What is Personal Training?
A Personal Trainer works with clients one-on-one to create personalized fitness programs that will motivate and guide them to achieve their desired goals.
Personal Trainers have the skills and knowledge in proper nutrition and fitness to help their clients lose weight, gain muscle and build fitness levels to increase the health of their clients. A Personal Trainer’s clients will be taught how to exercise properly with good form and will have specific plans for their specific goals. They will instruct and advise clients on how to use a range of fitness machines, classes, or weights to get the most out of their workouts. Goals may include muscular endurance, strengthening cardiovascular capabilities, or even increasing a client’s physical flexibility.
Personal Trainers will also help clients with their health and nutrition plans such as recommending keeping a food diary to monitor food intakes and identify areas of improvement or they may recommend working with a nutritionist if the client has very specific nutritional goals.
What courses are available?
Universities and colleges in Ireland are offering Personal Training courses in the following subject areas:
- Personal Trainer Certificate – The study of functional anatomy, physiology, exercise physiology, nutrition, and also exercises prescription.
- How to become a Personal Trainer – The study of the importance and the growing need of trained professionals in the personal training industry and the basics of how to become a personal trainer.
- Personal Trainer Course – Gain the knowledge and skills to help your clients achieve a healthy physique by learning more about the human body and the most effective exercises for every body type and objective.
- Personal Trainer – Gain the skills and knowledge to achieve internationally recognized certification as a Personal Trainer.
- ACSM Certified Personal Trainer Course – The American College of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer Course prepares students to work one to one with clients as they work towards their fitness and health goals.
- Personal Fitness Trainer – The study of fitness instruction for groups and individuals within personal training or in a gym group environment.
Studying Personal Training in college
Many full-time Personal Training courses run anywhere from 1 year to 4 years depending on the course and modules selected. There are also part-time courses and night courses available so you can be sure to fit in your studies no matter what your schedule is like.
Courses will cover all theory work through lectures, assignments, tutorials, and taught modules. Assessments will take place saQqt% 1continuously with written examinations and practical assignments combined to achieve the qualification.
You could also consider work experience or work shadowing in gyms or leisure centers to gain real-world experience. Contact local employers to see if they can help you. Similar roles include fitness instructor and gym instructor, but a personal trainer holds more fitness qualifications that allow them to provide clients with tailored health and exercise advice. It’s not uncommon for beginners to train as a fitness or gym instructor first before or while working towards qualifying as a personal trainer.
Career options
As a Personal Trainer, you will likely work one on one with clients either in a gym or fitness center or you may travel to client’s houses to meet them or travel with them depending on their need.
Training can take place indoors and you can expect to work with a variety of exercise equipment, including free weights or nautilus machines, cardio machines like Stairmasters or treadmills. Trainers may also be expected to teach or coach their clients through floor work, including stretching and toning. You can also train outdoors if the weather permits and make use of parks and fields nearby for some outdoor aerobics or cardio warm-ups.
Working hours will depend on whether you are employed by a company with set business hours or if you are self-employed. Personal trainers need to be flexible to meet the needs of their clients, so you will likely work in the evenings, early mornings, and weekends.
Work Experience will not only allow you to obtain a deeper knowledge and understanding of the industry, but it will also give you a chance to do some essential networking with other fitness professionals as well as meeting potential clients.
Related jobs include:
- Personal Trainer
- Group Exercise Instructor
- Health, Wellness, and Nutrition Coach
- Gym Manager
- Fitness or Health Sales
- Fitness Journalist
- Fitness Model
- Workout Developer
Further study
After completing a course in Personal Training you may choose to pursue further study in a specialist field to increase your knowledge base and skillset. Postgraduate study can also be used as a means to change career focus or to gain professional qualifications required to practice in certain career areas such as Nutritional Therapy, Sports Therapy, Physiotherapy, Exercise Physiology, Sports Coaching, and Sports Development.
FAQ
Are there any particular qualities you need to study Personal Training?
Communication skills are a must as a Personal Trainer needs to be able to convey their instructions and guide their clients through their exercise and movement and discuss their health and nutrition in a compassionate and caring way.
Personal Trainers should be excellent motivators and be able to tell how far they can push their clients, they should also have patience and understand that good things come with persistence and consistency.
Is it worth getting a personal trainer?
A trainer can help you to examine your goals and help you figure out if they are realistic or if they need to be altered to better suit your current level of fitness and lifestyle. Personal Trainers will help you stay motivated and keep you pushing that little bit harder than you would do on your own. People often don’t see the results they are hoping for because they’re not working as hard as they could and a Personal Trainer will recognize this and help to keep them on track.
Where can I study Personal Training?
Explore your options here
Did You Know?
· Movement in exercise helps relieve stress by producing a relaxation response in your brain.
· The human body has 650 muscles.
· Nearly 50% of all young people ages 12 – 21 years are not vigorously active daily.
· The heart is the strongest muscle in the body.
· Exercise makes you feel more energized because it releases endorphins into the blood.
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