As a fitness trainer your basic duty is to be an educator, a coach, a motivator and possibly a friend to your clients. You will have to take your client through his or her workout and help them get to their personal goals. You need to monitor the progress your client is making using methods like body fat testing as well as heart rate levels. You are also required to evaluate your client's lifestyle and give him or her advice on their lifestyle along with general information on nutrition and health. You need to guide them on what to eat and give them a diet chart. Celebrities and high profile businessmen have their own personal trainers.
The only academic requirement for a personal trainer is to be a certified one. You can earn a certification from the many organizations that are accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). The National Commission for Certifying Agencies was the very first organization that offered accreditation in the health and fitness industry as a solution to ensuring the health of the public along with their safety and their welfare.
Some of the other relevant accreditations that would back your resume are:
A certification from the AFAA (Aerobics and Fitness Association of America)
Certification from the American Muscle and Fitness Personal Training Institute (AMPFPT)
Certification from the American Council of Exercise (ACE)
Before you begin with any sort of Personal Trainer Certification you need to have a valid CPR certification. Major gyms and other fitness centers require that trainers have a certification from the American Heart Association's Healthcare Provider CPR.
The first and foremost personal requirement for personal trainer's jobs is desire. This includes the desire to succeed, to perform, to achieve, and to learn. This desire should be selfless and to help people who come to you for help and direction to improve the quality of life that they lead using fitness and health.
Communication skills are also important as you will be required to hold conversations with different kinds of people who come from different walks of life. This means you should be able to start a conversation and hold it so as to continue it as an intelligent conversation.
Customer service initiative is important as you should be willing to go out of your way to help your client and find a solution to their problems. Resourcefulness is also important. You need to be a quick thinker to be successful in this industry. You will be faced with a barrage of questions to deal with and you need to be quick to answer them so that your credibility is not questioned.
There are 7 National Commission for Certifying Agencies Accredited Personal Trainer Certification Programs. They are – The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), The American Council on Exercise (ACE), The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), The National Federation of Professional Trainers (NFPT), The National Council on Strength and Fitness (NCSF) and The National Exercise and Sports Trainers Association (NESTA). Each program has a different price and a different difficulty level. Also the industry's recognition for each of the 7 NCCA Personal Trainer Certification Programs varies.
If you are a first time personal trainer the only experience that counts is what you have undergone during your training process.
Personal training jobs as a career have a bright future with the current trend of fitness obsession that is seen in the general public all around the globe. After a few years experience it is possible for you to set up your own personal trainer business with a few more certifications. You can also specialize in certain areas and progress vocationally in that manner.
The average median salary of a Personal Trainer is around $49,000. Salaries in this vocation vary based on your credibility in the field as a personal trainer. The larger and affluent your clientele, the more goes into your pocket.
Initial Salary: $12 - $14k starting salary per year
With first year of experience: $16k - $20k per year
Finally, with a number of years of experience, personal trainers can get hired by clubs and earn up to $500 per month.
Working in this field is rewarding in many ways. There are various different settings that you can work in as well.
