Who is a fitness instructor? Learn Everything
A fitness trainer is a person who supervises workouts and monitors the correct execution of exercises. He can work with both beginners and professional athletes.
The main task of his activity is to correctly distribute physical activity in order to increase the ward’s endurance and increase the result of training. Without competent guidance, classes can be harmful to health, so education and specialization are very important for personal trainer certification.
The instructor can specialize in fitness yoga, Pilates, aerobics, Tai-bo, bodybuilding and other varieties. The industry offers several areas in which you can work:
Group program trainer
Group classes are always in demand in the halls. Most often, they are visited by women, and you can dial a class in different directions: dancing, stretching, aerobics, strength training and more. You can combine these systems and create your own workouts. The main drawback is that the instructor must perform all the exercises together with the clients, so it is difficult to conduct more than three classes per day. You can, as an option, alternate strength training with stretching or conduct morning and evening groups. It is very useful to work in this direction when you are just starting to learn a profession: you are developing communication skills, learning to hold attention. In Australia you must complete a minimum Cert 3 in Fitness to be qualified as a Group Program Trainer.
Instructor of the gym
Unlike group programs, work in the gym involves an individual approach to the client. Your task is to conduct an introductory briefing to each visitor, choose a training session and explain the technique of exercises. It is important to always be on the alert because the responsibilities also include securing the client. The trainer should have experience working with hardware and not just theoretical knowledge. You need to know how to work out each muscle group, how to build nutrition for weight loss, weight gain and relief. The main advantage is that the instructor is not required to train with the client; he only observes and corrects the technique. This format of work is suitable for a full day.
Personal trainer
For many, this is the pinnacle of a career in a fitness environment. They do not immediately become: you need to thoroughly and thoroughly study the basics of physical education and proper nutrition. A personal instructor must own many areas of fitness in order to choose the exact system of exercises for the client that will give the best result. This is a responsible profession, which involves the preparation of individual training and nutrition programs based on the health status of the ward. Such work requires, first of all, rich experience and professionalism.
Interesting fact
The average salary of a fitness instructor in European countries is 1.5 thousand euros per month. This is the income of a specialist with a daily load. If you work 3-4 hours a day, in Poland, you can earn about 400 US dollars per month. The range of annual income of trainers in America ranges from 21 to 81 thousand dollars.
The amount of salary is greatly affected by experience:
Entry-level instructors with less than 5 years of experience receive $34,000.
Specialists with experience of 5-10 years apply for earnings of 45 thousand.
Experienced trainers with 10-20 years of experience receive 50 thousand.
Instructors who have been working in the industry for over 20 years earn 53 thousand.
How is the trainer’s salary?
The income of the instructor, as a rule, is tied to the number of training (and clients, of course). At the same time, it is not necessary to recruit groups of 100 people, even if the hall is able to accommodate so many people. It is difficult to keep the attention of a large audience, and you will not be able to properly track the correct technique of each visitor.
Another factor that affects wages is seasonality. The summer months are considered the most disadvantageous, because the lion’s share of clients go on vacation, spend more time with their families. The hot season begins in September when people return from traveling and send their children to schools and kindergartens.
Each fitness club offers its conditions for cooperation. For example, your salary may consist of duty hours and personal training (this applies to gym trainers). Different tariffs (one-time classes, 5/10 training packages) are paid in their own way. You can receive an increased percentage of extended subscriptions or share profit with the hall in half.
What should be a fitness instructor
People who have graduated from a sports university often come to the fitness industry. These are qualified specialists with an extensive knowledge base, but you can become a trainer in the fitness room without higher education. The leadership of many commercial clubs does not matter if you have a specialized education. They will take you to the state if they see a good figure, knowledge in this industry and a combination of such qualities:
Responsibility and discipline
What you must teach the group should be inherent in you. You must not be late for classes or perform half-hearted exercises. This is a direct demonstration of disrespect for the time and intentions of customers.
Constant self-development
You must improve not only your form but also knowledge in the field of sports, proper nutrition. Keeping abreast and applying new techniques in practice is the duty of any employee who is committed to success.
Sociability
Establishing contact with a client is just as important for you as being able to squat correctly. Be prepared to communicate a lot, be friendly and polite.
Creativity
Of course, you can always follow strictly the instructions and work with the group according to the previously rolled-up program. Your value as a promising specialist is to generate new ideas, attract people with unusual, but effective training.
Own experience and innate abilities, however, are not always enough - that is why you need to take courses for trainers. In addition to personal training experience, anyone who intends to devote himself to the profession of a fitness instructor needs to have knowledge in anatomy, biomechanics, physiology, sports medicine, traumatology, dietetics, pharmacology and psychology. The chances of a position in an elite sports club will increase if you have sports achievements, medals, titles and special education.
Where to get an education
The most obvious answer to the question “Where to go to study to become a fitness instructor?” Is a gymnastics or medical university / college. But for those who passionately want to work in the fitness industry right now, there is another way - to complete special courses and get a category that matches your experience.
Having decided to take courses for fitness trainers, be sure to study the history of the company that offers education, and the reviews of graduates. Training, as a rule, consists of several stages:
Learning theory
Learning theory is a basic course in classical aerobics or bodybuilding. From here all the basics of the fitness industry and the basics necessary for work go. You will be given knowledge of human anatomy, physiology and biomechanics. In the end, you will definitely understand the work of the heart and vascular system, in the structure of muscles and joints. This theory is the starting point in the profession of a fitness trainer.
Getting practice
You will be taught the correct technique for performing basic exercises, warm-ups and strength practices, and they will be introduced to their variations and modifications. You will be taught every exercise from scratch so that in the future, you can demonstrate to customers how to perform them correctly.
Specialization
The choice of specialization follows the basic course. Do not limit yourself to one aerobics or gym, take training in step, yoga, water aerobics or Pilates. At such courses of the practical part, 70% of the training is given, because you will receive all the necessary theory at a basic level. You can choose a narrower direction: for example, children’s training, programs for pregnant women, rehabilitation courses for the disabled.
Conclusions
The gym instructor has many opportunities for phased development, which are united by only one thing - they need for quality knowledge. The more a trainer knows and knows how the more expensive his services are and the higher the demand among clients. Exercise your body and education - recognition and your earnings as a fitness instructor will grow steadily.
