If you want to gain a foothold in the sports industry, training as a personal trainer is ideal for you. It gives you the opportunity to turn your passion into a profession. You can choose from a wide variety of courses. You can find out here which training as a personal trainer meets your requirements.
What is training as a personal trainer?
Training as a personal trainer enables you to support and guide people interested in sports in your training. By obtaining a recognized license, you qualify for various positions in the fitness industry. You can set your goal individually and decide, among other things, which group of people you want to work with: whether with children, fitness beginners or professional athletes. Depending on your choice, you will learn the basics of anatomy and nutrition to an appropriate extent. Also how to operate fitness equipment and create training plans occurs in your training as a personal trainer.
Recommendation of the Institute
Would you like to work professionally as a personal trainer and guide customers competently in their workout? With the "personal Trainer B License", the IST Study Institute recommends the appropriate distance learning course.
The state-approved further education forms the ideal basis for newcomers who want to gain a foothold in the industry. Through study booklets specially designed for self-study, you will acquire specialist knowledge in anatomy, physiology, diagnostics as well as movement and training theory.
You consolidate this knowledge with the help of online lectures and apply them practically in the face-to-face seminars. With the knowledge quiz of the IST app, you can playfully prepare for the exam anytime and anywhere. After successful completion, you are ready for the training area: You can perform anamnesis, guide customers in a targeted manner and create training plans in the endurance and strength area according to the latest training scientific findings.
Providers & courses of training as a personal trainer
You can complete training as a personal trainer both at sports associations and at various institutes, for example at a distance learning university. The following providers have corresponding courses in the program:
Content & Duration
Which modules your training as a personal trainer includes depends above all on which trainer certificate you are aiming for. Most often, you will gain one of three qualifications in a course to work as a personal trainer: The A, B or C license. Here you will find a list of the respective course contents:
C-License
- Weight training equipment and its function
- Fundamentals of Nutrition
- Basic knowledge of anatomy and physiology
- Training and movement theory
B-License
- In-depth knowledge of weight training equipment
- Instruction of customers to the gym
- Setting of fitness equipment
- Creation of training plans
- Detection of physical deformities
A-License
- Expert knowledge in the fitness sector
- Professional training plan creation for advanced and professionals
- Detection, treatment and counteraction of clinical pictures
In addition, you can train as a personal trainer, group personal trainer or athletic trainer. Here you specialize in a certain form of training. In your training as a personal trainer, for example, you will focus on how to support a customer individually and comprehensively.
In addition to practical knowledge about different types of training, endurance tests and performance diagnostics, you will gain knowledge about the path to self-employment. In addition, you have the option of starting training as a sports & fitness clerk, in health management or in fitness economics. In these training courses, you will also deal with the economic aspects of the department.
Furthermore, some universities offer an academic Bachelor's degree in distance learning. Here you will get to know the field of fitness training in a differentiated and scientific way. In addition to training teaching, sports subjects and medical modules, the basics of business administration and marketing are on the curriculum. Accordingly, you have to expect a lot of theoretical content in this choice of study. The same applies to further training as a specialist in fitness.
The duration of the personal trainer training varies greatly. Here's how to purchase an A license in one day to 18 months, a B license in 8 days to 6 months, and a C license in 2 days to 3 months. In some cases, however, you can also allow yourself more time for your further education. You should plan 7 semesters for a Bachelor's degree. You will complete further training as a fitness coach in 12 months and a diploma in 6 to 12 months. For a course with an in-house degree, you need between 3 and 12 months.
Audit & Financial Statements
As already mentioned, you usually acquire the A, B or C license when training to become a personal trainer. The A license is the highest qualification, the C license is the lowest. In order to obtain the desired qualification, you usually have to pass a written and a practical examination. In addition, you will first work on some submission tasks or write exams, which will also be included in your grading.
The C license represents the basic training and trains you to assist a trainer or to lead senior and children's groups. The B license allows you to work independently or on the training floor in a gym. It is considered a prerequisite for admission to the profession of personal trainer. If you acquire an A license, you can also guide the training of professional athletes thanks to this training and your distinctive expertise. Essentially, the license you are seeking decides on your target group. The higher you qualify, the greater your choice of customers and employers. The A-license also enables you to look after children's groups or to work in a classic gym. However, a C license does not allow you to train a professional athlete.
In addition, for some training courses, you will receive specialized A or B degrees that bear the title of the respective field, for example a Group personal Trainer B license. With the Personal Trainer Training, a Master Personal Trainer is also available to you. However, despite the title, it is not an academic degree. In addition, some institutes grant you a so-called S license (special license). Here you qualify as an expert in a selected field, such as Pilates.
Furthermore, you can obtain the academic degree of Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) if you pass the exams, submission tasks and finally the bachelor's thesis. Economics content, which combines the institutes with sports science and medical modules, helps you to gain the necessary know-how for the management of fitness facilities. You can also obtain a diploma. To do this, you must write a diploma thesis, pass two final examinations and two intermediate examinations.
In addition, you have the opportunity to work towards the title of State-Certified Fitness Specialist (IHK). Alternatively, you can purchase an institution-dependent certificate or certificate from some providers. Often, the institute will also award you an A or B license after you have passed the respective written and oral final examinations. For some training courses, you will receive several degrees at the same time, for example the A license, the B license and a personal trainer license.
What requirements do you have to meet?
There are various requirements from institute to institute that you must meet for training as a personal trainer. Therefore, you should inform yourself thoroughly beforehand and compare the providers with each other.
Overall, many course providers only require applicants to have a minimum age of 18 years and a school leaving certificate, often the secondary school leaving certificate. With these features, you can usually purchase the C or B license. It happens that you also need to have practical training experience. A current first aid course is also sometimes one of the admission requirements.
In addition, for some distance learning courses you need a completed vocational training in any profession, such as a diploma. In order to qualify as a specialist trainer, fitness coach or trainer with an A license, the B license is partly necessary.
If you would like to take a Bachelor's degree, a university entrance qualification in the form of the Abitur, the master craftsman or a fachwirt degree is essential. For a dual distance learning course, the institutes also require a training contract with a company.
Overall, you should be interested in anatomy and have initial prior knowledge in this field. In addition, it helps you if you come up with sound training knowledge and experience so that you can successfully pass the training as a personal trainer.
Interesting facts Training personal trainer
The special feature of the training as a personal trainer is the high practical relevance in almost all courses. So boredom does not arise. You apply your theoretical knowledge practically and check whether you are suitable for the job as a personal trainer.
In addition to anatomical know-how and expert knowledge in the field of training, you should also have soft skills that you can prove in practical exercises. After all, you constantly deal with people in everyday working life and explain to them how to optimize their workout.
For this, a sympathetic, self-confident and competent appearance is indispensable. If you want to work in a gym or as a personal trainer, it's also about signing contracts. For this reason, negotiation skills and persuasiveness are among the desirable qualities of a personal trainer. If you combine these attributes, you are very well suited for this training.
