IS A CAREER IN PERSONAL TRAINING FOR YOU?

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Sophie Parker
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1 IS A CAREER IN PERSONAL TRAINING FOR YOU? Do you work out, or do you train? Do you search the internet for ways to achieve your fitness goals? Do you like to know how things work and to figure out how to improve your performance and quality of life? Do others ask you for advice on health and fitness, but you re not comfortable giving advice because you know there s so much you don t know? Or, do you already train people or teach classes but have come to the realization there s still so much to learn to really serve these clients? Do you want to empower people and help them take control of their lives? If you answered yes to any of the questions above, then a career as a personal trainer, fitness coach, or exercise and lifestyle specialist may be for you. If you want to want to teach people about the body and what it s capable of, helping them live a healthier lifestyle, and also make your own lifestyle into a career (or supplement your income with something you love), then personal training may be the career for you. By downloading this guide, you ve already taken the first step by choosing personal training as your field of interest. Most people enter the fitness field because it s what they re truly passionate about, but are eventually left asking themselves: Okay, what s next? This is exactly what Swedish Institute can help answer in our Personal Training Career Outlook Guide. This guide can help prepare you for what s to come from the training that is required to the expected jobs, as well as an outlook on the future for careers as a personal trainer and the industry as a whole.

WHAT PERSONAL TRAINERS REALLY DO But first, let s get real. Personal training is a very misunderstood profession. You can see in these memes below the many misconceptions people have.

National Certifying Organizations like American Council on Exercise (ACE), National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), and American College of Sports Medicine must perform job analysis

All of these organizations agree that the scope of practice of personal training includes: Client consultation and assessment. Program planning. Techniques of exercise.

2 WHAT PERSONAL TRAINERS REALLY DO But first, let s get real. Personal training is a very misunderstood profession. You can see in these memes below the many misconceptions people have... If the main reason you want to become a trainer is to hang out in the gym all day, then this is probably not the career for you. National Certifying Organizations like American Council on Exercise (ACE), National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), and American College of Sports Medicine must perform job analysis surveys to make sure that their exams test the content areas that accurately reflect what personal trainers do. All of these organizations agree that the scope of practice of personal training includes: Client consultation and assessment. Program planning. Techniques of exercise. Safety (injury prevention, emergency procedures, recognizing issues, premises liability). Knowing when to refer a client. The knowledge, skills and abilities that are required to perform the job tasks in this scope of practice (and for success in the fitness business) include an in-depth knowledge of anatomy and physiology, exercise physiology, motor learning, program design, exercise techniques and methods, pathology for working with special populations, and marketing and business management skills.

JOBS WITH A POSITIVE OUTLOOK Estimated Job Growth for Personal Trainers: 1% from 2012-2022 Aside from the job growth, there are other great benefits to beginning a career as a personal trainer.

3 JOBS WITH A POSITIVE OUTLOOK Estimated Job Growth for Personal Trainers: 1% from Aside from the job growth, there are other great benefits to beginning a career as a personal trainer. Among these benefits are the different avenues where you can seek employment. Personal trainers can find employment in a variety of settings. These settings include (but are not limited to): Health Clubs Fitness/Recreation Centers Gyms Country Clubs Hospitals Universities Yoga or Pilates Studios Resorts Personal Training Studios Sports Performance Centers Health Clubs Outdoors (running your own Boot Camp) Potential Personal Trainer Jobs and Type of Work Expected With a degree in personal training from Swedish Institute, you ll have several potential career paths open to you. The jobs that are typically available for a graduate of the personal trainer program are listed here: Fitness Coordinator Fitness Director Fitness Instructor Fitness Specialist Fitness Trainer Bootcamp Style Training Personal Trainer Small Group Personal Training

4 WHAT TO EXPECT Our goal at Swedish Institute is to make you feel as prepared as possible once you complete your training. Listed below are examples of the types of duties graduates may be expected to carry out in any of the jobs previously listed: Designing comprehensive and sophisticated training programs for clients of all levels. Develop alternative training methods during classes to accommodate different levels of fitness. This also applies to clients who have controlled diseases and conditions. Evaluating the abilities, needs, and physical conditions of each individual and developing a suitable training program to meet any special requirements. Observing participants and informing them of corrective measures that are necessary for skill improvement. Monitoring participants progress and adapting programs as necessary. Teaching proper breathing techniques used during physical exertion. Instructing participants in maintaining exertion levels to maximize benefits from exercise routines. Teaching and demonstrating the use of gymnastic and training equipment (such as trampolines and weights).

WHAT TO EXPECT (CONTINUED) Explaining and enforcing safety rules and regulations that govern sports, recreational activities, and the use of exercise equipment.

5 WHAT TO EXPECT (CONTINUED) Explaining and enforcing safety rules and regulations that govern sports, recreational activities, and the use of exercise equipment. Providing students with information and resources regarding nutrition, weight control, and lifestyle issues. Conducting therapeutic, recreational or athletic activities. Administering emergency first aid, or referring injured persons to physicians. Maintaining fitness equipment. Advising clients about proper clothing and shoes. Planning physical education programs to promote development of participants physical attributes and social skills. Maintaining equipment inventories and selecting, storing or issuing equipment as needed. Promoting health clubs through membership sales, and recording member information.

PERSONAL BENEFITS Becoming Your Own Boss Once you begin building a clientele, you may choose to take the next step that many personal trainers do by opening your own gym or studio.

6 PERSONAL BENEFITS Becoming Your Own Boss Once you begin building a clientele, you may choose to take the next step that many personal trainers do by opening your own gym or studio. There are plenty of benefits to becoming your own boss, the best of which is probably salary, which nearly doubles (although so does the work and responsibility). Personal Benefits for a Personal Trainer In addition to this as a great career opportunity (from a business point-of-view), being a personal trainer can also be personally gratifying, earning above average marks for: Personal satisfaction Lower stress levels Flexibility Benefit to society Personal health

7 BECOMING A PERSONAL TRAINER WHAT DIFFERENTIATES YOU FROM OTHER TRAINERS? Do you want to be a cook or a chef? A chef is not just paid to make food. A chef is responsible for the soul of the food. A chef has a deep understanding of how to handle kitchen equipment, what flavors go together and how to cook many types of food. A chef doesn t require a recipe; he or she writes cookbooks. On the other hand, getting paid to lift things out of the fryer when it beeps (even if you get paid), or cooking meals at home makes you a cook, not a chef. The path to becoming a personal trainer can be short or long (depending on how you approach it). It can be cheap or expensive, and it can prepare you for a job like a cook or a career like a chef. Various Paths One route is to get a job at a gym and then take an online certification exam, of which there are hundreds. This is an inexpensive quick route that may lead to a job (if you can keep your clientele). Keep in mind that if the certification is too easy, it may not carry much value. Another route is to obtain study materials from a nationally accredited certification agency (like ACE, NSCA, and ACSM) and then set up a schedule to study on your own. These organizations have online resources and weekend review workshops, as well as online support. This route may cost a bit more money and take more time (since you ll have to teach yourself anatomy, physiology, program design and exercise technique). Also, you ll need to figure out a way to get quality hands-on experience and business help to boot. Even though national organizations provide study materials, the NSCA says Becoming a competent personal trainer requires an in-depth knowledge of human anatomy, physiology, kinesiology and exercise science combined with practical training and experience. This cannot be achieved through weekend cram courses and certification programs during which students are typically primed for specific questions to which they regurgitate the answers on examination. In their exam preparation materials, the NSCA, also says - An academic background in an exercise science/physiology, strength training and conditioning, physical therapy or athletic training related curriculum provides the ideal foundation from which a candidate may begin to prepare for the exam.

8 BECOMING A PERSONAL TRAINER (CONTINUED) The third route would be to register in college and pursue a degree in Fitness Management, Kinesiology, Biomechanics, Exercise Physiology or Personal Training, specifically. The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates in their occupational outlook handbook that: People with degrees in fitness-related subjects will have better opportunities because clients prefer to work with people they perceive as higher quality trainers. Still, unless you select a college that specifically has courses that provide a large practical component and business-building courses in your major, you ll have to fill those skills and abilities in on your own. If you are thinking of personal training as a career (or as a job) also consider that organizations like USREPS (United States Registry of Exercise Professionals) ( and NBFE (National Board of Fitness Examiners) ( are advocating for licensure of personal trainers and that many states have introduced legislation to license and/or register personal trainers in their jurisdiction. To date, approximately 1 states have introduced legislation to license personal trainers. For updates, see the above organizations websites. Who will be better prepared to pass a licensing exam or to be grandfathered into any licensing requirements that a state enacts? Before you consider a four-year school with lots of electives and general education courses where you ll be with students who are pursuing many different majors and interests, you may want to consider a degree completely devoted to personal training. Our degree program in personal training can be completed in just 20 months and will give you practical training experience, psychology for goal-setting, marketing and management, specialty certificates in kettlebells, suspension training and other modalities, as well as college-level nutrition courses. Our certificate program can be completed in just one year and will adequately prepare you for certification exams and provide practical experience. Keep in mind that you will have to fill in the marketing and management, advanced nutrition and psychology, and the specialty certificates on your own. You can also come back to complete your degree after you re certified and working. There are also part-time schedules available, in case you need to work while taking classes.

9 GENERAL INFORMATION THAT EVERY STUDENT LEARNS: UNIFORM IPAD HEART RATE/BIOMETRIC DEVICE CPR/AED AND FIRST AID SUPERVISED TRAINING CLINIC INTERNSHIP AT OUTSIDE FACILITY FITNESS MARKETING & MANAGEMENT ADVANCED NUTRITION AND PSYCHOLOGY GENERAL EDUCATION (MATH & ENGLISH) POTENTIAL FOUR-YEAR DEGREE TRANSFER NSCA TEST PREP SYMPOSIUM NSCA C-PT EXAM SPECIFIED CERTIFICATES* APT DEGREE PT CERTIFICATE (*KETTLEBELLS, SUSPENSION, SELF-MYOFASCIAL RELEASE, RECOVER, SANDBAGS, OTHER) SOURCES Sources:

Physical Fitness Specialist Program Program Review October 24, 2017

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