Certified Fitness Trainer In Australia: Ultimate Guide to becoming one
To become a certified fitness trainer in Australia, there are several things you must do. This article contains tips on how to become a fitness trainer in Australia.
Most people think that it's not important to be a certified trainer but it is. There is an entire industry built around certifications and what they can do for you. In fact, some people say that the biggest mistake you can make when starting a new career is not getting certified.
There are many people in the fitness industry who have gone through a certification process. In order to get certified, you need to pass certain exams and go through a certain training program. Don't worry, we got you covered!
Evaluate Your Competencies in order to become a Certified Fitness Trainer
While this isn’t a formal certificate, it is a certification that will help you earn the respect of your peers, and perhaps even more importantly, it will allow you to get paid to train others. With this certification, you’ll be trained on the topics that employers are looking for right now, including social media, email marketing, mobile marketing, and search engine optimization.
So, what exactly is it that makes someone an effective instructor or trainer?
For starters,
- Good communication skills, including speaking and listening, written and verbal,
- Understanding of and ability to adapt teaching methods to suit the needs of different learners,
- Ability to assess and evaluate students’ knowledge and understanding, as well as their progress toward achieving their desired level of learning,
- Ability to build rapport with students.
- Commitment to quality assurance, including providing feedback,
- Ability to demonstrate empathy, sympathy, respect, and understanding toward the learners, and finally,
- Ability to motivate learners to improve and grow
Understand the Steps It Takes to Become a Certified Fitness Trainer
Step 1: Get qualified by studying a Certificate III/IV in Fitness course.
To become a fitness trainer, you first need to get nationally qualified.
If you want to become qualified in Australia, you must take either the Certificate III in Fitness or the Certificate IV in Fitness course. Obtaining this fitness qualification will allow you to learn and practice the critical tasks and responsibilities that fitness trainers face every day.
You will be able to prove to employers that you are fully competent as a fitness trainer with this certificate. Getting certified is the first step toward launching or improving your career as a trainer or business owner.
The 2 most sought-after qualifications are:
1. Certificate III in Fitness (SIS30315)
For those seeking to train in a gym or related facility. New fitness trainers often begin their careers as instructors in gyms. This certificate will equip you with the skills and knowledge you need to perform tasks inside a fitness facility.
Click here for complete course information about the Certificate III in Fitness
2. Certificate IV in Fitness (SIS40215)
Designed for those who want to be personal trainers. Having a Certificate IV in Fitness will allow you to train your own clients. In addition, you can run a fitness business with this certification. In order to set up your own fitness business and offer clients unique fitness training programs, the Certificate IV in Fitness is a must.
Click here for complete course information about Certificate IV in Fitness.
What will you learn in the Fitness Course?
During this program, you will learn all of the tasks and responsibilities of a personal trainer, including consulting with health professionals when creating fitness routines, designing fitness programs based on the individual assessments of the clients, delivering fitness activities, demonstrating and teaching fitness skills and movements, setting up and monitoring fitness equipment, and more.
With the higher Certificate IV in Fitness, you will be able to gain advanced skills useful for training clients and running your own business, such as these:
Provide clients with exercise programs
- Apply exercise science principles to fitness programs
- Give advice on diet and promote wellness by supporting healthy eating
- Marketing and planning for a small business
Are there any requirements for this course?
Both fitness training courses can be studied at an entry level by Australians who are just starting out or have limited experience in the industry.
There are minimum entry requirements for the Certificate III in Fitness, such as basic computer skills and a health screening. You also need to hold a current First Aid and CPR certificate.
You have to have these prerequisite units before you can enroll in the Certificate IV in Fitness.
If you want to be a trainer, you need to study Certificate III in Fitness. The best time to study this is before you start working in the industry. You can choose to enroll in the Personal Trainer – Sprint course bundle that combines these units together and enroll straight away without any previous studies.
Click here for complete course information about the Certificate IV in Fitness – Sprint Package.
Step 2: Gain actual work experience as a fitness trainer through vocational placement.
While you're studying for your Certificate III or IV, you'll need to undergo vocational placement in an actual gym or fitness facility. Vocational placement is designed to get you started working in the fitness industry. You'll spend a minimum number of hours assisting trainers and instructors.
This gives you valuable industry experience and guidance from experienced trainers, and networking opportunities to get to know other fitness professionals. Gyms, recreational centers, aquatic facilities, and other fitness facilities qualify as places where you can undergo the vocational placement.
Why is gaining practical work experience important?
Gaining work experience through the vocational placement is important because:
- You will gain hands-on experience and practice the tasks you can expect to do in the future
- It will help in your job search as employers look for those with actual job experience
- Expand your network by meeting other fitness professionals
- If you plan to start your own business, you will get a better idea of how to run and manage it
Step 3: Get registered as a fitness professional in Australia.
Registering as a fitness professional will give you support from an industry body and will increase your employer’s and clients’ confidence in you. When you register with a well-known and respected organization, it shows you meet their guidelines and that your qualifications and skills are up-to-date.
Fitness Australia is the top health and fitness industry association Australia-wide. They provide support services to registered personal trainers, fitness instructors, and fitness businesses. You can also get your insurance from Fitness Australia, providing you with security and peace of mind.
The requirements to register with Fitness Australia are:
- A relevant fitness qualification
- A senior First Aid or CPR qualification
For more information about registering, visit the Fitness Australia website.
Step 4: Apply as a fitness instructor
When you are finally qualified, you can begin applying for fitness roles in a variety of workplaces, including gyms, recreational centers, aquatic facilities, and other fitness facilities
You can begin by searching for role titles like:
- Gym instructor
- Physical fitness instructor
- Aerobics instructor
Click on the links below to check out the job openings in your area
What is the salary of Personal Fitness Instructors and Trainers?
The weekly wage of Fitness instructors is $1,651 on average. However, this depends on your level of experience and your location in Australia.
Personal Trainer Responsibilities and Skills
As a fitness instructor, the tasks and frequent responsibilities are ;
- Develop and implement exercise routines for clients
- Ensure that fitness programs meet the needs of the clients
- Guide and support clients to meet fitness goals, etcetra.
What Do You Do After You Become a Certified Fitness Trainer?
If you've got a plan, go for it! Now that you've gotten your certifications as a fitness trainer, it's time to put those skills to use. Find a program that you really enjoy and implement it into your client's lives. Once you're comfortable with the new program, you can branch out and start offering additional services.
Before you begin training people, you first have to train yourself. Start off with small changes and gradually build up to bigger changes. Your fitness program should include things like eating healthy meals, getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, and being kind and respectful to everyone. When you become a fitness trainer, you will find that you love helping other people. People will appreciate your help and you will also become more confident in yourself.
Is It Worth It, The Hours, The Money?
The cost of taking a personal training course in Australia depends on the city or region where the training is offered. This information comes from fiteducation.edu.au.
It’s for a certificate IV in fitness. According to the Career one website, personal trainers generally have a very successful career in Australia; projected job growth in 5 years in this field is 8.5%.
If you’re a personal trainer, you may spend much of your time helping others to improve their physical health. It's extremely rewarding to see your clients improve, especially if it's through your coaching and support. So yeah, totally worth it.
Summary of the guide to becoming a Certified Fitness Trainer.
Fitness is a rewarding career today, but only if you have what employers and fitness clients are looking for in a trainer.
To become a fitness trainer, you need to:
- Gain a formal qualification in fitness such as the Certificate III in Fitness, the Certificate IV in Fitness, or the Personal Trainer Course Sprint Package to prepare you to take on roles in the fitness industry.
- Gain workplace experience by performing actual work tasks during your vocational placement as part of your fitness course.
- You may choose to register with a respected industry organisation for support and recognition.
- Apply for roles such as personal trainer, fitness trainer, fitness instructor, gym instructor, aerobics instructor, or a fitness business owner.
A big part of being a successful fitness trainer is having good knowledge of exercise physiology and human movement. While there are plenty of courses available online and at universities, in order to truly know everything there is to know about exercise, you will need to take it on yourself. Find a local sports therapist who specializes in fitness, and ask them to give you lessons. Take some basic anatomy and physiology classes, and read all of the books in your library that you can.
