Do you love to exercise? Do you enjoy being at the gym or outdoors? Do you like helping people? Then do what you love for a living – become a personal trainer! Find out everything there is to know about a career in personal training here.
A personal trainer is many things – an instructor, an advisor, a motivator, and a friend. In a nutshell, a personal trainer works for the health of individual people of all ages and from all walks of life by designing a workout specific to the needs of the client.
Personal trainer models all assigned cardiovascular, strength, and stretching exercises and instructs clients on the safe use of equipment. They’re also responsible for motivating clients through scaffolding activities, monitoring progress, using positive reinforcement, and offering nutritional advice. Overall, the job of a personal trainer can be very rewarding.
There are a number of reasons to become a personal trainer. These include, but are not limited to:
Depending on where you work, your daily duties may vary. In a fitness centre, for example, you’ll spend much of your time demonstrating and modifying exercises for your personal clients. If you’re working in a hospital, your work may be more hands-on with injured patients and require more client monitoring. In an educational setting, your job may mostly involve educating others on general health and fitness issues.
All in all, however, the responsibilities of a personal trainer don’t vary that much and include the following common tasks:
You can learn how to execute each one of these responsibilities by getting qualified as a personal trainer.
The pay for a personal trainer in Australia can range from anywhere between $30 an hour to over $100 an hour depending on your skill level and personal client base. If you’re working for a fitness centre or gym, the annual average salary is around $48,500.
There are a wide variety of career opportunities open to you as a personal trainer.
You can either start your own business or work for organisations in a variety of settings. The latter option includes fitness centres, hotel health clubs, swimming pool complexes, specialised training studios, corporate gyms, community centres, hospitals, golf courses, and schools or universities.
With the boom of the personal training industry set to continue, a diverse array of options will be available to you!
Voices from the field: Why I love this job
“I love being a trainer because it’s like being part detective, part artist, and part coach. I get to analyze the body and figure out what’s working and how to fix it, then put together programs and exercises that work for my client’s body and needs, and then coach, motivate and educate them to stick with it to see long term results!” – K.T.
“I love inspiring people to live vibrant, healthy lives. We only get one body, we must use it optimally. As a trainer, I have the opportunity to influence someone’s life. Motivating people to make positive changes and showing them the tools to thrive physically, mentally and spiritually is the best job in the world!” – R.C.
Training for this career is highly recommended. Most training programs offer solid theoretical grounding in human anatomy, nutrition, physiology, and program design – all necessary knowledge for your work as a personal trainer. The good news is no university degree is needed!
To work in Australia, however, you’ll require the entry-level qualifications of a Certificate III in Fitness (Fitness Instructor) and a Certificate IV in Fitness (Personal Trainer) to supplement your theoretical training as well.
To become a personal trainer, join the International Career Institute’s flexible Personal Trainer Diploma program and begin your new career now!
Gladys Mae serves as the General Manager and Head of Student Services at the International Career Institute. Gladys holds a degree in Mass Communication - Broadcast Media from the University of San Jose-Recoletos. She joined ICI in 2010 and has over the past 12 years been instrumental in providing leadership and guidance to staff and students alike. Prior to joining ICI Gladys led a multifaceted career with key roles in the banking and business process outsourcing industries.
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