Personal Trainer Careers in Fitness Nutrition
Find Personal Trainer / Nutritionist Related Degree Programs
Typical Salary Information for a Personal Trainer
Career Introduction
If you love fitness and want to inspire others to reach their fitness goals, personal training is a good avenue to pursue. There are some personal traits that a trainer may want to fine tune to enhance their passion for health. A successful personal trainer may want to be patient, a good listener, encouraging, organized, intuitive, and have an appetite to learn new philosophies and exercises. Working with a variety of people is key to the personal training job, and every client is unique and has individual goals. Don’t worry you don't have to possess the perfect body to be a fitness trainer, but a healthy lifestyle should be a top priority for any personal trainer. Practice what you preach.
What steps should I take to become a Personal Trainer / Fitness Nutritionist?
Step 1:
Choosing a certification is the first step to becoming a personal trainer. There are a variety of choices for getting certified. You'll want to choose an organization that is nationally recognized and accredited. If there is a particular club you would like to work at, it would be a good idea to call and ask what certifications they prefer. If you aren’t sure exactly where you will be working, take some time to research the websites of major organizations to find a program that matches your lifestyle. Some factors you may want to consider are how much the certification costs, what the pre-requisites are, if they offer a workshop/exam in your area or, a home study program.
Step 2:
Next an individual may want to determine what area of health they would like to specialize in. This isn't required, but fitness and health is a competitive market. Many fitness trainers find it beneficial to improve their resumes by getting specialty certifications. Getting a specialty cert means you have more to offer and, even better, you can usually charge a little more for your services. Some examples of specialties which might further your career might be healing practices, or nutrition specialist. Additional certifications take you beyond the basics of personal training, and allow you to work with special populations like people with chronic diseases or injuries.
Step 3:
After you have completed your desired education, the next step is to secure a job. Identify where you would like to work and hit the streets. You could use the internet, or a local phone book, to establish who you would like to approach. Ask about availability of jobs, the rate of turnover, and the procedure for filling out an application. Check back periodically to see if something has opened up. Some clubs allow internships, so this may be an alternative approach. An internship would allow you the opportunity to see if the club is a good fit for your goals.
Step 4:
Set up your own business by choosing a business entity (i.e., sole proprietorship, partnership, etc.), choosing a business name, registering your company with the city, getting liability insurance, setting up your gym (if you're training from your own home), targeting potential clients, and marketing yourself. There are also many opportunities here to further your education. Take a marketing class to learn how to market your skills, or an entrepreneurial class to learn how to run your own business with a client base.
Step 5:
Once your business is situated, it's time to let people know what you are up to, and gain some clients. Word of mouth is always the most effective form of marketing, but first you have to get the ball rolling! Some basic ways to get started might be making flyers, putting ads in newsletters, printing business cards, building your own website or offering free seminars and consultations to bring in business. Be prepared to enlist friends and family members to spread the word to people they know. Offering free consultations and seminars is a great way to get people in the door because when you help to improve others lives, they will want to tell everyone they know who helped them do it.
Areas of Practice - Overview
Personal fitness trainers work in all kinds of locations and facilities. You can decide to work for someone else, or work for your self. You can work from home or work at a facility. Some trainers work at corporations with employees, on cruise ships, at resorts, in luxury spas, or from home with online training. Once you're an established fitness trainer many opportunities become available to you. You can even consider consulting, fitness writing, athletic coaching, group fitness instruction or even opening your own gym. Whatever you choose, you'll find that being a personal trainer provides everything you love in one job.
Personal Trainer Salaries
| Personal Trainer | lower 25% | Median | Upper 25% |
| USA | $37,646 | $52,156 | $64,063 |
Nutritionist Programs:
Brown Mackie College
Campus
Discover the power of ONE COURSE A MONTH® to fit education into your busy life. Brown Mackie College’s ONE COURSE A MONTH® schedule lets you focus on your course work one subject at a time.
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California University of Pennsylvania
Online
Study online with California University of Pennsylvania. We offer certificate and bachelor's and master's degree programs in a wide variety of fields that can be completed 100% online.
Liberty University
Online
We keep our tuition affordable because it is an integral part of the overall mission for our university. The vision of our Chancellor, Jerry Falwell Jr., is to keep Liberty's Distance Learning Program affordable so as many individuals as possible can experience a Christ-centered education and become equipped for excellence, professionally as well as spiritually.
Remington College
Campus
Get hands-on training with Remington College. We offer diploma and associate and bachelor's degree programs in business, criminal justice, culinary arts, health care, and cosmetology at our campuses in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas — plus some courses are offered online.
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Penn Foster Schools
Online
Penn Foster offers affordable, self-paced career-focused distance education programs in fields like business, criminal justice, health services, technology, engineering, paralegal studies and more.
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Keiser University Campus
Campus
Keiser University offers accredited degree programs in today's in demand careers: Healthcare, Technology, Paralegal, Business, Nursing and Legal Studies.
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Eagle Gate College
Campus
Give your career a boost with an education from Eagle Gate College. We offer many diploma, associate, and bachelor's programs in health care, business, health & wellness, design & technology, and justice.
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Branford Hall Career Institute
Campus
Branford Hall Career Institute offers career-focused education that gives you the job skills you need to make the leap into some of today's hottest careers.
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The College of Health Care Professions
Campus
The College of Health Care Professions is a great place for working adults to enhance their current careers, or help themselves find new career pathways to better lives. We also train high school graduates to enter in the exciting high demand Healthcare industry.
Our programs are focused and centered on empowering you with the skills you need to enter the expanding and rewarding Health Care Industry. Learn only what you need to gain employment in your particular field, so you can get certified and enter the job market faster.
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Vatterott College
Campus
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Stratford Career Institute
Online
Stratford Career Institute can help you earn your diploma from home in as little as six months, thanks to their proven study methods.
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Keiser University College of Golf and Sport Management
Online
Work toward your degree online with Keiser University College of Golf and Sport Management. We offer a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sport Management that can be completed 100% online.
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Milan Institute
Campus
Successful careers begin at the Milan Institute. We offer quality hands-on training, experienced faculty and a staff committed to helping you realize your goals.
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Globe University/MSB
Campus
Globe University is focused on providing students with the knowledge, skills, and credentials they need to reach their personal and professional goals.
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Pinnacle Career Institute
Campus
Help get your career started with an education from Pinnacle Career Institute. We offer certificate and associate degree programs for careers in the fields of business, alternative energy, health care, fitness, technology, HVAC, and electronics.
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