In many countries including the United States you can become an instant personal trainer. Fitness is an unregulated industry, so you can call yourself a personal trainer and charge people for your workouts.
This is definitely a problem.
Let’s say you are getting a formal fitness education. It is important to hold at least one fitness certificate if you are looking to work in a gym.
How long does it take to become a personal trainer?
It can be as easy as attending a weekend seminar to get your fitness trainer certificate. You could then work as a trainer at a boutique gym, studio gym or group fitness facility. It takes 3-6 months on average to pass the test and study the materials for a personal training certificate from ISSA, NASM, or ACE. Most fitness instructors take 6-12 months to study and pass OPEX Coaching Certificate Program case studies and quizzes.
You can see that there is not a single timeline for becoming a personal trainer. From two days up to a full year is what you can expect.
How long does it take to become a master personal trainer?
Now, being a “personal trainer” does not mean you are a great trainer that gets results for their clients, earns a decent living, and is happy with your job.
Plan to start your personal trainer career in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania is an excellent place to live if you are looking for a low cost of living. There is a wide variety of housing types and styles available, ranging from urban areas to suburban areas, with stunning landscapes. The cost of living in Pennsylvania is 10.5% lower than the average national rate. Pennsylvania has lower housing costs, healthcare and transportation. You can protect your business by getting errors and omissions insurance Pennsylvania
The development of a coach or personal trainer can be broken down into three stages.
1) TECHNICIAN
The first step in the development of any coach or trainer is to become a technician. The technician will always be hungry for information and seek it through books, articles and forums. They may also attend seminars, workshops, podcasts and other events. They must learn good coaching principles in order to improve their toolkit, and to benefit from others’ words and experiences. This Free Course is ideal for the technician coach. Fitness is the primary occupation of technician trainers, so they are particularly interested in learning about movement, anatomy, and program design.
This initial learning curve can be steep. This free download includes a video that explains 5 mistakes made by our technician coach. If you are in the learning phase, we recommend that you learn from our mistakes. Watch it Now.
Our online lectures and notes are designed to help technicians gain the knowledge and principles of fitness, nutrition, business and assessment that they need for the OPEX Coaching Certificate Program.
CRAFTSPERSON
Craftsperson coaches have mastered the learning curve to become fitness experts and are now learning primarily through doing. The craftsperson learns by doing. They spend time with clients to see how their principles as a technician are actually applied.
Craftsperson trainers learn how things work (or don’t!) Experience is the best teacher. Spending less time on books and more coaching, they spend their time in the gym. They begin to learn the factors that contribute to long-term success for their clients and they also know how to help them beyond the gym.
Our craftsperson coaches shine in our OPEX Coaching Certificate Program Case Studies, where they are able to apply the principles that they have learned and receive feedback by our team of instructors.
3) MASTER:
Master coaching is not about being an expert in every field. It is also not the end goal. To become a master trainer, a personal coach must be aware of how little they know and still remain curious.
Master coaches recognize that all systems work together and strive to understand the details. The master coach is able to combine an infinite number tools and is relentless in his pursuit of understanding their role.
The OPEX Coaching Certificate Program’s master coaches thrive on interacting with other coaches, instructors and even our founder James Fitzgerald, in the forum, during calls and webinars. They can “play” and test their knowledge, as well as bounce ideas of each other.
How long does it take to become a TECHNICIAN?
Each fitness professional has a unique path. The time it takes for each individual to develop will vary depending on their exposure and the environment they live in.
Fitness trainers can be technicians for a year or five years. There is no right or wrong in being a craftsperson after 6 months or even 10 years. To be a master takes a lifetime.
It is important to keep in mind that a master coach, a craftsperson, or a technician are all at different levels of development. They will also need different training for their professional growth, just like a beginner client, intermediate client, or advanced gym member.
Personal trainers are more than just a title. Personal trainers must have a passion for learning and implementing new techniques.
