 If you are considering changing career or becoming qualified to help others reach their health and fitness goals, there are many training courses available that can help you get that job. Here at The Fitness Group, we help people just like you gain the qualifications they need to find a career in the fitness industry. With over 6,700 gyms, studios and leisure centres serving 97 million people in the UK, why wouldn’t you want to get in on a career in an industry worth £4.7 billion or more? But how do you decide whether to become a gym instructor, a fitness instructor, or a personal trainer? There are a few differences between each role and knowing what they entail will help you make the right decision. Fitness Instructor/Gym InstructorA Fitness Instructor is employed by a gym, leisure centre or health club, and usually leads group fitness classes (often with other qualifications, too.) For some Fitness Instructors, clients are dealt with in groups, while others focus on teaching specific types of class (like Les Mills or Zumba). Fitness Instructors usually have a Level 2 qualification which means that they often lack the ability and knowledge needed to deal with clients on a one-to-one basis, especially if they have ongoing health issues. Gym Instructors work in the gym (as the name suggests). They can often be found sorting out and recruiting members, giving advice about safe usage of equipment, and depending on the facility they can sometimes produce a generic training plan for clients. Also qualified at Level 2, being a Gym Instructor can be a great starting point in the fitness industry for those who are looking to make a quick entry for a career. Personal TrainerA Personal Trainer, on the other hand, is qualified to at least Level 3 (Level 4 courses and the resulting specialisms are available), and this means they can assist people with their health and fitness goals in a more specific and focused way. Personal Trainers can be employed in the same way as a Fitness or Gym Instructor, but most often they are self-employed, working wherever is necessary to provide personal, bespoke training plans that include relevant nutrition advice. Personal Trainers develop long-standing working relationships with clients and the one-on-one attention that a great personal trainer offers can help clients reach their goals faster while avoiding injury. Assessing fitness, taking health-related measurements and build a regime that includes the right foods as well as the right exercise is just part of what a Personal Trainer does – they can also monitor the client as they complete the exercises to ensure they are being undertaken safely. Becoming a Personal Trainer needs more commitment – not only to the financial cost of the course but also the breadth of the content and assessments. Here at The Fitness Group, we offer a Level 3 Gym Instructing and Personal Training course that is perfect for those just entering the industry who want to be able to offer personalised, tailored training. Of course, if you have ‘dipped a toe’ into the world of fitness instructing with a relevant Level 2 course, you can take the Level 3 Personal Trainer course separately, saving time and money. Becoming accredited with CIMSPA, REPs and Ofqual thanks to The Fitness Group will give you the best start in your new career – whether that is as a Gym Instructor, a Fitness Instructor, or a Personal Trainer.
What is the difference between a gym instructor and a personal trainer? In the fitness industry there are many different roles with two that are very common and popular being that of gym instructor and personal trainer. But are these the same thing? Absolutely not. There are definite differences between these two roles, and we will explore some of those further. Firstly, it is worth noting that many personal trainers are also gym instructors, however there are also many gym instructors who are not personal trainers. The two roles can coexist, or you can have someone who is purely working as a gym instructor. It is also worth noting that the prerequisite to any personal trainer course is being a qualified gym instructor, so you would not find someone who is a personal trainer but not a gym instructor. It is therefore quite common that fitness professionals will be qualified in both gym instructing and personal training. Let’s take a dive in and look at the differences. What is a gym instructor? Simply put, a gym instructor instructs fitness in a gym. A gym instructor will instruct healthy adults on how to use pieces of gym equipment. This could be cardiovascular machines, resistance machines, free weights etc. A gym instructor will show healthy adults how to use these pieces of machinery and will write them a basic programme that will allow them to move around a gym and follow an exercise programme suited to them. Does a gym instructor go any further than this? This will depend on what other qualifications they have attained. If they are solely a gym instructor then those tasks, as far as fitness goes, are the role that a gym instructor would fulfil. If, however they have an exercise class qualification, such as a group-based training qualification or exercise to music qualification, then they may also take classes. Can a gym instructor do personal training? The simple answer to this is no. A gym instructor is not qualified to work one-on-one with a client if they have only got a gym instructor qualification. While there may be times where it is a one-to-one approach, for example showing a client how to use a piece of machinery, a gym instructor would not work for long periods of time with an individual client. The job is more focused on showing a client how to use equipment and making sure they are using it safely and effectively. What does a personal trainer do? A personal trainer, on the other hand, does work one-to-one with a client for prolonged periods of time. A personal trainer will work with a client, designing them a long-term programme which often follows quite thorough fitness assessments. The personal trainer won’t just design this long-term programme, but they will then deliver it one-to-one. So, whilst a gym instructor is writing very basic programmes and showing people how to use equipment, a personal trainer will write advanced programmes and will take the client one-to-one through each session. This could be an hour-long session which might include a range of different, advanced cardiovascular resistance techniques. The personal trainer will be there every step of the way one-to-one to support the client. A personal trainer will also give nutrition advice. Within the scope of their practise, a personal trainer’s job is to effectively pass on government guidance regarding nutrition and personal trainers can do this very effectively through exercises such as setting food diaries and giving advice to their clients on where they may be able to improve. This work isn’t something that a gym instructor would do unless they had achieved a separate nutrition qualification. Nutrition is a mandatory unit to become a personal trainer, and therefore all personal trainers should be able to give nutritional advice within their scope of practise. In terms of classes, this would again depend on whether the personal trainer has attained an exercise class qualification. If this is the case, then you will see them taking classes. Being a personal trainer by itself is all about working one-to-one with clients. What are the differences in pay structure? In terms of pay, a gym instructor is always employed by the gym whereas a personal trainer is usually self-employed. A gym instructor is therefore a position where you have a contracted job, a gym employs you and you receive a salary. A personal trainer on the other hand, is more often undertaken on a freelance basis where the personal trainer will charge their own fees and deal directly with the clients. So overall there are some definite differences between a gym instructor and a personal trainer. This has explored a few of the key aspects and highlighted some of the differences as to what a gym instructor does and what a personal trainer does. Hopefully this will prove helpful when choosing your career path within the fitness industry. To find out about becoming a Gym Instructor or Personal Trainer please see our range of Gym and Personal Trainer Course options
You would lead people in exercise activities and advise them on healthy eating. You’d motivate and inspire them to get fitter and healthier. You’d organise group and individual exercise programmes for your clients. You could offer a range of activities or specialise in a particular one, such as:
You might also work with specific groups of people such as older adults, children, people with disabilities or people referred by doctors. You would:
You’d be outgoing and friendly to encourage people, who may not be used to exercise, to enjoy it and keep on coming to the training sessions. As well as being healthy and fit yourself, you’d know about nutrition and healthy diets. A responsible attitude to health and safety is important. In small health and fitness clubs you may carry out routine duties, such as working at reception and the swimming pool, and doing health and safety checks. |
Describe one client that a fitness instructor with no other qualifications can work with
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