How to become a world-class personal trainer

With an increasing interest in living healthier lifestyles, which is due partly to a greater awareness of the obesity and chronic disease outbreaks, more and more individuals are choosing to follow careers in health and fitness. According to stats which were released by the U.S. Department of Labour, between 2012 and 2022, employment in the personal training field is expected to increase by 13%. This means that if you’re interested in becoming a Certified Personal Trainer, here are a few steps to help you to achieve your goal of joining this sought-after group of professionals.

Personal Trainer Certification

There are several well-known routes that you can follow in order to become a personal trainer. The most common are post-school education and certification.  Most personal training qualifications are not certified by industry-recognised bodies. However, the few that are give participants a competitive advantage among employers and clients alike.

Research done in the United States has revealed that gyms and other health-related organisations are beginning to want candidates who have a health or fitness-focused bachelor’s degree or diploma. Common subjects that are taken include: 

• Nutrition,
• Exercise physiology and anatomy, as well as
• Kinesiology.

Students who want to become more specialised may learn rehabilitation techniques with a view to helping clients recover from injuries that they may have sustained during exercise or other physical activities. 

Personal trainers can become certified through several professional associations which are focused on fitness and related areas, such as the:

• American College of Sports Medicine, 
• American Council on Exercise, or 
• International Sport Sciences Association. 

In order to maintain their certification, personal trainers are generally required to have an up-to-date certification in  cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). (A CPR certificate must be renewed every 12 to 15 months.) Personal trainers are also required to complete continuing professional development (CPD) courses every two years or so in order to maintain their certification.

Am I Cut Out to be a Personal Trainer?

So now that you’ve seen the study requirements for becoming a personal trainer, do you have the characteristics to become a personal trainer? Let’s have a look at what the character traits a personal trainer should possess.

1. Patience as well as Honesty

This must be the number one feature you seek out in a personal trainer. Achieving your fitness goal will not happen instantaneously. This means that patience is an integral part of a good client-personal trainer relationship.

Personal trainers must also be frank, transparent and authentic with their clients no matter what. They shouldn’t give you promises and hopes that are not true. They need to reassure you that they will be with you every step of the way along your fitness journey.

2. Great Communication Skills

Your personal trainer must be a great communicator. This is especially when they talk about the technical part of the exercise that you need to know. Personal trainers must be able to explain to you the consequences of what you eat and how often you exercise.

3. Professionalism

Notwithstanding the relationship that you’re cultivating with your personal trainer, they are still doing their job. You can befriend him or her but a clear sense of professionalism should still be clear for you.

This would entails that sessions should not be taken up by hours of story-telling or. Your exercise routines should not be made easier because the both of you became friends. At the same time, there should be impartiality when it comes to fees and charges. The duration of your personal training session, the location as well as the level of experience level of your personal trainer will determine the cost of your session.

4. Great Personality

As a personal training client, you want to feel comfortable and trust that your trainer has your best interest at heart. Believe it or not, personal trainers are some of the few individuals who will see you at your lowest point and during the times you look your worst. You should feel okay with having them see this side of you.

Like a friend, your personal trainer should be understanding. In addition, they should be ready to listen and negotiate. But your trainershould adhere to their rules and not let you slack off on your exercise routine and. To become an outstanding personal trainer, you will need to make sure that you are appropriately qualified before you begin to get clients.