Introduction
A career change to personal training might seem like the right move for you. Perhaps you have all the skills to become a personal trainer and you’re wondering what the next steps are to qualify as a PT. This article will answer all of your questions, giving you the info on all the personal trainer courses you need to complete to become a PT, explaining what each qualification entails. It’ll then break down some of the soft skills that you should look to develop to become the best PT possible.
What Qualifications should I get to become a PT?
To begin your career as a personal trainer, you need to acquire the Level 2 Gym Instructor Qualification. You must then acquire the Level 3 Certification in Personal Training. The PFCA CPT Course is a combined level 2 and level 3 personal trainer course, equipping you with both qualifications to fasttrack you from 0 to PT in one training course.
Level 2 Gym Instructor Qualification
The Level 2 Gym Instructor Qualification teaches the foundations to plan and deliver safe fitness programmes. Be aware though that this qualification on its own will not qualify you as a personal trainer.
The Level 2 Gym Instructor qualification will typically cover the following topics:
- Human Anatomy and Physiology: A basic understanding of how the body works in relation to exercise
- Health and Safety in and around the Gym: Knowing how to prioritise all gym goers’ safety in the gym environment
- Fitness Principles: Learning the general principles of fitness for general wellbeing
- Planning & Instructing Gym Based Exercise: Understanding how to create and deliver a workout programme for individuals and groups.
The completion of the level 2 qualification will demonstrate competence in gym based exercise, and it allows those with the certification to work on the gym floor as a gym instructor. However, most people from here will also go on to get the level 3 personal trainer certificate to become a fully qualified personal trainer.
Level 3 Certificate in Personal Training
After getting your level 2 certificate, the next step is to go after the level 3 personal training qualification, which goes levels deeper into the theory and practical application of personal training.
When looking for the best level 3 PT course, you should always ensure that it is CIMSPA accredited. A CIMSPA accreditation will guarantee that the course content is the most up to date, follows the right standards of teaching and is widely recognised within the fitness industry as a whole.
The level 3 certificate in personal training typically include the following:
- Advanced Anatomy & Physiology: You’ll get a better understanding of the body’s systems and how they respond to exercise.
- Exercise Programming: You’ll learn how to design and implement personalised training programmes for specific client goals.
- Nutrition & Lifestyle: You’ll learn about providing basic nutrition advice and how to coach clients on long term healthy habits. Be aware that you won’t be able to prescribe specific diets or plans though, for this, you need a nutrition specific qualification.
- Client Assessment: How to conduct fitness assessments for new clients to understand current fitness level.
- Business and Marketing Skills: How to attract clients, acquire clients, and retain clients.
- Legal & Professional Responsibilities: You’ll learn ethical considerations, confidentiality requirements and professional standards within the industry.
- More Advanced Training Techniques: You’ll learn how to master and coach various fitness modalities, such as strength training, developing cardio, mobility and flexibility.
Acquiring this certification is what allows you to work as a personal trainer, either in a gym, studio, or establishing your own PT business.
What Soft Skills should I develop to become a PT?
On paper, to become a personal trainer, you need the level 3 certification in personal training. However, to become a successful personal trainer, you need to develop some soft skills. These personal trainer skills will help you connect with your clients to build better relationships, get better results for your clients and ultimately thrive in the very competitive fitness industry.
- Excellent Communication Skills: PTs must be able to listen to their clients’ goals and be able to explain exercises properly. The ability to tailor your communication style to each client’s needs and personality is also very important.
- Patience & Empathy: PTs work with clients of varying fitness levels, and so you must be able to show patience and understanding to help your clients stay motivated.
- Adaptability: The industry is always evolving, and so as a PT you must be adaptable to learn new knowledge and techniques.
- Motivational: You must know how to motivate your clients based on their personalities. Some clients might need gentle encouragement, whilst others will thrive better from a more intense approach to motivation.
- Problem Solving: Although as a PT, you will usually have a plan, having the ability to adjust plans when clients have setbacks such as injuries or plateau is incredibly important. The goal is not necessarily to stick to a single plan, but to always have a solution to keep your client progressing towards their goals.
- Business and Marketing: Self employed PTs need to promote their services and manage finances. Having a learning mindset to mastering sales, client retention, and marketing is required in order to grow your business to a successful level.
Conclusion
To conclude, whilst on paper becoming a personal trainer just requires you to ‘tick a box’ with regards to acquiring a qualification, becoming the best personal trainer requires more of you. You must master a combination of knowledge, interpersonal skills and business acumen to be successful. At the PFCA, we understand this, that’s why the CPT course not only qualifies you with both your Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications, but also goes far beyond the basic criteria, to give you the skills and knowledge to genuinely make a difference in your and your clients’ lives.