Academic institutions are now offering diploma and associate degree programs in personal fitness training, setting the qualification standards higher for this rapidly growing profession.
Personal fitness trainers guide, teach, and encourage people in various exercise routines. Their main focus is typically one or a combination of the following: cardiovascular health, muscular strength, body composition and flexibility. Also, known as certified personal trainers (CPT’s), since certification has become standard in the industry, they help individuals of all ages and abilities achieve improved health, fitness and appearance.
These fitness professionals develop and instruct workout regimens custom designed to the requirements of their clients. Personal trainers begin by assessing their clients’ present ability, level of fitness, body composition and personal objectives. After compiling this information, they build highly customized exercise programs for their clients to follow, which includes overseeing the clients’ progression and development.
It is common for personal fitness trainers working in smaller fitness centers to take on a number of duties when not training individual clients, for example instructing group classes, operating the front desk, showing around and signing up new members, putting together promotional flyers and fitness tip posters, and supervising the the entire fitness center floor.
Salary, Job Outlook and Opportunities for Personal Fitness Trainers
According to Salary.com, personal trainers make an average of $53,000 per year, earning as low as $26,000 and high as over $77,000 depending on experience, location and employer.
Employment of personal trainers is predicted to increase by 24% between now and the year 2020 - a growth rate faster than average compared to other occupations. With increasingly more businesses and insurance companies understanding the health advantages of providing fitness programs for their workers, encouragements to join gyms or other kinds of fitness programs is projected to boost the need for personal trainers. In fact, more businesses are now creating their own onsite fitness center to make it even easier for employees to exercise.
Personal fitness trainers most often work in fitness centers, gyms, country clubs, healthcare facilities, academic institutions, fitness studios, spas and resorts, as well as clients’ homes. As previously mentioned, fitness trainers are also able to work in corporate wellness, in which they develop and lead employee health and fitness programs.
How To Become a Personal Fitness Trainer
The education and training involved with becoming a personal fitness trainer differs by area of specialty. For example, guidelines on how to work in a clinical setting with at-risk patients is quite different than with athletes at a high-performance gym. Personal fitness trainers each require different preparation depending on their target client base. Certain personal training certifications are geared towards specific client populations or types as outlined here.
It’s becoming more common for personal fitness trainers to begin their education by taking classes to become certified. Some universities and technical schools have begun offering these personal fitness trainer programs which culminate in a certification, and possible a degree depending on the program. It is also not unusual for individuals who prefer self-study to prepare for a certification exam on their own through the use of various study materials.
Education
Nearly all personal trainers have at least a high school diploma prior to getting into the profession. Though not required in general, more and more employers are now requiring fitness professionals to have a diploma, associate’s or bachelor’s degree in a health or fitness related area, such as health science, kinesiology, exercise science, or physical education. These degree programs typically include courses in exercise physiology, fitness assessment, wellness promotion, nutrition and exercise technique. Furthermore, some schools are now offering highly specialized personal fitness training programs that award either a diploma or associate’s degree.
We’ve put together a list of some of the top schools.
Certification
Employers prefer to hire personal fitness trainers that are certified. Personal trainers are commonly required to be certified before training people or with working members of a fitness center. In addition, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and emergency response certifications may be required prior to becoming certified as trainer.
Numerous health, exercise and sports medicine organizations offer trainer certifications. This list shows the ones that are accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).
There are no prerequisite education or experience required for most personal trainer certifications. Several certification organizations offer their own official study materials, including textbooks, various media as well as exam preparation classes, workshops or seminars.
Certain certifications require an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in an exercise-related field in order to be more proficient in areas of specialized instruction, for example exclusively training athletes or working with clinical populations.
Every certification exam consists of a multiple-choice questions, with some having a practical component where you’re asked to recognize or demonstrate proper exercise technique. The examinations evaluate the candidate’s understanding of exercise physiology, comprehension of correct exercise techniques, fitness assessment procedures and creation of specific exercise programs.
Click here to view the top personal training certifications.
Schools Offering Personal Training and Exercise Science Programs
Study online with California University of Pennsylvania. We offer certificate and bachelor's and master's degree programs in a wide variety of fields that can be completed 100% online.
Programs:
- Post-Masters Cert: Exercise Science and Health Promotion: Wellness and Fitness
- MS: Exercise Science and Health Promotion: Wellness and Fitness
- MS: Exercise Science and Health Promotion: Performance Enhancement and Injury Prevention
- And more...
Kaplan University is focused on recognizing the achievements of military and veteran students and offers the flexibility of an online education. Eligible students can receive college credit for prior military experience and coursework—up to 75 percent of the credit needed for a Kaplan University undergraduate degree.*
Programs:
- BS in Nutrition Science
- AAS in Business Administration - Health Club Operations
Programs:
- Fitness and Exercise
- Nutrition, Diet and Health
Programs:
- BS in Exercise Science
- Online Bachelor of Science Degree in Sport Management
Programs:
- MS in Sport Management - Tourism :Thesis
- MS in Sport Management - Tourism : Non-Thesis
Earn your graduate degree online with Northcentral University. We offer online programs focused on doctoral and master's degrees in the schools of business and technology management, education, and behavioral and health sciences.
Programs:
- Sports Management - PhD in Education
- Sports Management - Master of Education
- Sports Management - Doctor of Education
- And more...
Join the community of thought leaders at University of the Rockies. Pursue your graduate degree from the University’s School of Professional Psychology or School of Organizational Leadership.
Programs:
- Doctor of Psychology, Sports and Performance Psychology
- MA in Psychology, Sport and Performance Psychology Specialization
- MA in Psychology, Health and Wellness Psychology
- And more...
Programs:
- Ph.D. in Psychology - Health Psychology
- B.S. in Public Health - Health Psychology and Behavior
- M.S. in Psychology - Health Psychology
- And more...
