate leads for your business.

Continued Professional Development (CPD)

Your continued professional development is crucial as a fitness professional, it will keep your knowledge and skills as a trainer up to date and at the national standards that is expected. This is a process you will be going through for the rest of your career.  CPD ensures your certification remains current and keeps you as a fitness professional at the top of your game, showing your clients that you are highly skilled, giving them confidence in your ability as a trainer.

CPD will also make you more appealing and employable to any potential gyms or employers, your commitment to your own professional development shows dedication, commitment, and a desire to be at the top in your career, and with the right education for you, and the experience you are gaining throughout, your own personal growth and confidence in what you do as a trainer will be obvious to everyone.

Alongside development of your knowledge and skills, CPD can help you generate more income for your business. So, what do you need to consider when deciding which CPD can help increase your business revenue? Here are a few things to think about.

• What am I offering clients now?
• How many more clients do I want, how much will this increase my income?
• Are there any clients I don’t see at the moment, you’re turning them away as you haven’t got the skills to train them, e.g., pre/postnatal exercise, elderly adults, clients with certain medical conditions (exercise referral), and Strength and Conditioning?
• Are there any other products I can offer current clients, or to generate new clients (Sports Massage)?
• Do I want to become involved in group exercise (classes), what classes are popular, and can I generate any leads from these classes for my personal training?