Personal Trainer Certification & Career Guide

Personal Trainer 101

If you love to exercise, sharing the joy of physical fitness with others might be a very fulfilling career choice. And the demand for qualified professionals in the fitness field is skyrocketing. More and more Americans are willing to invest in one-on-one attention from a personal fitness trainer who can help them achieve their weight-loss and fitness goals.

Trained personal trainers meet with clients for an hour or more, one or more times each week. They guide clients through a customized workout routine, which may include weight training, aerobic exercise or other exercises to improve strength and flexibility. Personal trainers monitor each client's progress over time, keeping the client's long-term goals in mind. You can join this rewarding career by taking personal trainer courses and going through a personal trainer certification.

Personal training is a great career choice if you want to do the following:

• Share your passion for exercise and fitness
• Help others live longer, healthier lives
• Support athletes and performers
• Help others prevent injuries and reduce stress

In order to be successful as a personal trainer, you will need to be:

• Outgoing, positive and self-motivated
• Good at motivating others
• Committed to life-long learning
• Healthy and physically fit
• Sensitive to the needs of others

Strong sales and marketing skills can also be helpful, whether you're building your own business or recruiting members in a large fitness center.

Your Personal Trainer Education & Courses

What You’ll Study

Physical trainers learn the following basic skills:

• Anatomy (structure of the body and muscles)
• Physiology (movement and function of the body and muscles)
• Kinesiology (mechanical concepts of bone, muscle and joint movement)
• Proper exercise technique
• Assessment of client fitness levels
• Development of appropriate exercise programs
• Business management skills

To be eligible for personal trainer certification, you will first need to be certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and you may need to be certified to use an automated external defibrillator (AED). These prerequisite certifications may be provided through your school, or you may have to get them independently from an organization like the American Heart Association (AHA) or the American Red Cross . Learn about some of the top personal training schools to decide what kind of program is best for you.

Average Length of Study

Most training programs for certified personal trainers take about six months and require about 500 hours of study and practice. Although many self-directed personal training programs are available – usually combining DVDs and a study guide – it is important to get at least some hands-on experience. Learning in the fitness training environment will make you a much more effective trainer.

If you are interested in training professional athletes or working with people who are injured or ill, you may need more training. Associate or bachelor's degrees in an exercise-related subject, such as biology, are often required for these types of positions.

Average Tuition

Your training to be a certified personal trainer will probably cost between $500 and $1000, though some comprehensive programs can be more expensive.

Personal Trainer Certification and Licensing

There are many certification options in the fitness field. Here are some of the most common options for personal trainers:

• National Strength and Conditioning Association Certified Personal Trainer (NSCA-CPT)
• National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer (NASM-CPT)
• American College of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer (ACSM-CPT)
• American Council on Exercise Certified Personal Trainer (ACE)

To determine which certification and personal trainer courses best suits your interests, goals and experience, you will need to do some research. It also helps to talk to the schools that interest you. Many schools focus on preparing students for a particular type of certification.

Personal Trainer Career Overview

Most personal trainers work in fitness centers, health clubs, spas, resorts or cruise ships. Others are self-employed. It is not uncommon to put together a full-time career with several part-time jobs. For example, you might visit clients in their homes several days a week and balance out your income by working in fitness centers.

Personal Trainer Career Outlook

The fitness industry is growing rapidly. Employment of fitness trainers is expected to grow much faster than most other types of employment in the coming years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Baby boomers are the largest group of health club members, concerned with staying youthful and healthy as they age. There is also an increase in parents hiring personal trainers or purchasing health club memberships for their children, either to improve athletic performance or to counteract the increase in childhood obesity. In addition, many young professionals are concerned with their weight and fitness, and more businesses are paying for fitness programs to keep their employees healthy.

Personal Trainer Salaries

Personal trainers may charge anywhere from $25 to $200 an hour, depending on their training, experience and clientele. The average salary for a professional personal trainer is $25,500 a year. Most earn between $17,400 and $40,000, but the top 10 percent earns more than $55,000. Successful self-employed personal fitness trainers with wealthy clientele can make even more.

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Looking for Spa and Massage Schools?

Try our Spa, Massage & Beauty Schools page. There you will find a comprehensive list of schools which offer program descriptions. You can also request information from the schools that interest you most.

Sources:
American Council on Exercise, 2007
American College of Sports Medicine, 2007
Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2007