Personal Training Career Resources Personal Trainer Career & School Resource Center Get in-depth personal trainer information and find personal trainer schools... Everything You Need to Know to Become a Personal Fitness Trainer Learn about personal fitness training education, certification, career growth and more... Survival of the Fittest - A Personal Trainer Interview Read about Tim Sinnett's experience as a personal trainer... Personal Trainer Certification Overview Get certification eligibility, cost, program requirements and more... The Relativity of Personal Training & Physical Therapy Learn the difference between personal training and physical therapy careers... Popular Natural Health Specialties Massage Career Center Massage Therapist Training Massage Licensure Acupuncture Ayurveda Chiropractic Herbal Medicine Homeopathy Naturopathic Medicine Nutrition More Specialties Acupressure Acupuncture Alexander Technique Animal Therapy Aromatherapy Ayurveda Bioenergetics Biofeedback Bodywork Careers Breema Chair Massage Chiropractic Colonic Therapy Craniosacral Doula Training Energy Healing Feldenkrais Feng Shui Flower Essences Guided Imagery Hakomi Healing Touch Hellerwork Herbal Medicine Holistic Health Practitioner Holistic Nursing Holistic Skin Care Homeopathy Hot Stone Therapy Hydrotherapy Hypnotherapy Iridology Kinesiology Life Coaching Lomi Lomi Macrobiotics Massage Therapy Medical Massage Midwifery Myofascial Release Naprapathy Naturopathic Medicine Neuromuscular Therapy NLP Nutrition Ortho-Bionomy Osteopathy Personal Trainer Prenatal Massage Pilates Teacher Training Polarity Therapy Reflexology Reiki Rosen Method Rubenfeld Synergy SHEN Therapy Shiatsu Sound Healing Spiritual Healing Sports Massage Structural Integration Thai Bodywork Tibetan Medicine Trager Trigger Point Tui Na Yoga Teacher Training Zero Balancing

Become a Personal Trainer
Personal Trainer Career and School Resource Center

What is a personal trainer?
Personal training is one of the fastest growing segments of the health and fitness industry. From athletes to senior citizens, people from all walks of life are using personal trainers to help them learn how to exercise, lose weight and adopt a healthy lifestyle. A personal trainer performs the role of educator, motivator and coach.

Becoming a personal trainer requires learning about personal health, sports nutrition, injury prevention, and managing stress and lifestyle changes in future clients. Personal trainers usually earn their personal trainer certification from a personal trainer school. After achieving certification, personal trainers are relatively well-compensated, because people often pay top dollar to work out and achieve their fitness goals with a private, personal trainer.

How is personal training practiced?
Personal trainers meet with their clients from one to several times each week, usually for an hour at a time. The personal trainer guides the client in his/her workouts, utilizing flexibility, weight training and aerobics. Monitoring body fat and heart rate levels help track the client's progress.

There are numerous employment opportunities for a certified personal trainer. For example, employment can be sought at private health clubs, rehabilitation clinics, hospitals, spas, cruise ships or resorts. Some personal trainers start their own businesses once they have an established client base.

Personal trainers need to have a multitude of skills. Helpful personality traits might include being analytical, patient, nurturing, persistent, organized, an effective motivator and, most importantly, a good listener. Personal trainers should enjoy working with different kinds of people and be self-motivated. You don't have to look like a body builder to be a trainer, but you should definitely lead a healthy lifestyle to be a good role model for your clients.

How much money can I make as a personal trainer?
Personal trainers can charge anywhere from $25 to $200 an hour, depending on professional background, clientele and services.

What degree or certification is available?
You have to go through certification training to become a personal trainer, and there are many different certification programs to choose from. Learn more in our Personal Trainer Certification Guide. You can also find a personal trainer school that's right for you. Comprehensive programs leading to certification might include 300 hours of education plus 200 hours of gym time to become a personal trainer.

Where can I get training?

Alabama

National Personal Training Institute - A RESIDENTIAL Program in Orlando, FL

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Alaska

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Arizona

Cortiva Institute - School of Massage Therapy - A campus in Scottsdale, AZ

National Personal Training Institute - Phoenix Area/Chandler

Cortiva Institute - School of Massage Therapy - Scottsdale

Providence Institute - Tucson

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Arkansas

Bryan College - Rogers - Rogers

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

California

Bryan College - A campus in Sacramento/Gold River

CNI's California Personal Fitness Training School - Costa Mesa

National Personal Training Institute - Personal Trainer Program CA - CDM - Costa Mesa

FITA Fitness, Inc. - Hawthorne

FITA Fitness, Inc. - Newport Beach

National Personal Training Institute - Riverside

National Personal Training Institute - Sacramento

National Personal Training Institute - Personal Trainer Program - San Diego-Vista

National Personal Training Institute - San Francisco

National Personal Training Institute - Santa Monica

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Colorado

National Personal Training Institute of Colorado, LLC - Colorado Springs

Heritage College - Personal Training - Denver

National Personal Training Institute - Lakewood

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Connecticut

National Personal Training Institute - Personal Trainer Program - Norwalk

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Delaware

National Personal Training Institute - Wilmington

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

District of Columbia

National Personal Training Institute - Vienna, VA (near DC)

National Personal Training Institute - Training in Vienna, VA (near DC)

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Florida

National Personal Training Institute - Fort Lauderdale

Heritage Institute - Personal Training - Fort Myers

NPTI - Personal Trainer Certification *Residential Program* - Orlando

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Georgia

National Personal Training Institute - Alpharetta - Atlanta

National Personal Training Institute - McDonough

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Idaho

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Illinois

National Personal Training Institute - Personal Trainer Program IL - Chicago

National Personal Training Institute - Lisle

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Indiana

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Iowa

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Kansas

MTTI-WellSpring - Lawrence

Pinnacle Career Institute - Lawrence

Heritage College - Personal Training - Training in Kansas City, MO

Pinnacle Career Institute - Training in Kansas City, MO

Pinnacle Career Institute - Training in Kansas City, MO

Heritage College - Wichita - Wichita

National Personal Training Institute, CO - Training in Lakewood & Colorado Springs, CO

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Kentucky

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Louisiana

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Maine

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Maryland

National Personal Training Institute - Vienna, VA (near MD)

National Personal Training Institute - Training in Vienna, VA (near DC)

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Massachusetts

National Personal Training Institute - Waltham

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Michigan

National Personal Training Institute - Rochester Hills

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Minnesota

Globe University/Minnesota School of Business - Brooklyn Center

National Personal Training Institute - Brooklyn Park

Globe University/Minnesota School of Business - Plymouth

Globe University/Minnesota School of Business - Shakopee

Globe University/Minnesota School of Business - Waite Park

Globe University - Woodbury

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Mississippi

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Missouri

Heritage College - Personal Training - Kansas City

MTTI-WellSpring - Kansas City

Pinnacle Career Institute - Kansas City

Pinnacle Career Institute - Kansas City

Bryan College - Springfield - Springfield

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Montana

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Nebraska

National Personal Training Institute, CO - Training in Lakewood & Colorado Springs, CO

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Nevada

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

New Hampshire

National Personal Training Institute - Training in Waltham, MA

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

New Jersey

National Personal Training Institute - Hoboken

Institute for Integrative Nutrition - Training in New York, NY

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

New Mexico

Apollo College - Albuquerque - Albuquerque

National Personal Training Institute, CO - Training in Lakewood & Colorado Springs, CO

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

New York

American Academy of Personal Training - New York

National Personal Training Institute - Training in Hoboken, NJ

Institute for Integrative Nutrition - Training in New York, NY

National Personal Training Institute - Personal Trainer Program - Training in Norwalk, CT

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

North Carolina

National Personal Training Institute of North Carolina - Morrisville (Raleigh-Durham)

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

North Dakota

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Ohio

National Personal Training Institute - Cleveland

National Personal Training Institute - Columbus

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Oklahoma

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Oregon

National Personal Training Institute - Portland

Everest College - Tigard - Tigard

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Pennsylvania

National Personal Training Institute - Personal Trainer Program PA - Philadelphia

Mt. Nittany Institute of Natural Health - State College

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Rhode Island

National Personal Training Institute - Personal Trainer Program - Training in Norwalk, CT

National Personal Training Institute - Training in Waltham, MA

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

South Carolina

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

South Dakota

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Tennessee

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Texas

ATI Career Training Center - Dallas/Fort Worth

ATI Career Training Center - NRH - North Richland Hills

National Personal Training Institute - Sugarland/Houston

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Utah

Utah Career College - Layton

Eagle Gate College - Salt Lake City

Utah Career College - West Jordan

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Vermont

National Personal Training Institute - Training in Waltham, MA

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Virginia

National Personal Training Institute - Vienna

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Washington

National Personal Training Institute - Bellevue

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

West Virginia

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Wisconsin

National Personal Training Institute - Training in Brooklyn Park, MN

National Personal Training Institute - Personal Trainer Program IL - Training in Chicago, IL

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

Wyoming

National Personal Training Institute, CO - Training in Lakewood & Colorado Springs, CO

PCI Online - Web-Based, Online Programs

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