Beginning a career as a personal trainer can be an incredibly rewarding one, however it’s important to recognize it isn’t always easy. You want to have everything prepared and go into it knowing you are well equipped with all you need to succeed. As well as having a penchant for fitness and the ability to teach, you also need the actual certifications and qualifications themselves. Without these you will be unable to teach legally. In this feature we take a look at some top tips for beginning a career as a personal trainer and what you can do to succeed.
Ensure you get all the right certifications
The first thing you need to focus on when you’ve decided you want to begin a career as a personal trainer is obtaining the right certifications. Obtaining this is necessary to demonstrate your credibility within the industry and show you are an expert in the field. An internationally recognised personal trainer course assures your PT clients that you can safely and efficiently guide them on their fitness journey and that you know exactly what you are talking about.
Courses such as those offered by The Fitness Group make it easier than ever to become a CIMSPA recognised personal trainer with no prior qualifications by choosing their level 3 Industry Leading Gym & Personal Training Diploma. Alternatively you can choose one of their CPD courses or the Level 3 Ultimate Personal Trainer Courses Bundle. Each of these help to showcase your expert knowledge and skills and prove your dedication to the job.
Never stop learning
Once you have obtained all of your personal trainer qualifications, it’s important you don’t stop at this. You need to continue to stay up to date with industry news and qualifications, taking top-up courses as and when they are needed. Time can go quickly and you want to make sure you know about all aspects of personal training and the fitness world, taking note of any new legislation or information.
Focus on other skills apart from the fitness
Personal training is about so much more than fitness. You could be the greatest athlete in the world but if you don’t work on your other skills you aren’t necessarily going to get too far. When training people you need to have a good level of charisma and warmth so your clients feel comfortable training with you. You need them to feel comfortable asking questions and being vulnerable as training can take a lot out of someone! You need to be able to effectively communicate with your clients, utilizing this ability to understand their goals, educate them about how to improve their fitness and not being afraid to help their technique when needed.
As well as the ability to communicate, you will also need good organization skills. These will be necessary when sorting your schedule, fitting in clients and working out how many people you can have and train each week. You will need to keep track of where each individual is with their training, how often you are seeing them and not lose the notes you have on them.
Consider building an online presence
A big part of being a personal trainer is showcasing your credibility and expertise to potential clients, particularly as it can be a competitive market. By building up an online presence it can help you to attract new clientele and give something for you to show them if they are on the fence. It can essentially be a portfolio for you to show what you can do, display reviews from your existing PT clients and help to boost your visibility. It’s a good idea to focus on your local SEO so you can be seen by the relevant people where you are based who might want to train with you.
Set realistic goals for you to achieve
When you are just starting your career as a personal trainer, it can feel like a big road ahead of you. This can feel daunting but it doesn’t need to. Instead, set yourself realistic and manageable goals that you can aim for. This could be a certain number of clients you want to teach per week, how many new people you want to onboard each month, or any other sort of goal that can help your personal trainer career to develop. By setting realistic goals it will also provide you with a confidence boost and something to push yourself to reach on a regular basis.
Remember why you’re doing it
Running any business is difficult and personal training is no different. When times get tough, it can be easy to give up or not want to do it anymore, yet this isn’t an excuse to stop what you love. Instead, you need to keep focused on why you are doing this, looking at the people whose lives and health you are essentially turning around. This can help to keep you motivated and on track for success.
Don’t forget to uphold your own fitness goals
Spending all your time personal training can be draining, yet you need to make time to maintain your own level of fitness too. This is not only inspiring for your clients to see, but is a good way to let off some steam too. By setting aside time to do your own PT routine, you will maintain your fitness levels, come up with new workouts to help your clients with and also get those endorphins flowing.
If you are looking to build a career as a personal trainer, you want to go into it as prepared as possible. It’s vital you have the right qualifications and these should be obtained prior to you starting your personal training career with your clients. These qualifications don’t just give you credibility and trust, but they also ensure those you train are safe and all legal considerations are met. To find out more about beginning a career as a personal trainer and get your training booked in, look no further. We are here to help.
