Skills
Being a personal trainer takes a passion for fitness, health and wellness. You also need to know what you are getting into. Punctuality, empathy, responsibility, organizational skills and schedule flexibility are all important attributes of a personal trainer. Above all, you need to have good customer service skills being that you will be working closely with people. Make the decision to go all or nothing before you make this a career choice.
Courses
A college degree is not required to become a personal trainer, but it can give you more credibility in the field. If you do not want to get a degree, then you can take college courses that revolve around exercise science, anatomy, physiology and biomechanical concepts. This can better prepare you for the certification process.
Choice
In order to get certified as a personal trainer, you need to decide which certifying body you want to go through. Examples of some of the most popular ones are American Council on Exercise (ACE), American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
Materials
Study materials are available for purchase when you have decided which organization you are going to use. The materials include text books, DVDs, study guides and sample tests. When you get your materials, study them and get as familiar as you can with them.
Seminars
Seminars and workshops are designed to teach you a lot of hands-on skills that you will see when you work with clients. You will also learn how to set up workouts, how to use proper form, how to work with various populations and you will also work with practice clients. You can find these by going through the organization you chose for dates and locations that they are being held.
Test
After you have studied, attended the seminars and practiced your craft, you need to schedule a test. These are done at remote locations by way of computer. You can go through your organization to find testing sites and times. Make sure to be early and bring picture identification with you.
CPR
In order to do personal training as a business, you must have a CPR certification. You can get this done by attending a four hour practical and written workshop through your local Red Cross or American Heart Association chapter.
Liability
Liability insurance is used to help safeguard you from being sued when you train clients. If you decide to be an independent contractor and work onsite with people, then it is a must. If you choose to work for a gym, they may already have it and they can insure you under them. Either way, this step is very important and it should not be skipped.
Mentorship
If you want to become successful, you should seek out a personal trainer that has a proven track record of success. If you are going to work at a gym for example, shadow someone who works there for a few weeks and get a real good feel for what to expect in a work day.
Tools
Personal fitness tools can come in handy for you when you are working with clients. Body fat calipers, retractable tape measures, scales, clipboards and stop watches are all examples of these. If you are going to do onsite training, it is also a good idea to have some portable fitness tools like resistance bands, Swiss balls, light dumbells and kettlebells.
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