In the last couple of decades the health and fitness industry has grown exponentially to become one of the UK’s most resilient business sectors, and despite the down turn experienced by many other industries in the last three or four years, health and fitness is still worth an estimated £3.8 billion to the UK economy[i]. It would seem that no matter how bad the economy gets, people still want to stay fit and healthy.
Some people train to become fitness instructors upon leaving school or college, while other people come to the profession later in life, having decided it’s time for a complete change of direction. Whichever bracket you fall into, it’s important that you choose the right personal trainer courses and only opt for courses that are fully accredited by the Register of Exercise Professionals, such as The Training Room.
Level 2 & 3
The first step to becoming a personal trainer is the completion of a Level 2 Gym Instructor Course. All reputable personal training courses will ask to see this certificate before they accept you on to the course and if they don’t, be very wary of handing over any money to them. Once you have completed your Level 2 course then you can move on to Level 3 which is the level awarded by personal training courses
In recent years the industry has become extremely competitive so it’s important to have a clear plan of where you want to go with your qualification once you receive it. .
Having a few extra strings to your bow such as spinning may also mean you are much more employable and this will help you get the experience you need in a gym before you can set out on your own with your own personal training business or seek a job in a gym or health club. If you think you would like to specialise in a particular area, such as weight loss or sports nutrition then it’s worth doing plenty of research to find personal training courses that suit your needs. After all, if you’re going to commit time and money to your new venture, it’s worth ensuring you sign up to the course that’s just right for you.
Training around your own time
If you’ve decided to become a personal trainer it might be difficult to drop all your existing work commitments and dedicate all your time to training for your new career. However, if you are able to do this you can gain personal training qualifications from the Training Room’s full-time course in just six weeks.
If your existing work commitments dictate your free time, you can still set yourself up to achieve your new goals with the Training Room’s part-time courses, typically taking students between six and nine months to complete. You could also take advantage of their innovative e-learning platform enabling you to train from the comfort of your own home.
Whatever, your personal training goals; to succeed it’s vital to choose the right personal trainer course for you as well as for your potential clients.