Starting out in a career in Personal training can be equally an exciting and rewarding journey. As the demand for fitness professionals continues to rise, choosing the right training provider is truly crucial. Your education and certification lay the foundation for your success as a personal trainer and further career. Therefore, it is essential to carefully consider and select a reputable and comprehensive training provider. 

To get the latest views on this we caught up with Fitness Education expert and founder/CEO of personal trainer course provider Study Active James Luscombe to get his opinion and how to navigate these tricky waters. In this blog, James details key areas to consider when embarking on your personal training career. If you are currently in the process of choosing your training provider, stop and give this a read as this really may help shape your future in Personal Training. 

"Why is it so important to be selective about your training course provider?"

Simply put, you are investing in your future and are looking to acquire skills that are going to enable you to pursue the career that you really want – so the decision you make must be the best one for you. Get this decision wrong and you risk your career plan going up in smoke because if the knowledge transfer is not there then you will simply not have the skills needed to succeed in what is a very competitive sector. Unfortunately having just, the piece of paper (i.e., your certificate) is only half the battle – you need the skills to go with it. It is therefore important to consider how you want to learn, how you would like to be assessed, how much tutor support you would like, how comprehensive you want the learning resources to be and overall, what do you want your experience to look like. 

Unfortunately, a segment of the market may think they want to get the cheapest and quickest fix possible, thinking like this leads to the same results – unfortunately this is rarely the case, and such an approach could lead to all kinds of issues further down the line.  You need to look beyond price and consider the bigger picture. One should ask why is it that one provider charges half the price of everyone else, what are the reasons behind this? What might be missing?

Also “quick fixes” are often anything but. It is very easy for a provider to tell you that you can qualify in two or three weeks – however is this really the case? Probably not! Any legitimate PT course follows the exact same syllabus so it’s somewhat bizarre that one provider may quote 6 weeks and the next may say 6 months (the latter being much more realistic) for the exact same learning journey! It is therefore imperative that one looks past marketing claims and instead focuses on fact. 

Whether you prefer a face-to-face or online/blended based course, the first thing to understand is that not all personal trainer course providers offer the same learning experience or course quality – even though the certificate at the end may be of equal weighting, the actual experience can be anything but. This is why it is so important that you look past “just the certificate” and focus on what that actual journey may look like. Otherwise, you risk not assimilating the skills you need or worse still not completing at all! Think of it like going on holiday – you don’t just look for the cheapest possible holiday out there, more so you do your own research and look for one that is going to be a valuable and rewarding experience to you.

My advice is don’t rush, take your time and certainly do not be taken in by wacky marketing claims or persuasive sales calls offering “one day only” deals (that often are actually on every day of the year!). Start your search by exploring who is a CIMSPA endorsed Training Provider Partner. This shows who CIMSPA have actually given their stamp of approval to, so in essence CIMSPA have done a lot of the work for you in identifying the quality providers out there. Checking who is endorsed is so easy – just go to the CIMSPA Directory and search “partners”. You are looking for providers who are listed as “Training Provider Partners”. You will be amazed how many providers there are who choose to place the CIMSPA logo on their website but aren’t on the CIMSPA endorsed provider list! Choose wisely! 

If you choose the right CIMSPA endorsed training provider for you, be this face-to-face or online/blended then this will hopefully empower you to pursue the career you want and give you the necessary skills to impress your employer or clients and enable you to make the impact you want to make within the sector. If you neglect to do your research however and end up making a poor choice with regards to a provider, you may find that your career struggles to get off the starting blocks – remember the industry is super-competitive so you must give yourself every reasonable competitive advantage.

"How can this potentially affect your clients?"

Well, imagine if you had a leak in your bathroom and you called a plumber to take a look. That plumber arrived and then clearly was out of their depth and then informed you that they had just done a distance-based course with a video assessment and no tutor contact. It would be little wonder why the plumber was stunted with a leaky tap as they would not have come across this in real life. Chances are you would ask them to leave and not use them again! Now apply this same level of thinking to a PT working with their client, it’s reasonable to think that the exact same notion applies. A PT may be “qualified”, may have a “certificate” but do they have the necessary skills and knowledge to make a difference. Such skills do not magically appear just because a certificate is issued – these skills must be taught, learned and mastered – this will only come from a learning journey that is good quality and specific to your needs – this could be face-to face, or it could be online/blended but either way there should be at least the option for face-to-face practical coaching and assessments. Yes, you may pay a little more to get this but think of that as a worthy investment compared to the amount of clients you may lose if you neglect this! 

"Cost and convenience – why there is much more than just cost and convenience to consider"

Everyone likes value for money, and everyone likes a good deal. But there is a big difference between getting good value for money and getting the cheapest possible price for a product. Imagine you want to purchase a new television. You can spend anything from a few pounds to a few thousand pounds! Yes, the end result is you will be the proud owner of a TV – however these will almost certainly not be the same model – there will be a gigantic variation on the type of TV, quality, features etc. We can apply the exact same philosophy for a Personal Trainer course – it’s not about simply finding the cheapest fix - there is a much larger picture (no pun intended!) to consider.

With regards to convenience, it’s important to make a decision subjective to yourself. Online/blended learning absolutely has its place but it’s not necessarily a quick fix, for example if you learn better in a classroom with tutor contact then maybe don’t choose an online course. However, if you are tech-savvy, and don’t relish the experience of sitting in a classroom then online/blended could be a good option – however don’t assume online learning is an easy ride – it’s the same course that you would study in a classroom. 

 It is important also to make sure than any online/blended learning option you choose considers the “human factor”. What I mean here is that any online course should have regular support from a tutor – most learners find this is an invaluable aspect of any online learning experience. As previously mentioned, it is also important that any online learning provider offers the opportunity of a face-to-face practical assessment – if a provider only offers video submission as their default method of assessment, then you may well miss out on all important career-defining skills, which is why the option of a face-to-face practical assessment is so important.

Study Active offers blended learning which sees online learning fused with regular tutor support plus face-to-face practical coaching & assessments. To find out more please see https://studyactive.co.uk/ or find all of our courses here.

Key Takeaways 

In summary, choosing the right training provider for personal training is crucial for success. A competent provider ensures you receive high-quality education, practical skills, and professional certifications. They understand the latest industry trends, techniques, and safety protocols. A reputable provider offers comprehensive curriculum, experienced instructors, and hands-on training, equipping you with the knowledge to design effective fitness programs and assist clients in achieving their goals safely. The right training provider sets a strong foundation, enhances your credibility, and increases opportunities for career growth in the competitive field of personal training.

James since writing this blog has put together a comprehensive information site to showcase some advanced advice people need to become a PT. This is  published here https://whichpersonaltrainercourse.co.uk/