Becoming a Personal Trainer is one of the most rewarding career decisions. Few jobs enjoy the unique combination of doing something you love every day and (potentially) being very well paid for doing it. Our Personal Trainer Checklist: 10 Most Important First Steps will guide you through the tricky process of becoming an excellent PT.
Personal Trainer Checklist
Have a good read through our personal trainer checklist, and you will be well on your way to an incredible long-term career as a fitness professional.
1. Qualifications
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of Personal Trainer courses out there. Some are excellent, and some are not so great! How do you choose between all the courses on offer?
As excited as you are to plunge headfirst into life as a Personal Trainer, a little time invested right at the start will pay off in the long term.
Firstly, look for a course that will suit your availability. There’s no point in signing up for a full-time course if you can only dedicate a few hours a week to the qualification. There are plenty of home-study courses that allow you to work at your own pace, with the option to attend regular training days with tutors. These are often the best option for people looking for a career change.
Most people drop out of PT courses because they didn’t realise the required workload and struggled to fit it around their otherwise busy lives. Chat with the training provider, be realistic about your availability, and choose the route that best works for you.
I cannot recommend strongly enough that you look for a Level 3 course that’s regulated by OFQUAL and recognised by REPS/CIMSPA. These organisations set the industry standards that make sure every qualified Personal Trainer meets the highest possible level of competency.
2. Registration
Your Level 3 certificate is proudly hanging on your wall, and you feel ready to take on the world! I recommend you put a few more things in place before you get on the gym floor and start beasting people!
CIMSPA (Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity) registration not only shows prospective clients that you are suitably qualified to train them. This also fills them with confidence that you are a part of a reputable organisation that requires you to update your professional knowledge regularly (look at number 10 on this list for more details).
3. Insurance – Including a fantastic deal from Insure4Sport
Before you even consider training a client, make sure you get insured!
Although exercise is hands down the best thing you can do for your health and wellbeing, it does carry inherent risks. Should a client injure themselves during a personal training session, the likelihood is that you will be considered responsible for the incident.
A good insurance policy will cover you against potential liability claims, damage, loss, or equipment theft and even reimburse you for loss of earnings caused by personal injury.
Insure4Sport are an industry leader when it comes to sports and exercise-related insurance. I wouldn’t even consider using anybody else for my PT and Sports Performance coaching cover, with policies starting from as little as £4.12 per month!
Not only are Insure4Sport prices super competitive, but their customer service is second to none.
You can click here for an impressive 30% discount on your Personal Trainer insurance policy!
4. Register as Self Employed
It’s well worth chatting with an accountant before registering as self-employed. Although the process is straightforward, an advisor will discuss whether you need to set up as a sole trader or a limited company. They will also give you advice on paying your tax and National Insurance. Most Personal Trainers register as sole traders to start things off and often transfer to an Ltd when their turnover grows.
5. Business Plan (Including Pricing)
This is such a critical part of your successful personal trainer business. Having a comprehensive business plan allows you to project and monitor where you are and where you want to be.
Many new personal trainers are transitioning from another job, often continuing to work while they establish a client base. A good business plan will allow you to effectively plot when you can take the step of waving goodbye to your old career and fully commit to personal training.
A good pricing structure is crucial! Make sure your charges are fair and reasonable and provide you with the income you need. “Mates rates” are acceptable, but make sure you set your parameters with a fixed discount of 20% (or something like that) off the full price. People chat on the gym floor and in the changing rooms. There’s nothing worse than a client finding out they paid a tenner more for their “mate’s rate” than their buddy!
Consider how your clients will pay. Is it worth always carrying a portable card payment device? Are standing order forms a worthwhile investment?
6. PAR-Qs and Other Forms
There is nothing more unprofessional than a personal trainer apologising to clients because they have run out of consultation paperwork.
Remember, the PAR-Q, questionnaires, and other forms are there to provide you with the relevant info you need to establish a client’s health status and readiness for exercise. They also ensure that you have “ticked all the boxes” for your professional standards.
Signed forms also create a sense of trust in the trainer/client relationship that you genuinely take their needs into account and tailor their program individually. Make sure your paperwork folder is well stocked, to begin with, and re-stock forms regularly.
7. Venue
Establishing a training venue is essential. Whether you plan to train clients in a gym, at a local park or beach, or even at home, you need to seek the correct permissions.
Gym owners will not respond well to you simply rocking up unannounced and taking over the gym floor. Local authorities may even fine you for inappropriate use of a park or beach.
Have a chat with gyms in your area and ask about their commission rates (most gyms will demand a portion of your fee, usually 20-50%). Drop your local council a line and ask about the process required for using an outdoor venue.
8. Branding and Marketing
A funky logo and cool polo shirts will make sure you look professional from the offset, but an excellent initial marketing strategy will help to increase your client base.
Your strategy will grow and develop over time but consider the following fundamentals from the very start.
• Website
• Social Media Accounts
• Business Cards
• Flyers
• Posters
9. Online Training Platform
Modern personal trainers are multi-taskers. Nowadays, you must keep updated with current trends and client requirements. We have seen an enormous surge in online-based training in the last few years, and a comprehensive web-based training platform is now a big part of a personal trainer’s toolkit.
You might decide that Whatsapp or Google Drive are all you need to maintain communication with your client base. Alternatively, you may need professional software like Trainerize. Either way, an online training presence is an important consideration.
10. Continued Professional Development
There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to renew your CIMSPA registration, only to be told you have low CPD points. This point system is a brilliant way for governing bodies to ensure you are up to date with your knowledge and experience.
Every recognised course you take will provide you with CPD points. In fact, CIMSPA has a dedicated website offering free courses to their members so they can continually update their CPD.
Make a note in your yearly calendar and schedule time to sit down and run through a few CPD courses. This will keep your points up, but it will also make sure your knowledge is at the cutting edge.
We hope you enjoyed learning from our personal trainer checklist. If you require any further help please reach out.
