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Going Back to School to Become a Personal Trainer: What You Need to Know

A personal trainer is a fitness expert who works individually with a person to help them achieve their physical fitness goals. Personal trainers can be affiliated with organizations and businesses as an employee or they can work for themselves out of a gym or even out of their own home. Many personal trainers make house calls to their clients, so they don't necessarily have to have an office at all.

What's involved in being a personal trainer?
The career of a personal trainer is very much up to that person. There is no one path a personal trainer has to follow. They can have as many or as few clients as they want, and they can charge whatever fee they want if they work for themselves, as long as it's in line with industry standards. Being a personal trainer is probably one of the most creative careers out there, in terms of how the business can be run.
A personal trainer can agree to be retained full-time by one person, traveling with that person and working with them exclusively, such as personal trainers who work with celebrities. Or they can work with several different clients, supervising their workouts at their homes.


People place a of trust in their personal trainers.

How much can tuition cost?
Personal training tuition and subsequent certification costs vary according to the state you are in and what course you decide to enroll in, but one example is the Personal Training Institute in Colorado. Their total tuition for the whole program is just over $8000. Student loans and federal grants are available toward this cost since the institute is accredited.


Sometimes personal trainers choose to teach in a group setting.

How long does it take to get certified?
The National Personal Training Institute in Colorado curriculum takes 30 weeks or 600 hours to complete.
Other personal training courses may take longer or shorter, but remember that the more time you put into learning the trade, the more successful you will probably be. Something to remind yourself when you're considering investing a lot of time into an endeavor is that the time is going to pass whether or not you take the course. It's a difference of whether or not you will be holding a personal training certificate in your hand at the end of the day.

Find out more
To find out more about how to become a personal trainer, visit the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America. They have detailed information about obtaining your official personal training certification and what it's like to actually work as a personal trainer.

Kate Supino is a professional freelance writer and small business owner who writes extensively about business degree careers and best business practices.

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