How To Become a Personal Trainer On Your Own

If you’ve picked personal trainer as your career path, you couldn’t have picked a better goal or a better time-- and you can do it all online. The U.S. Department of Labor reports they expect a 50% growth in the profession in the coming decades. In 2009, over 6 million people worked with their own personal trainer and you have the Baby Boomers to thank for much of the business. This group is serious about staying young and in shape and they have the money to afford specialized help im meeting their health goals. They are mostly a well-educated section of our society and you must know your stuff if you want to take advantage of this growing market.

If you want to enter this lucrative field your first goal is to acquire certification. Most of the certifying bodies have three requirements. As an example, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) says you must have a high school diploma or it’s equivalent, be at least 18 years old, and have a current adult CPR Certificate. You will be required to purchase 3 textbooks, and pass the certification exam. You may also attend a workshop but that is optional. The cost of a certificate usually starts in the $50 range and goes up from there.

There are many types of certificates. Once you are working as a trainer, it’s advisable to study the field and pick up other certifications that deal with special health issues. You might want to work with senior citizens, get advanced fitness training, or check out the important field of nutrition. Certificates from such bodies as NASM, ACSM, NCSA, NESTA, ACE, and ISSA are recognized all over the country. The program you undertake should be accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). All of these studies will require work on your part and its important to keep informed of all the latest techniques and research in your field so the learning never really stops if you want to be known as a true professional. Once you are at work, be sure you carry an adequate amount of insurance.

Your first step in this exciting field would be to job shadow. Visit a health club and ask for a tour or perhaps you have a friend who knows a personal trainer. Ask questions and try to see more than one trainer. Get as much input as you can. Go online for more information on costs and certification. Once you are certified, find work at a gym or health club where you’ll make those important contacts that are so important in any field. Be a close observer of the best trainer at work. What are his or her methods that bring success?

It’s important that you do a little self-evaluation too. Are you a people person? Are you able to explain complicated medical terms in simple language? Do you have the ambition to continue learning? There could also be some negatives you’ll have to deal with. How do you deal with a client who does not stick to the program? What about a client who has unrealistic goals? You will, in a way, be selling yourself too. The client will look at you as the “expert” and you must inspire trust and confidence in each person you work with. Always remember it could be word-of-mouth that brings new clients who want to work with you. You may want to work on a one-on-one basis or with a group, those decisions you will make after gaining experience working as a personal trainer. You may want to start your own business or go into partnership with another trainer or stick with work at a fitness center. These are important decisions only you can make. Take your time. Choose the best approach for you.

Meet my son Matt who is a successful personal trainer. Matt was always interested in fitness and was a fine high school athlete. He wanted to become a personal trainer and after earning his first certificate, found work at a health club where he worked for several years. Here he made contacts and acquired the professional approach and appearance of a competent personal trainer. For several summers, he was the trainer at a Maine summer resort. He was responsible for setting up training facilities and organizing training programs. Matt soon went on his own and now operates a successful business. He works with clients on a one-on-one basis, determining their needs, goals, and measuring their progress. He devises a program for each individual and that’s important as your clients will have different physical conditions, requirements, and personalities. He has been very successful and some clients have made remarkable progress. Matt stresses nutrition training as 80% off all clients want to lose weight. Matt has many certificates and is a dedicated professional--and yes, we are very proud of him.

We have come a long way from those old ads on the backs of comic books that touted “dynamic tension” and with what we know about healthy living today everyone, no matter the age, can look forward to many years of a long and healthy life--and you can be a part of this dramatic progress as a personal trainer.