There are differences between the courses to qualify as a Level 2 Gym Instructor and an Exercise to Music Instructor. If you’re undecided about what direction to take, we’ll break down the differences between these courses and how you can choose the best one for you.
Contents:
- What Will I Learn On The ETM vs Gym Instructor Course?
- Can You Teach Group Classes with a Level 2 Gym Instructor Qualification?
- What are the Job Prospects of an ETM vs Gym Instructor Course?
- Progression Opportunities for ETM vs Gym Instructor Courses
To get started in the health and fitness industry, you can do this with our Level 2 Fitness Instructor. This qualifies you to work in gyms and lead group fitness classes. Download our course prospectus to find out more about how you can begin your career today!
What Will I Learn On The ETM vs Gym Instructor Course?
Our Level 2 Gym Instructor Course provides you with the skills and knowledge required to build a foundation in the fitness industry. During this course, you’ll be taught to support gym members by studying a variety of topics such as anatomy, physiology, and training.
Our Level 2 Gym Instructor Course is made up of 6 modules to help you develop this knowledge, giving you a well rounded overview to become a fitness instructor successfully.
Although the Level 2 Exercise to Music Course also provides students with similar foundational knowledge, the Level 2 Gym Instructor has extra modules including ‘Learning the Business’. This helps you understand how to market yourself as an instructor, should you decide to work freelance.
This means you’ll not only be learning the fundamentals of gym instruction but how to develop your career beyond after graduating!
When studied full time, our Level 2 Gym Instructor Qualification can be completed in as little as 2 weeks. Whereas our Exercise to Music Course is only studied via blended learning, with most students taking at least 6 weeks to complete the course (on average).
This means on the Level 2 Gym Instructor Course, you can get qualified and start earning quickly while also developing more knowledge and skills, compared to the Level 2 Exercise to Music Course.
The Level 2 Gym Instructor Course can also be studied entirely online, allowing you to work this course flexibly around your current job or family commitments.
Even better, the Level 2 Gym Instructor and Level 2 Exercise to Music Qualifications are both the same price. This means you can get even more out of your studies without paying extra for the more valuable qualification, that will provide you with greater professional opportunities.
Check out our table below for a quick overview of how these courses compare to one another:
Can You Teach Group Classes with a Level 2 Gym Instructor Qualification?
With a Level 2 Gym Instructor Qualification, one of your main roles will be to lead group workout classes. For example, here’s a job ad posted on Indeed for a gym instructor with Beckwith Health Club:
Most employers will list this as a necessary part of the job, regardless of whether you work full-time or freelance. This is supported by the follow job ad for a part-time Fitness Instructor position at Million Dollar Fitness:
Should you decide to become self-employed and start your own business, you’ll also be fully qualified to plan and lead your own sessions.
An example of someone who did this comes from this LinkedIn profile below from Sally Williams, a self-employed fitness instructor based in Wales:
In short, yes once you’ve completed a Level 2 Gym Instructor course you’ll be fully qualified to teach group fitness classes – regardless of how you decide to work.
What are the Job Prospects of an ETM vs Gym Instructor Course?
Teaching Group Classes
With a Level 2 Exercise to Music Qualification, you can teach group fitness classes as either an employee with a gym, on a freelance basis, or even with your own business. However, a Level 2 Gym Instructor will qualify you to do the exact same role.
Although many hiring managers will accept applicants with either of these qualifications, having the latter opens up many more opportunities for employment. Most employed jobs would have more roles than just teaching classes as you’d also be expected to work on the gym floor.
Think of it this way, it’s more beneficial for a gym or fitness centre to have an employee who can not only teach Exercise to Music, but also a range of other gym classes too. The gym will have more of an advantage hiring someone who is not just limited to only teaching Exercise to Music classes but a range of fitness sessions if necessary.
For example, having a Level 2 Gym Instructor Qualification will not just increase your chance of being employed by a gym, but also increase employment opportunities in other areas, such as the ones highlighted below:
Fitness Instructor
By qualifying with a Level 2 Gym Instructor, you can apply for jobs like the one posted below from Indeed:
As you can see, the ideal candidate for this position is someone who holds a Level 2 Gym Instructor Qualification. This highlights how having this entry level qualification is ideal for pursuing a career in the fitness industry as it opens many more doors to apply for jobs such as this.
In this role (as previously mentioned) you’ll be able to lead classes, as well as hosting gym inductions, working on the floor and liaising with members.
If you have qualified with only a Level 2 Exercise to Music, you would likely be passed over when applying for this position as opposed to someone with a broader qualification.
Sport & Leisure Fitness Assistant
Having a Level 2 Gym Instructor does not just limit you to working as a fitness instructor. For example, here’s a job advertisement for a Sport & Leisure Fitness Assistant at the University of Bradford:
As the Level 2 Gym Instructor provides a broader foundation to build on in the industry, there are more job prospects with this type of qualification such as the one above, as you aren’t as limited to just one area of fitness or one specific job.
Sales & Fitness Advisor
With a Level 2 Gym Instructor, you can even apply for roles you may not have considered, such as this one:
Although this may not be the specific area of fitness you’d like to pursue, it highlights how much employment opportunities a Level 2 Gym Instructor can provide you with as opposed to limiting yourself to just the Level 2 Exercise to Music Qualification.
Progression Opportunities for ETM vs Gym Instructor Courses
Completing a Level 2 Fitness Instructor Qualification provides a much broader foundation which opens up more opportunities for future progression compared to only qualifying from a Level 2 Exercise to Music Course.
Check out our list of careers below to see how you can progress with these two qualifications and what ones are required for each role:
Personal Training
To become a personal trainer, you’ll need a Level 2 Gym Instructor Qualification as this is an entry requirement to enrol on the Level 3 Personal Trainer Course. Having an ETM qualification is not enough to advance to the Level 3 Personal Trainer Course – meaning you’d have to take the fitness instructor course regardless!
A personal trainer is a certified individual who works on a 1-to-1 basis with a client by creating and delivering tailored training programmes to help them achieve their fitness goals. According to Indeed, the average salary of a personal trainer in the UK is £30,931.
As personal trainers can choose their type of employment, this makes it a popular career choice for those in the fitness industry. The different types of employment include:
- Contracted Employment
- Freelance
- Self-Employed
Having the opportunity to work freelance or be self employed means you can eventually choose your working hours and how many clients you train. This makes it a lucrative career as there is no limit to how many people you help!
Bootcamp Instructor
As most bootcamp instructors are self employed and run their own businesses, you can pursue this career with either a Level 2 Gym Instructor Qualification or Level 2 Exercise to Music Qualification.
However, the Level 2 ETM Qualification does not include a ‘Learning the Business’ module like the Level 2 Gym Instructor Qualification. This is a great advantage when looking to become self employed, especially if your goal is to start a fitness boot camp business.
Bootcamp Instructors work by running individual boot camp classes on a fixed day and time while others may run set programmes that run over a number of weeks.
These are group exercise programs that combine elements of cardiovascular training, strength training, and flexibility exercises. Bootcamps are usually intense and designed to provide a full-body workout in a short period of time.
Most bootcamp instructors will work freelance or be self employed, making it a lucrative career to pursue. However, to be successful, you will need to know how to effectively market your service and bring in attendees.
Specialist Fitness Classes
Another popular choice for career progression is to develop a niche by specialising in certain fitness classes.
Although you can undertake specialist fitness classes with both of these qualifications, our Level 2 Gym Instructor Qualification comes with plenty of free Continuing Professional Development Courses (CPD). These include kettlebells, bodyweight training, and medicine ball training.
By completing these additional courses, you’ll gain a plethora of knowledge which you can use to help gym goers. You can also specialise in these kinds of classes and offer them if you develop your own service.
Exercise Referral
An exercise referral specialist is somebody who is qualified to create tailored fitness programmes for people that suffer with a chronic physical condition or illness.
This could mean that a patient has one or various conditions that could be improved with physical activity. Exercise referral specialists will take referrals from GPs, the NHS and private medical practitioners respectively.
To advance onto a Level 3 Exercise Referral Course with OriGym, you need to complete a Level 2 Gym Instructor Qualification first. The Level 2 Exercise to Music Qualification doesn’t count towards this.
Level 4 Fitness Trainer
Becoming a Level 4 Fitness Trainer is an ideal way to become an expert in the health and fitness industry. With these qualifications, you’ll be able to focus on a specific group and target these clients specifically.
Here at OriGym, we offer Level 4 qualifications such as:
- Level 4 Lower Back Pain Management Course
- Level 4 Obesity and Weight Management Course
- Level 4 Diabetes Control & Weight Management Course
Developing a niche by completing any of the qualifications above is a great way to advance your career and progress in the fitness industry.
However, to enrol on these courses, you will need to have completed a Level 3 Personal Trainer Qualification. Remember, this can only be achieved if you’ve qualified as a Level 2 Gym Instructor.
You cannot enrol with just a Level 2 Exercise to Music Qualification. This means if you wanted to progress to Level 4, you’d have to complete additional courses first.
Nutrition Coach
Although you could pursue this career with either of the qualifications above, the Level 2 Gym Instructor Qualification is ideal for expanding your service to a wider group of people. This is especially true if you work in a gym and spend a lot of time on the gym floor talking to those who regularly attend.
By doing this, you can increase the number of people you market your services to as opposed to limiting yourself to one specific role.
Nutrition coaches are exercise and nutrition professionals who are qualified to provide bespoke meal plans, advice and support to clients to make healthier choices in their food and drink consumption. The guidance is aimed at helping combine diet and exercise to help clients successfully achieve their goals.
Those who become a nutrition coach will often do this alongside their other jobs in the fitness industry, such as gym instructing, personal training, etc.
Before You Go!
Now you have a clear understanding of the differences between these courses and where they can lead you, it’s time to decide on the best one for you.
Our Level 2 Gym Instructor will give you the best way to get started in the industry and embark on a rewarding career. Download our course prospectus to read more about our courses and find the right one for you.
