Education needed to become a personal trainer?
Things you can consider for this specific question...
What is the highest degree needed to become a personal trainer?
Are there multiple paths to becoming a personal trainer?
What is the best undergraduate degree to earn to become a personal trainer?
Is there any other experience/certification required?
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3 answers
Antoine’s Answer
That's a great question! I'm actually taking my NASM certification exam next week. While there is no official mandate to being a personal trainer, many fitness centers will prefer you to be certified by an accredited organization (NASM, ACE, ISSA, etc.). They also like to see that you have experience with exercising. If you are interested in making it your career, it would be helpful to have a courses in Human Anatomy, Exercise Science, Kinesiology, Physical Therapy, and Nutrition. It is also useful to be educated in Sales and Marketing since being a personal trainer is similar to running your own business. As far as specific degrees are concerned, I would recommend B.S in Sport and Exercise Science or B.S. in Kinesiology. It is also important to stay up to date on the latest fitness articles/discoveries.
Above all, what's most important is a passion for helping others achieving their fitness goals!
Kevin P’s Answer
So there is a few different ways to get this going. The three things that are standard are 1) you need to be CPR certified, 2) be 18 years old, and 3) have a highschool degree or GED. Now after that you will need a certification but how you go about that is up to you.
You need 1 CPT or Certified Personal Training certificate. There are 10 nationally recognized organizations or groups that are allowed to give you this certification. One of them is the Cooper Institute in Dallas TX. It is the only one that also has an on campus living facility for clients/patients. The others are all online and/or satellite companies that offer the training. Some are as short as a 2 day in person seminar followed up with a test or you can go on a 2-4 week online self paced program. Again, you must take a test.
After that, you can work as a Personal Trainer. Some gyms require you to take an inhouse training to obtain another 'certificate' but these are typically in house only. They do not transfer from one gym to another. Some easier gyms to start out at is 24Hour Fitness or LA Fitness. Some more prestigious ones are LifeTime Fitness. I have worked at all 3. You can make serious money at LifeTime Fitness. They had a great business model. You can also look independent gyms or at home training. Make sure you understand your liability and insurance requirements.
After that, you can get specializations through additional certificates. You can get one for young adults, senior citizens, sport specific, kettlebells, and the list goes on and on.
My recommendation, get one of the 10. Get hired. Learn what you enjoy once you are there. Remember, it is always about the client and never about you.
You will do great.
