Who Becomes a Personal Trainer?

The personal training industry is a maturing and unregulated industry. People of all walks of life, young and old, and from any possible background become personal trainers. One thread they all have in common regardless of their gender, age or experience is a very strong passion to help people make positive changes in their lives.

Certification of Personal Trainers

Because the barrier to entry can be low in the personal training field, just about anyone can become a certified personal trainer with as little as $39.00 and an online exam. Others call themselves personal trainers simply out of a sense of entitlement without ever having formal training or showing any level of competency. On the other end of the spectrum, individuals attain 4 and 5 year college degrees in clinical exercise science, kinesiology (the study of how the body moves), physical education and other exercise related fields from sport psychology to sport management to rehabilitation. In the middle of the credential spectrum is where most personal trainers lie.

Credible certification is available from one of the leading personal training certifying bodies:

• The American Council on Exercise
• The American College of Sports Medicine
• The National Academy of Sports Medicine
• The National Sports and Conditioning Association
• The Cooper Institute of Aerobic Research
• The Aerobic and Fitness Association of America

This list is not all inclusive, but it consists of the most asked for certifications by employers of fitness professionals.

During the primary certification process, personal trainers study:

• Cardiovascular anatomy and adaptations to exercise training
• Musculoskeletal anatomy and adaptations to training
• Physiology
• Kinesiology
• Health appraisal
• Fitness testing: theory and practical
• Exercise programming
• Exercise prescription
• Exercise programming for specialist populations
• Exercise adherence and maintenance
• Postural analysis
• Practical application of exercise science in exercise prescription
• Setting up a business as a Personal Trainer
• Lifestyle Management
• Behavioral Psychology
• Code of conduct
• Professionalism

Once a personal trainer is certified by one of these agencies, they should pursue experience in a mentorship or internship program under the supervision of a respected leader in the fitness industry.

Advanced Certifications

Once personal trainers attain a primary certification and experience working with apparently healthy populations, some personal trainers pursue more advanced certifications allowing them to work with special populations such as athletes, children, pre and post natal clients, orthopedic rehabilitation or cardiac patients. Personal trainers can also become certificated to lead group fitness classes such as boot camp, sports conditioning, Pilates and so on.

Most personal trainers provide similar basic services including a health appraisal, fitness assessment, exercise program prescription and fitness reassessments. Depending on the trainer’s additional experience and course work, they may also provide nutrition counseling, coaching or other specialty niche services such as seminars, grocery shopping tours and more.

Personal Coaching

As the personal training industry continues to evolve personal trainers become more engaged as lifestyle coaches in helping clients with additional area’s of personal development beyond fitness. Those areas may include time management, stress management, creating new habits, overcoming poor habits, nutrition, massage and so on. Personal trainers see many services which compliment what they do so rather than working with other allied professionals, some personal trainers pursue other certifications to offer those services themselves.