Become a Personal Trainer
Personal Trainer Career and School Resource Center
Personal Trainer Career and School Resource Center
What is a personal trainer?
Personal training is one of the fastest growing segments of the health and fitness industry. From athletes to senior citizens, people from all walks of life are using personal trainers to help them learn how to exercise, lose weight and adopt a healthy lifestyle. A personal trainer performs the role of educator, motivator and coach.
Becoming a personal trainer requires learning about personal health, sports nutrition, injury prevention, and managing stress and lifestyle changes in future clients. Personal trainers usually earn their personal trainer certification from a personal trainer school. After achieving certification, personal trainers are relatively well-compensated, because people often pay top dollar to work out and achieve their fitness goals with a private, personal trainer.
How is personal training practiced?
Personal trainers meet with their clients from one to several times each week, usually for an hour at a time. The personal trainer guides the client in his/her workouts, utilizing flexibility, weight training and aerobics. Monitoring body fat and heart rate levels help track the client's progress.
There are numerous employment opportunities for a certified personal trainer. For example, employment can be sought at private health clubs, rehabilitation clinics, hospitals, spas, cruise ships or resorts. Some personal trainers start their own businesses once they have an established client base.
Personal trainers need to have a multitude of skills. Helpful personality traits might include being analytical, patient, nurturing, persistent, organized, an effective motivator and, most importantly, a good listener. Personal trainers should enjoy working with different kinds of people and be self-motivated. You don't have to look like a body builder to be a trainer, but you should definitely lead a healthy lifestyle to be a good role model for your clients.
How much money can I make as a personal trainer?
Personal trainers can charge anywhere from $25 to $200 an hour, depending on professional background, clientele and services.
What degree or certification is available?
You have to go through certification training to become a personal trainer, and there are many different certification programs to choose from. Learn more in our Personal Trainer Certification Guide. You can also find a personal trainer school that's right for you. Comprehensive programs leading to certification might include 300 hours of education plus 200 hours of gym time to become a personal trainer.
Where can I get training?
- Arizona
Cortiva Institute - School of Massage Therapy - A campus in Scottsdale, AZ- National Personal Training Institute - Phoenix Area/Chandler
- Cortiva Institute - School of Massage Therapy - Scottsdale
- California
- Santa Barbara Business College - Bakersfield
- CNI's California Personal Fitness Training School - Costa Mesa
- National Personal Training Institute - Costa Mesa/Newport Beach
- Santa Barbara Business College - Palm Desert
- National Personal Training Institute - Sacramento
- National Personal Training Institute - Personal Trainer Program - San Diego/Pacific Beach
- National Personal Training Institute - San Francisco
- Santa Barbara Business College - Santa Barbara
- Santa Barbara Business College - Santa Maria
- National Personal Training Institute - Santa Monica
- Santa Barbara Business College - Ventura
- National Personal Training Institute - Wildomar/Murietta
- Colorado
- National Personal Training Institute of Colorado, LLC - Colorado Springs
- Heritage College - Personal Training - Denver
- National Personal Training Institute - Lakewood
- National Personal Training Institute, CO - Training in Lakewood & Colorado Springs, CO
- Connecticut
- National Personal Training Institute - Personal Trainer Program - Norwalk
- American Academy of Personal Training - Training in Boston, MA
- Delaware
- National Personal Training Institute - Wilmington
- District of Columbia
- National Personal Training Institute - Training in Vienna, VA (near DC)
- Florida
- NPTI - Personal Trainer Certification *Residential Program* - Altamonte Springs
- National Personal Training Institute - Fort Lauderdale
- Heritage Institute - Personal Training - Fort Myers
- Georgia
- National Personal Training Institute - Alpharetta - Atlanta
- Illinois
- National Personal Training Institute - Personal Trainer Program IL - Chicago
- National Personal Training Institute - Naperville/Lisle
- Kansas
- MTTI-WellSpring - Lawrence
- Pinnacle Career Institute - Lawrence
- Heritage College - Personal Training - Training in Kansas City, MO
- Pinnacle Career Institute - Training in Kansas City, MO
- Pinnacle Career Institute - Training in Kansas City, MO
- Heritage College - Wichita - Wichita
- National Personal Training Institute, CO - Training in Lakewood & Colorado Springs, CO
- Maryland
- National Personal Training Institute - Vienna, VA (near MD)
- National Personal Training Institute - Training in Vienna, VA (near DC)
- Massachusetts
- American Academy of Personal Training - Boston
- National Personal Training Institute - Waltham
- Michigan
- National Personal Training Institute - Rochester Hills
- Minnesota
- National Personal Training Institute - Brooklyn Park
- Minnesota School of Business - Plymouth
- Minnesota School of Business - Shakopee
- Minnesota School of Business - Waite Park
- Missouri
- Heritage College - Personal Training - Kansas City
- MTTI-WellSpring - Kansas City
- Pinnacle Career Institute - Kansas City
- Pinnacle Career Institute - Kansas City
- Nebraska
- National Personal Training Institute, CO - Training in Lakewood & Colorado Springs, CO
- New Hampshire
- American Academy of Personal Training - Training in Boston, MA
- National Personal Training Institute - Training in Waltham, MA
- New Jersey
- National Personal Training Institute - Hoboken
- New Mexico
- Apollo College - Albuquerque - Albuquerque
- National Personal Training Institute, CO - Training in Lakewood & Colorado Springs, CO
- New York
- National Personal Training Institute - Training in Hoboken, NJ
- National Personal Training Institute - Personal Trainer Program - Training in Norwalk, CT
- North Carolina
- National Personal Training Institute of Charlotte, Inc. - Huntersville
- National Personal Training Institute of North Carolina - Raleigh
- Ohio
- National Personal Training Institute - Cleveland
- National Personal Training Institute - Columbus
- Oregon
- National Personal Training Institute - Portland
- Everest Institute - Tigard - Tigard
- Pennsylvania
- National Personal Training Institute - Personal Trainer Program PA - Philadelphia
- Rhode Island
- American Academy of Personal Training - Training in Boston, MA
- National Personal Training Institute - Personal Trainer Program - Training in Norwalk, CT
- National Personal Training Institute - Training in Waltham, MA
- Texas
- ATI Career Training Center - Dallas/Fort Worth
- ATI Career Training Center - NRH - North Richland Hills
- National Personal Training Institute - Sugarland/Houston
- Utah
- Utah Career College - Layton
- Provo College - North Provo
- Eagle Gate College - Salt Lake City
- Utah Career College - West Jordan
- Vermont
- National Personal Training Institute - Training in Waltham, MA
- Virginia
- National Personal Training Institute - Vienna
- National Personal Training Institute - Vienna, VA (near DC)
- Washington
- National Personal Training Institute - Seattle
- Wisconsin
- National Personal Training Institute - Training in Brooklyn Park, MN
- National Personal Training Institute - Personal Trainer Program IL - Training in Chicago, IL
- Wyoming
- National Personal Training Institute, CO - Training in Lakewood & Colorado Springs, CO
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