What Do You Need To Become a Personal Trainer

What do you need to become a Personal Trainer.

In April 2016, IBIS world, released a market research report that reviewed the Personal Trainer Industry within the UK. The report found that in 2016, the Personal Trainer industry accounted for an combined revenue of CA$908.99 million. This was a 3.4% increase in revenue from last year.

The report also said that there are currently 22,027 personal trainers in employment and over 21,304 personal trainer businesses. This report was only released at the end of the physical year and it is obvious that the industry is growing in employers and revenue.

The market for Personal Trainers is becoming over-saturated and becoming a PT is no longer taboo. Due to the increase in demand for courses, there are many service providers such as Origym who sells personal trainer courses.  These courses are becoming more accessible to the student and Origym offer a lot of incentives for students to enroll as a trainee personal trainer. Origym’s courses can be completed online through e-learning platforms or they can be completed in house through p2p tuition. There is no window of completion since students can complete their course in their won time. This relaxed approach can lead to other industries discrediting the accumulation of physical trainer qualifications. On the contrary, there are many different requirements needed to become a PT.

 The National Careers Service posted the minimum entry requirements needed to become a PT. These are as followed:

 To be an experiences fitness instructor;

• To have knowledge of anatomy, physiology and nutrition;
• Public Liability Insurance;
• A first aid award, which must include a cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certificate;

These are the generalized requirements needed to become a PT. These requirements are attainable through a number of sources.

Level 2 & Level 3 qualifications

The national careers service sighted the importance of experience and the importance of knowledge within the fields of anatomy, physiology and nutrition. These two skills differ in contrast but you can attain them through the same means.

Both the Level 2 & Level 3 qualification teach a student to become proficient within the application of theoretical and practical knowledge.  For example a Level 2 Gym Instructor course that is resourced and awarded by Active IQ teaches modules such as:

• Anatomy & Physiology;
• Supporting Clients who take part in exercise & physical activity;
• Health, Safety, & Welfare in a fitness environment;
• Principles of exercise fitness & health;
• Planning gym based exercise;
• Instructing gym based exercise;

As you can see, the Level 2 Gym Instructor course covers some of the aspects that the national careers service deems invaluable within the process of becoming a PT.

Enrolled students are able to learn aspects of anatomy and physiology as well as instructing gym based exercise. These two modules contribute to the theoretical and practical knowledge that is required to become a PT.

A Level 3 Personal Trainer qualification expands upon the modules contained with a Level 2 qualification. A Level 3 Personal Trainer qualification contains qualifications such as:

• Advanced Anatomy & Physiology;
• Applying the principle of nutrition to a physical activity program;
• Programming Personal Training with clients;
• Delivering Personal Training Sessions Demonstrating Leadership Skills;

As you can also see, the Level 3 Personal Trainer qualification course affirms the first two requirements that are needed to become a PT. With the culmination of modules from both Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications, you will become cover the knowledge needed for theoretical applications regarding subjects such as anatomy, physiology and nutrition.

Also through the culmination of experience derived from practical assessments and case studies, you will be able to say with honesty that you have experience as a fitness instructor. The bottom line being that you can attain these requirements by enrolling on a Level 2 Gym Instructor course. From then on you are able to continue onto a Level Personal Trainer course. After completing the modules within these courses you are a qualified personal trainer because you have ascertained the correct knowledge and practice.

Public Liability Insurance

While you may be qualified you are still not ready. This is because you need to make sure you insured against public liability. One institution that provides insurance for Personal Trainers is the Register of Exercise Professionals (REP’s). On their website, the REP’s say;

“All members of the register at Levels 2, 3 and 4 are required to hold adequate civil liability insurance which covers your legal liability against death, injury or illness to the others ad loss of, or damage to, third party property”.

This cover also includes liability arising from any advice you may provide and liability for products that you use or sell. The insurance package offered by the REP’s includes:

• 10 million fitness cover for an annual rate of CA$81.99.
• 10 million sports massage cover for an annual rate of CA$140.99.

This insurance is mandatory for any qualified personal trainer because it covers you as well as the health and fitness club you may be working for.

CPR certificate

The final requirement needed to become a personal trainer in concordance with the National Careers Service, is attaining a certificate in CPR. There are many medical institutions who allow you to complete the course either online or through p2p tutoring. One of the better health institutions to certify CPR qualifications is St Johns Ambulance’

St Johns Ambulance offers a short course that covers the essential skills for dealing with an unresponsive casualty. Regarding the course, St John Ambulance states that:

“The course will give students the skills and confidence to deal with situations involving unresponsive casualties”.

The course lasts for only two hours and it is available across the country. You can online register for a course that corresponds with your postcode. There will be an open session available to you in your nearest city or surrounding area.

Students are continuously assessed and they will receive a certificate of competence upon successful completion of the course. By ascertaining this certificate you are protecting the lives of your clients. You are also insuring yourself against further liability.

Once you have ascertained these qualifications you can start you journey into personal training. However, you must make sure that your qualifications are awarded to you by legal institutions such as Active IQ, REP’s and St John Ambulance. I have proposed these companies because they are trustworthy and easy to enroll.  Click the link on how PT salaries work in the UK, find how much you can earn and where the job avenues llie within the sector.