The road to becoming a personal trainer is a challenging one, which is great, otherwise everyone would be doing it. It takes more than just fierce determination and a great attitude at the gym to become a trainer; it does, in fact, rely on a collection of scientific insights surrounding the human body in action, an understanding of the body’s needs when it comes to nutrition and fitness, the psychology of an athlete and  the fundamentals of running a business. Each of these spheres of understanding could generate a corpus of information on their own, yet still, the personal trainer must know how to orchestrate them all into a cohesive whole if they are to become successful. It is for this reason, that personal training course subjects are covered in-depth.

Various courses will offer these subjects in a range of depth, however since each area is essential not only for the success of the trainer but also for the safety of their clients, they are covered in both diplomas and with certification to different extents.

Personal Training course subjects

EXERCISE, FITNESS AND HEALTH

Fitness, exercise and maintaining good health are the cornerstones of what it means to be a personal trainer, and because of this, online personal training courses cover them extensively.

The principles and insights behind these three concepts form much of the foundational knowledge of what it means to be a personal trainer; and as such, are covered from the perspectives of welfare in a fitness environment, as well as for enhancing exercise performance in clients and oneself.

ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

The study of anatomy and physiology involves a few key areas. The heart and the circulatory system; the musculoskeletal system; postural stability and core stability; the nervous system, hormones in the body and energy systems. All of this, with relation to exercise, at that is how the principles will be practically applied once you complete the course.

These principles will be looked at in the context of exercise and health, since those are the types of goals that your clients will someday have. This knowledge is important for personal trainers for two reasons: firstly to be able to tailor workout programmes to their client’s needs, goals and body types; and secondly to ensure that no injuries are sustained during training sessions.

NUTRITION AND FITNESS

When it comes to realising the body’s performance potential, nutrition is a factor that is often overlooked; but not by personal trainers. In fact, they put many hours into understanding the human body’s need for nutrients, especially when it is under stress or in recovery.

The right diet can do a lot for an athlete, and can do even more for those who are looking to a personal trainer to help them change their bodies. Trainers understand this well, and as such, have a sound understanding of how nutrients can enhance or debilitate an athletes performance; and which ones produce the most noticeable results when reaching for fitness goals.

WORKING WITH CLIENTS

All of the abovementioned subjects concern the body, anatomy and how it is affected by exercise and motion.  However those are not the only aspects involved with being a personal trainers. Trainers essentially work with people whether they are doing it online, doing one-on-one sessions or having group classes. Because of this, any personal training course worth its effort will go into detail on how to deal with clients.

Having said that, a good personal trainer needs to be in-tune with the needs, strengths, abilities and limitations of their clients, both mentally and physically.

Motivation is key, which is why personal trainers need to know effective strategies for getting their clients to push harder. To do this, a trainer needs to be able to communicate effectively with their clients, understanding what inspires discipline in them.

PERSONAL TRAINING PROGRAMMES

Setting up training programmes is a large part of being a personal trainer, and being able to plan a workout schedule based on all of the factors that come with each individual that makes up your clientele is not exactly a skill that comes naturally to most people. You need to learn it from somewhere, which is why it is an important part of any personal training course.

This knowledge will allow you to confidently plan, manage and adapt workout schedules for each of your clients in order to optimise them. This will make reaching their fitness a goals a consistent success, and will also enable you to conduct effective, well-thought-out sessions.

DELIVERING SESSIONS

Having a well-planned schedule is all fine and well, but without the ability to conduct it in an effective and structured manner, trainers and their clients will find it difficult to reach their goals. Because of this, it is essential that trainers are comfortable with delivering sessions before they enter the professional field.

GYM BASED WORKOUT PLANNING

Working with clients in a gym environment is a common part of being a personal trainer, and as such, experience and understanding in doing so comes from a personal training course. To this end, there are a number of topics to cover, which include designing and conducting cardio vascular programmes, resistance and flexibility training programmes and weight management and body composition programmes.

Armed with this knowledge, personal trainers are able to provide their clients with a variety of effective approaches towards reaching their fitness goals, regardless of what they are.

CONTACT TRIFOCUS FITNESS ACADEMY

If you would like to find out more about what it takes to become a personal trainer, or to enrol in an online personal training course, contact a representative from the Trifocus Fitness Academy, or visit our website for further details.

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