How to become a Personal Trainer

Becoming a personal trainer is a dream gig for many people who enjoy working out and staying fit.  If becoming a personal trainer is all you can think about, then this blog post is for you. In this guide, we'll walk you through the steps to becoming a fully qualified personal trainer in Australia. We'll cover the various qualifications and certifications required, as well as how to find clients and start your own business.

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‍Step 1: Get a degree in exercise or sports science

The first step to becoming a personal trainer is to get a degree. The top personal trainers in the industry will typically hold a degree in exercise science, kinesiology, or sports science. These degrees can provide a strong foundation of knowledge in areas such as anatomy, physiology, and exercise prescription that can be useful when you pursue a personal training career. Having a degree also means that you have the basis for charging your clients more later, when you start your own business.

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‍Step 2: Get certified as a personal trainer

The next step is to get a certification. The Australian Institute of Fitness (AIF) offers a range of courses that will allow you to become a qualified personal trainer. The most popular course is the AIF Certificate III & IV in Fitness which will give you the skills and knowledge needed to work with clients and provide exercise programs tailored specifically for them. Both courses cover a range of topics including anatomy and physiology, exercise science, health and safety, and customer service.

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‍Step 3: Become a member of AusActive

Once you have obtained your qualification, you should register with AusActive. AusActive is a not-for-profit industry body that helps personal trainers keep across the latest trends in the industry. The group also acts as an advocate to the Australian Government for those working in the industry.

Step 4: Complete a first aid course and purchase business insurance

As a personal trainer, there can be situations that arise where one of your clients gets injured during a training session. As a result, it’s important that you complete a first aid course. This will ensure that you are able to provide adequate care for your clients in the event of an emergency. Personal trainers are also required to have insurance in order to work in Australia. This insurance will protect you and your clients in the event of an accident or injury.

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‍Step 5: Develop a business plan

Before you begin working as a personal trainer, it is important to develop a business plan. This plan should outline your goals, target market, pricing structure, and marketing strategy. As part of your business plan, you should also review your competitors. Look at what other personal trainers are offering in your area, what their prices are, and how they promote themselves. You’ll want to use this information to help you differentiate your service offering in the market.

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‍Step 6: Determine your preferred work location

Once you have developed your business plan, you will need to find a suitable location for your business. This location should be easily accessible by your target market and have adequate facilities for conducting personal training sessions. For some, training may occur at an existing facility such as a sports ground or gym, for others, it may be something you do from the comfort of your own home, and for others, you may decide to travel and use your client's home as a training facility.

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‍Step 7: Find your clients

Once you have obtained all the necessary qualifications and certifications, it's time to find some clients. A good place to start would be by creating a website where potential customers can learn more about what services they offer and contact them directly with any queries or requests they may have. Once everything is set up correctly then all that's left is advertising yourself through various channels such as social media platforms or even local newspapers if appropriate. At the beginning you may decide to offer free trials or discounts on first-time sessions to get some clients through the door.

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Step 8: Select your accounting software

Thriday is the next generation accounting software designed for fitness instructors. Using AI, Thriday automates the process of tax compliance by categorising income and expenses and tracking GST. With easy access to their financial data, fitness instructors can quickly lodge their BAS returns directly from Thriday. Overall, Thriday's innovative approach to accounting and tax makes it a game-changer for fitness instructors. To find out how much time Thriday can sae you, take this quick quiz, and see what financial admin tasks Thriday can eliminate from your week.

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Whether it’s teaching classes at gyms or setting up a training facility on your own terms, there are plenty of opportunities available in personal training. All it takes is hard work, dedication, and a bit of self-promotion and soon enough those dreams of becoming an established fitness professional will come true.

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