Contents:
- Step 1: Qualify as a Personal Trainer
- Step 2: Finding The Right PT Course
- Step 3: Map Out Your PT Career Path
- Step 4: Get Personal Training Insurance
- Step 5: Expand Your Client List
- Step 6: Upskill With Specialist Training
Eager to start your new career? Enquire about our Diploma in Personal Training now or download a free course prospectus to find out more.
What Is A Personal Trainer?
Before we discuss the requirements to become a certified personal trainer, let’s take a look at the role.
The main role of a PT is to create and deliver tailored training programmes to help clients reach their fitness goals. A personal trainer’s schedule is pretty varied. They often work mornings, evenings, and weekends to capitalise on client demand.
How Much Do Personal Trainers Earn?
According to Glassdoor, those who become a personal trainer in the UK can potentially earn between £16000 and £55000. The average personal trainer salary is £29200.
Exactly how much you earn depends on factors such as your location, experience, and how many hours you do. For example, you’ll earn more if you work in London or if you have a lot of experience.
Step 1: Get Qualified as a Personal Trainer
To become a personal trainer in the UK, there are two qualifications you need:
Level 2 Fitness Instructor Qualification
The Level 2 Fitness Instructor Course is entry-level and qualifies you to work as a fitness instructor. You must complete this qualification whilst you train to become a certified personal trainer before moving onto the Level 3 training course.
Level 3 Personal Training Qualification
On completion of the Level 3 course, you’ll be a fully qualified personal trainer with the necessary knowledge and training to plan and deliver training programmes.
The fastest and most affordable way to get qualified is with a Personal Trainer Diploma, which combines both of the above qualifications.
Ensure Your Qualification is Ofqual-Approved
Your qualifications must be regulated by an Ofqual-approved awarding body, such as Focus Awards or Active IQ, and endorsed by CIMSPA.
Ofqual is the government body responsible for regulating vocational qualifications in England. This regulation ensures that a Level 3 Personal Trainer course provides the same level of training regardless of what training provider you choose.
Awarding Bodies such as Focus Awards and Active IQ provide accreditation for qualifications, and ensure they meet the standards and learning outcomes set by Ofqual.
CIMSPA is a professional development body that works with course providers, awarding bodies, training providers, and employers to ensure that fitness professionals qualify with a high standard of knowledge.
Step 2: Find The Best Course Provider For You
The course provider you choose can make a huge difference to both your experience while studying, and your career prospects once you become a personal trainer.
Here are some things to consider:
What study methods are available?
PT courses can be taught via one of three study methods: online, part-time, and full-time. At OriGym, we offer all 3 of these options to ensure that we can cater to you, regardless of how you learn best.
For more information on this subject read our guide on ‘How to Become An Online Personal Trainer’.
What post-course support is available?
Choosing a course provider that offers post-course support and careers services makes it much easier to land your first job in the industry.
OriGym offers an extensive range of free career services, including CV analysis and interview prep. We even guarantee a job interview for all personal training graduates! That’s why we have the highest work placement rate among our competitors.
What do past students have to say?
Check out independent review sites like TrustPilot and Google Reviews to find out what past and current students have to say about their experience with the course/ provider.
Find more tips on comparing personal trainer courses here in our video:
Step 3: Map Out Your Personal Training Career Path
As you near the end of your course, it’s time to think about your personal training career options. Personal trainers either work on an employed basis, at a gym for example, or in a freelance or self-employed capacity.
Working for a Gym
Typically, newly qualified personal trainers work on an employed basis as this allows them to earn a stable income whilst gaining experience and building their reputation.
Within this role, you’ll be employed directly by the gym. You’ll have a pre-existing client base, made up of gym members, and a fixed wage. This is a great place to start when you first qualify as a PT.
Working as a Freelance PT
Once you have a list of regular clients, you can then transition to working on a freelance or self-employed basis. Most PTs take this route as these opportunities have a much higher earning potential.
Working for a gym on a freelance basis offers more freedom. If you become a freelance personal trainer, you’ll pay rent to a gym in exchange for using their facilities to train your clients.
Working as a Self-Employed PT
Being a self-employed or independent trainer offers complete control over working hours and job structure. You can buy your own equipment, open up your own gym, or work from several locations.
If you’re just starting out on this journey we got you covered, with out definitive guide on starting a personal training business with no money!
Step 4: Get Insured to Work as a Personal Trainer
Once you become a PT, you need to get personal trainer insurance.
All personal trainers are legally required to have the following policies:
- Public liability insurance
- Professional indemnity insurance
Even if you land an employed role at a gym, you’ll still need to get insurance as you won’t always be covered by the gyms policy.
If you’re working on a freelance or self-employed basis, you will absolutely need to take out both of the above policies. Failing to do so could have significant legal and financial consequences.
Learn more about what personal trainer insurance you need.
Step 5: How to Expand Your Client List
Now that we’ve answered ‘how can I become a personal trainer’, let’s discuss how to be a successful one.
As a personal trainer, expanding your client list will be one of your main priorities. Afterall, the more clients you have, the more money you make!
You can reach new clients using digital marketing strategies such as:
- Establishing a social media presence
- Creating a Google My Business page
- Building your own website
One of the best ways to get new clients is by asking for referrals from existing clients.
By incentivising referrals – for example, offering a free session for each new client that signs up – you can expand your client base and increase your earnings.
At OriGym, we recognise just how important it is for a personal trainer to know how to help spread the word about their business and get new clients, which is why we provide all students with free access to our Business & Marketing course as well as tons of useful resources!
Step 6: Upskill With Specialist Training & Boost Your Income
Once you’ve qualified as a personal trainer and landed the job you want, there are tons of opportunities to progress in your career.
By completing a Level 4 Personal Trainer course, you can become an expert in a specialist area of fitness.
Having an advanced qualification will help you to attract new clients and stand out as a personal trainer. Plus, many clients are willing to pay more for specialist services, so you’ll earn a higher wage, too.
Let’s explore how to pursue these specialisms in more detail:
Online Sports Nutrition Course (online)
You can meet the requirements to become a certified personal trainer and nutritionist by completing this course. By becoming a nutrition coach, you can attract new clients, charge more for your personal training packages, and help clients reach their goals faster
Level 3 Sports Massage Course
Get qualified to deliver sports massage and help clients to decrease muscle soreness, including aches and pains, improve injury management and rehabilitation, and enhance sporting performance. This is a great qualification to complete if you’re looking to become a personal trainer and nutritionist.
Exercise Referral Qualification (Level 3)
Become an exercise referral specialist, tailoring fitness programmes to support those with chronic physical conditions or illnesses to improve their health and wellbeing, often taking referrals from GPs, the NHS or private medical practitioners.
Level 4 Obesity and Weight Management
Learn how to become a PT with a specialism in delivering tailored, safe and effective exercise programming targeted at assisting obese clients with long-term weight loss and management, building a tangible, long-term improvement in their quality of life.
FAQs
How Long Does It Take To Become A Personal Trainer
This depends on a range of factors, such as the study method you choose to complete the course.
If you study full-time with OriGym, you can complete your Level 3 Personal Training Course in just two weeks. Alternatively, our part-time students take around 6 weeks to complete the level 3 course and online students typically complete the course in an average of 8 weeks.
To learn more about other factors that can influence how long it takes to qualify, read out article ‘How long does it take to qualify as a personal trainer?’
How Old Do You Need To Be To Become a Personal Trainer?
You must be at least 16 years old to complete a personal training course and/or work as a personal trainer in a gym.
Think you’re too old for this industry? Read our article ‘Am I too old to be a personal trainer?’
What Qualifications Do I Need to Become a Personal Trainer?
It’s essential that you complete a Level 2 Fitness Instructor Course before going on to study at level 3.
This is why our Diploma in Personal Training, which combines both the Level 2 & 3 qualifications, is the best option if you don’t already hold any fitness qualifications.
Do Personal Trainers Earn Good Money?
Personal trainers typically earn between £16,000 – £55,000 annually, with an average estimated to be £29200.
Your salary can be influenced by a variety of factors, such as your location and experience level. For example, a trainer in London with over 10 years experience will likely towards the top end of this scale.
Whereas a newly qualified student in a smaller area like Essex will earn less. For more information read our article on ‘The average personal trainer salary’.
Can You Be a PT Without a Qualification?
Simple answer, no you can’t be a Personal Trainer without a qualification. No decent employer will even consider you for a position without seeing proof of your Level 3 certificate.
Read why this is the case in our article: ‘Can you be a personal trainer without a qualification?’
How Much Do PureGym PTs Get Paid?
According to Indeed the average salary of PureGym Personal Trainers is £27,794 per year. If you wish to pursue this role check out our article – ‘How to become a PureGym personal trainer‘.
How Much Does It Cost To Become A Personal Trainer In The UK?
The cost of a personal training course will differ from one provider to another. One important thing to consider, is that some providers like OriGym, will allow you to spilt the cost of your qualification with a payment plan, whereas others will expect upfront payments.
Want a price comparison between some of the top UK providers, read our article – ‘How much does it cost to become a personal trainer?‘
How Much Does A PT Charge An Hour?
It’s estimated that PTs in the UK charge an average of £30 per hour. However, if you’re running your own business the choice is ultimately yours! For advice check out our article discussing ‘How much should you charge as a personal trainer‘
Are Personal Trainers In Demand In The UK?
Yes, the industry is ever growing and the demand for personal trainers has risen every year since 2017!
On average, over 7k people search for ‘Personal Trainer Near Me’ every month, in addition to the online PT industry growing every year since 2020. These stats prove that there is a demand for both in-person and virtual clients.
We discuss why demand is growing and address important misconceptions about the industry in our article – ‘Should I become a personal trainer?‘
Is a PT Course Hard?
This is question is subjective and will be influenced by factors like:
- Your experience with fitness
- The last time you were in education
- Your studying habits
- Your chosen study method
- The amount of support you’ll receive from tutors
What some students find easy, others may struggle with, so to get a better of how to make this course work for you, read ‘How hard is it to become a personal trainer?‘
What is a Master Personal Trainer?
‘Master Personal Trainer’ is a term that refers to someone who holds a Level 4 Specalist PT Qualification. The term is also used by training providers (such as ourselves) to clearly differentiate the courses from the Level 3.
You may also see terms such as ‘Advanced Trainer’ or ‘Elite Trainer’ used to describe the same qualification. For further clarity check out ‘What is a Master Personal Trainer‘ here.
Ready to Kickstart Your Personal Training Career?
One of the UK’s most trusted education providers in the health and fitness industry, OriGym specialises in assisting aspiring and experienced personal trainers in reaching their career goals.
Download our course prospectus for more information on the range of health and fitness courses we offer or enquire about our Personal Trainer Diploma.
