Personal trainer jobs

Type of Job

Working as a personal trainer you will design individual programmes to help people improve their health and fitness.

What is the job about?

Personal trainers design programs to help people achieve their health and fitness goals. As such, you need to be able to:

• Establish a client's current fitness level and health history
• Design a program to meet their goals
• Show your clients how to exercise safely and effectively
• Provide advice on all aspects of health, nutrition and lifestyle
• Help clients with their workouts, using cardiovascular, strength or flexibility exercises
• Keep good records
• Measure heart rate, body fat levels, etc

Key Skills & Knowledge needed

Personal trainers need the following:

• A good knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and nutrition
• Enthusiasm
• Good people skills
• A friendly personality
• Patience
• The ability to motivate and enthuse people

Qualifications and experience needed

To become a personal trainer you will first need to be an experienced fitness instructor. You will need at least a level 3 certificate that allows you to gain entry to the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs).

You will be able to join REPs at level 3 if you have a Level 3 Certificate in Personal Training, which is awarded by CYQ, Active IQ, C & G, VTCT, NCFE, EDI, Lifetime Awarding and OCR.

There are also some industry-recognised awards offered by employers and universities - the REPs website has details.

Alternatively, there are BTEC HNCs or HNDs, foundation degrees, degrees and postgraduate qualifications in subjects such as exercise and sports science, sports therapy or sports studies that will allow you to gain provisional entry to the REPs at level 3. To gain full entry you will need to show competence by completing a work-based qualification.

What other training and development could I do?

By attending courses, workshops and seminars in specialist subjects such as Swiss ball, walking, cycling and exercise physiology you can increase your skills and earning potential.

There is also a Level 4 Specialist Exercise Instructor qualification that covers designing and adapting physical activity programmes for specialist groups such as people recovering from a stroke and those with lower back pain.

Salary and benefit expectations

Personal trainers are typically paid hourly - rates are usually between ?20 and ?40 an hour, though popular instructors with high profile clients can earn up to ?100 an hour.

Those personal trainers who work full-time can earn between ?18,000 and ?40,000 a year.

Where else can I go for more information?

Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs)
3rd Floor
8-10 Crown Hill
Croydon
Surrey
CR0 1RZ
Tel: 020 8686 6464
www.exerciseregister.org
OCR Information Bureau
Tel: 024 7685 1509
www.ocr.org.uk

SkillsActive
Castlewood House
77-91 New Oxford Street
London
WC1A 1PX
Advice line: 08000 933300
www.skillsactive.com

YMCA Fitness Industry Training
www.ymcafit.org.uk
Vocational Training Charitable Trust (VTCT)
3rd Floor
Eastleigh House
Upper Market Street
Eastleigh
Hampshire
SO50 9FD
Tel: 023 8068 4500
www.vtct.org.uk

Central YMCA Qualifications (CYQ)
www.cyq.org.uk

Active IQ
www.activeiq.co.uk

City & Guilds
Tel: 0844 543 0033
www.cityandguilds.com

NCFE
www.ncfe.org.uk

National Register of Personal Trainers
www.nrpt.co.uk