When you qualify as a personal trainer, the biggest question isn't "What gym should I work in?" or "What software should I buy?"
If you’re an active person who’s passionate about fitness, becoming a personal trainer probably sounds like your dream career! And we can’t blame you, it’s a rewarding job with strong earning potential and the opportunity to become your own boss. So, how do you get started?
In this article, we’ll cover exactly how to become a personal trainer with no experience. Below, you’ll find an overview of the role, information on the skills and qualifications you’ll need, and answers to common FAQs.
We’ve also included a full career roadmap, which you can follow to go from having no experience or qualifications to being a successful PT with paying clients.
- What Personal Trainers Actually Do And The Skills You Need
- How to Get Qualified As A Personal Trainer
- Your PT Career Roadmap: From No Experience To Paying Clients
- FAQs
What Personal Trainers Actually Do And The Skills You Need
Personal trainers are responsible for creating and delivering training programmes for clients. They work with clients on a 1-to-1 basis or in small groups, tracking their progress and providing accountability as they work towards their fitness goals.
To be a successful PT, you’ll need a combination of technical and soft skills.
You’ll need to know how to create training programmes suited to a client's goals and abilities. A good understanding of the human body, anatomy, physiology, nutrition is also important.
These are all technical skills that you’ll develop during your Level 3 Personal Trainer course.
In terms of soft skills, communication and organisation are the top priority. Other relevant soft skills include:
- Listening
- Empathy
- Motivation
- Adaptability
- Reliability
- Customer Service
The good news for beginners is that soft skills are transferable. Even if you have no experience as a personal trainer, you’ll likely still have these core skills from previous roles or education experiences.
How to Become A Qualified Personal Trainer
Trying to figure out how to start out as a personal trainer can feel overwhelming, so let’s start with the essentials - qualifications.
What Qualifications Do You Need to Be a Personal Trainer?
Level 2 Gym Instructor Course
Sometimes referred to as a ‘Level 2 Fitness Instructor course’ this is your entry point into the industry.
A Level 2 course is the minimum requirement to work in a gym in the UK and qualifies you to work as a Gym or Fitness Instructor.
These courses are entry level, meaning you don’t need any prior experience or qualifications to enrol.
It is essential that you find a Level 2 course that is:
Level 3 Personal Trainer Course
Once you’ve completed Level 2, you can progress onto a Level 3 Personal Training Course.
With this qualification, you’ll be able to train clients on a 1-to-1 basis, creating personalised training plans that meet specific exercise goals.
A regulated Level 3 course will cover the relevant modules and topics required to provide you with the skills and knowledge you need to work as a PT.
Typical modules include:
- Advanced Anatomy & Physiology
- Nutritional Principles
- Personal Training Delivery
- Programming Training Sessions
- Demonstrating Leadership
- The Business of Being a PT
As with your Level 2 course, you should also ensure that the Level 3 course you choose is Ofqual-regulated, accredited by an Awarding Body and endorsed by CIMSPA.
For more information on CIMSPA endorsement, check out our article on ‘Why Choosing a CIMSPA-Endorsed Training Provider Matters for Your Personal Training Career’.
Your PT Career Roadmap: From No Experience To Paying Clients
This road map is designed for beginners and will help you understand where to start as a personal trainer. We’ll walk you through how to go from having no experience or qualifications to having an established career!
Months 0-3 - Get Qualifie
Start your journey by enrolling on an accredited Personal Training Diploma.
If you have the time to commit to a full-time PT course, you can get this step boxed off in as little as 4 weeks.
Need a more flexible way to study, say around your current job? opt for an online or hybrid course. These options allow you to work at your own pace and complete the course remotely.
Depending on your provider and how much time you can spend studying, you should be able to get qualified online in around 3 months.
Months 3-4 - Get Insured And Start Applying For Jobs
Once you're qualified, you need to get personal trainer insurance. It’s essential that you get insured before training any client.
Providers such as Insure4Sport offer specific personal trainer insurance. Regardless of which company you choose, there are two types of insurance that are absolutely essential:
Public Liability - Protects you in the event a client makes a claim against, following an injury under your supervision. It can also offer protection in the event that equipment is damaged in your place of work.
Professional Indemnity - Covers you against claims that a client suffered an injury following your advice.
As a PT it’s your responsibility to keep your clients safe, but accidents can always happen, so be sure to protect yourself. Failure to do so could result in significant legal fees.
Once you’re insured, it’s time to write your CV and start applying for jobs.
As with breaking into any new industry, it can be hard to figure out how to get experience, when you have no prior experience to land a job.
This is where transferable skills come in. In addition to shouting about your accredited qualifications, you need to emphasise your transferable skills from your previous roles.
If you’ve worked in customer service you could highlight strengths in:
- Communication
- Selling
- Rapport building
- Organisation
- Team leadership
These are all relevant to the role of a personal trainer.
Tip: Be sure to stay in touch with your training provider after graduation. Many offer career services such as CV optimisation, that will help you land interviews and get your foot in the door.
Check out these 5 tips to nail your personal trainer interview.
Months 4-9 - Start With an Employed Role in a Gym
Once you’re qualified and insured, the best place to start your career is by working in an employed role at a gym.
Employed positions are ideal for those with no experience because they give you guaranteed hours and a fixed income. The best opportunities are those that include a built-in client base!
As a beginner in the industry, this stability is exactly what you need while you build your confidence and get more familiar with the role.
The purpose of this employment stage in your career roadmap is to bridge the gap between becoming a qualified personal trainer and working independently. Use it to refine your coaching style, understand what type of clients you enjoy training, and develop your communication skills.
By doing simple things like offering technique tips or helping members set up a piece of equipment, you can naturally build relationships and get better at building rapport with potential clients.
Months 9-12 - Transition to Freelance
Now you’ve gained some experience in an employed role, it’s time to transition into freelance work.
Becoming a freelance or ‘self-employed’ personal trainer allows you to take more control of your career. You can set your own working hours, rates, and have more control over the kind of clients you train.
Rather than quitting your job and jumping straight to self-employment, we recommend a gradual transition.
Start by taking on a small number of freelance clients outside of your contracted hours. This will allow you to get to grips with administrative tasks like marketing and managing your diary, while still having the security of your employed salary.
As your client list grows, you can slowly reduce your employed hours until you’re ready to work for yourself full-time.
Check out this guide on becoming a freelance vs full-time personal trainer to learn more about the pros and cons of each.
Months 12-18 - Build Your Business and Specialise
By this stage, you’ve built a steady client base and are confidently working on a self-employed basis. So, what's next?
This is where your focus should shift to growing your business. As a self-employed PT you’re the boss and your earning potential is unlimited, you just need to develop a strategy that sets you apart from other PTs.
One of the most effective ways to do this is by developing a specialism or ‘niche’. Having a niche helps you position yourself as an ‘expert’ PT, which can attract specific types of clients and allow you to charge more for your specialist services.
When choosing a niche, think about your own preferences - what kind of training do you enjoy most? Or, what clients do you like working with?
Once you’ve made your decision, work out how you’re going to position yourself as an expert in this area. A great way to do this is by exploring whether there are any CPD courses you could do to build your knowledge and add to your credentials!
You could also grow your business and increase your income by expanding your services. Services such as online personal training, nutrition coaching, and group sessions are all great options.
Adding new services (especially online ones) allows you to make the most of your time, appeal to different types of clients, and create more flexibility in how you work.
By the end of this stage, you should have:
- Solid industry experience
- A healthy client base
- A clear specialism or ‘niche’
- One or more additional services, such as online coaching or group sessions
Everyone's career trajectory is slightly different, but this roadmap should make it easier for you to figure out how to start a career as a personal trainer and progress to running a successful business.
Have any final questions about your new career? We’ve included some FAQs below.
FAQs
What is The Cheapest Way to Become a Personal Trainer?
A personal training diploma is the most cost-effective way to get qualified. A diploma combines both of the essential Level 2 and 3 qualifications you need to become a personal trainer.
Most providers offer the diploma at a discounted rate, making this a more cost-effective way to get qualified (compared to buying each qualification individually).
How old do I need to be to become a personal trainer?
You need to be aged 16+ in order to enrol on a Personal Training course. The age requirements to become a personal trainer may differ depending on which training provider you choose to enrol with and the requirements of potential employers.
Can I change careers to personal training around my full-time job?
Yes, changing careers to personal training is possible at any age or stage in your life! By opting for a flexible study method like online training, you can easily qualify around a full-time job or family commitments.
What qualifications do you need to be a personal trainer?
You’ll first need to gain a Level 2 Fitness Instructor qualification (may also be referred to as a Gym Instructor qualification). This is a prerequisite for the Level 3 Personal Training qualification. It is also the minimum requirement to work in gyms in the UK.
You can then progress on to a Level 3 Personal Training course, where you’ll develop essential skills and knowledge. Without this certification you won’t be able to work or get insured as a personal trainer.
How to get experience as a personal trainer?
If you’re looking to get hands-on experience before you qualify, opt for a training provider that offers practical, in-person workshops. These sessions provide you with the opportunity to build your confidence in planning and delivering sessions.
How much does it cost to become a personal trainer?
According to the NRPT (the National Registry of Personal Trainers) the average Personal Training Diploma costs £1500. How much you end up paying will depend on factors such as:
- Your Training Provider
- Your Study Method
- Payment Methods (i.e. whether you’re charged interest to pay in installments)
Be sure to do plenty of research and compare training providers to ensure you’re getting the best value for money.
Can I train clients online if I’m just starting out?
Yes, you can start an online personal training business after you qualify. However, as referenced in our roadmap on how to become a personal trainer with no experience, it’s recommended to get face-to-face experience first. Doing so will help develop your confidence in working with clients and allow you to build a reputation within your local fitness community.
How long does it take to become a personal trainer from scratch?
Completing your Level 2 and 3 qualifications can take anywhere from 4 - 24 weeks depending on factors such as which training provider you choose and how you study.
Full-time or ‘fast track’ courses are the quickest way to get qualified, typically taking 4-5 weeks depending on your training provider.
Online and hybrid courses typically take longer but are much more flexible. Online courses can be completed in as little as 3 months, but this can change depending on how much free time you have to spend on your studies.
Finally, some community colleges offer Level 3 Personal Training courses. They often spread the learning out over an entire academic year, making this one of the longer ways to get qualified.
What experience do you need to be a personal trainer?
You don’t need any prior experience to start a career as a personal trainer.
The prerequisite Level 2 Gym Instructor course is an entry-level qualification. On completion of your Level 2 course, you can move straight onto a Level 3 Personal Training qualification.
In terms of landing a job, there are plenty of personal trainer jobs that don’t require any experience.
Am I too old to become a personal trainer at 30, 40 or 50?
You’re never too old to become a personal trainer, in fact a study conducted by the National Federation of Professional Trainers discovered that 40% of their certified trainers are aged between 42 and 60.
Age can even be seen as an advantage in the fitness industry as you will have more years of experience and transferable skills to draw from.
Do I need a degree to work as a personal trainer?
As our article ‘Do I Need to Go To University To Become a PT’ highlights, you do not need a higher education degree in order to become a personal trainer.
Whilst Sports Science degrees provide a lot of knowledge, a Level 3 Personal Training Qualification is the only essential qualification you need.
How much can I earn in my first year as a personal trainer with no experience?
Now that you know how to be a personal trainer with no experience, it makes sense that you’re curious about how much you could earn.
According to Indeed, the average salary of a personal trainer in the UK is £32,737. However, this stat is based on the data from jobs advertised on Indeed and is not reflective of the entire industry. Data on jobs boards doesn’t consider self-employed personal trainers, who typically earn more.
It’s hard to define exactly how much a self-employed personal trainer earns as there are many factors to consider. The most obvious being how many hours you work, how many clients you have and how much you charge.
Location can also affect salary. Generally speaking, you’ll earn more if you’re working in a city to a rural area. Salaries are also typically higher in the south of England. For example, PTs in London earn an average of £36,270, compared to £28,654 in Liverpool.
