How to become a personal trainer?

How to become a personal trainer? There are many ways. Some people choose this career path quite early, go to the right Physical Education Colleges and Universities and are educated to work as professional coaches and personal trainers afterwards. Often times, the personal trainers are former bodybuilders, weightlifters or other athletes. Many others discover their passion a little later, finish different courses or learn on their own. What is the correct way to choose to become a personal trainer and succeed? I will try to answer this question in this article.

Take care of your knowledge – course or university?

Nowadays, the most of professional personal trainers got a degree at the right university (e. g. of Physical Education) or numerous certificates, and more often it is a combination of both. As a personal trainer, you can constantly deepen your knowledge and expand your competences. At a later time, this will most likely influence the number of your clients and your salary.

Higher education

People who have decided to go to college or university and have finished courses such as; physical education, physiotherapy, nutrition and dietetics or similar surely gained there the basic knowledge needed in the work of a personal trainer. However, it must be remembered that diploma is not everything. Graduation does not guarantee that we will be a good personal trainer. Just as a lack of education in this direction does not mean that we cannot be. Many good personal trainers have education completely unrelated to the profession, or do not have a higher education at all.

Courses and certification

A similar situation applies to courses. A good course can help us to fill the gaps in knowledge and experience. It should be remembered, however, that a few days course will not replace all the knowledge gained through many years at the university. Nowadays, thanks to easy access to information, we can learn from verified sources on the Internet. There are plenty of professional forums, youtube channels and famous personal trainers from whom we can take an example. As a personal trainer, we should follow the latest information and complement our knowledge, because the fitness industry is changing dynamically.

Personal trainer courses and certifications - what to choose?

Right certifications and courses are a broad topic and depend on many factors. It is important that the course provides you with practice as well as knowledge and theory. On a good course, we should learn a bit about marketing, running a business and building your brand. Another important topic is soft skills and customer approach. For more information on this topic, see an upcoming article.

Soft skills

A very important aspect that is often overlooked are soft skills. In addition to knowledge, a good personal trainer should above all get along well with people. Being open-minded, friendly and welcoming are qualities that any client will appreciate. Additionally, the personal trainer must have an individual approach to the client and be able to motivate and mentor his or her clients. This is because clients count on this support they can get from such people. By taking an individual approach and focusing on the client we allow them to feel special and important to us, rather than one of many. This is important because it is this individual approach that sets a good personal trainer apart from others.
You can run into all sorts of people in a personal trainer job, so stress resistance is also important. A good personal trainer should be patient and able to control emotions. It's worth remembering that clients don't judge a personal trainer just by the results they achieve, but more importantly by how they feel after each workout with you.

Responsibility – what you should keep in mind

The health and safety of clients is crucial for the personal trainer. As a personal trainer, you need to have enough knowledge not to put your clients at risk by inadequately made training plans or diets. Nowadays, the trainer often plays a role similar to a physiotherapist. Before making training and nutrition plans, the personal trainer should get information about the client's health, medical conditions, allergies and previous injuries. Without this, you won't be able to do your job well.

How to find a job?

The fitness market is very receptive and growing. New gyms and fitness clubs are on the rise and customers are increasingly looking for the services of personal trainers. So if you want to get a job as a personal trainer it is a good idea to start by working in a fitness club or gym. These are good places to gain experience and learn about the profession. After some time, you will build a personal brand that will attract your first customers to you. Many personal trainers also choose to create their own websites and build their brand online. It's also a good idea to advertise on social media like instagram or faceboook. The Fitsy app is also a good way to get customers. After downloading and registering as a personal trainer, your public profile will appear on our website and app. Thousands of registered clients looking for a personal trainer will be able to search your profile and contact you through the app. Remember to communicate and be open!