Target audience
- Gym Instructors wishing to pursue a career in the health and fitness sector as personal trainers
- Individuals, who already hold a gym instructor qualification, wishing to become self-employed running their own personal training business
Entry requirements
- A suitable Level 2 qualification in Gym Instructing
- The course requires physical exertion and individual participation is essential, therefore a degree of physical fitness is necessary
- There is an element of communication (discussing, presenting, reading and writing) and application of number involved, and learners should have basic skills in communication and application of number pitched at levels 3 and 2 respectively
Course content
- Know how to support clients who take part in exercise and physical activity
- Health, safety and welfare in a fitness environment
- Principles of exercise, fitness and health
- Anatomy and physiology for exercise and health
- Applying the principles of nutrition to a physical activity programme
- Programming personal training with clients
- Delivering personal training sessions
Teaching & Learning
The course will be delivered via a combination of theory and practical sessions
Assessment criteria
- Theory paper
- Case study
- Worksheet
- Summative observed session
- Session self-evaluation
Progression
- This qualification provides progression to higher level industry qualifications
- Learners may also progress onto qualifications in related sectors, like Sports Massage, where they will be provided with the knowledge and skills to practice sports massage alongside personal training in the health club environment or own business
- Alternatively, learners may broaden their knowledge and skills by progressing onto qualifications mapping to additional branches of the Level 3 Standards, such as Exercise Referral and Leisure Management
- The qualification will provide knowledge and practical skills to enhance provision alongside other academic courses such as: National Diploma in Sports Studies, A' level PE and HND in Sport and Leisure
Other information
- A fitness instuctor/personal trainer's role includes designing and implementing exercise programmes for a range of individual clients by collecting and analysing client information to ensure the effectiveness of personal exercise programmes
- A personal trainer should also actively encourage potential clients/members to join and adhere to regular exercise programmes, employing appropriate motivational strategies to achieve this
- To provide learners with the knowledge of anatomy and physiology, functional kinesiology and concepts and components of fitness
- To provide learners with the knowledge and skills to successfully gather and analyse client information using the most accepted techniques
- To provide learners with the knowledge and skills to assess a client's current health and fitness status
- To provide learners with the knowledge and skills to be able to plan and conduct a physical activity session, within a variety of environments using multiple resources
- To provide learners with the knowledge and skills to perform a client consultation using the most accepted methods and providing strategies for successful behaviour change
- To provide learners with the knowledge and skills to be able to communicate effectively to build successful relationships with their clients and other health care professionals
- To provide learners with the knowledge to be able to prepare for employment or to set up in business on a self-employed basis
- To provide learners with the knowledge and skills to be able to manage, evaluate and improve their own performance
- To provide learners with the knowledge to be able to offer nutritional advice for physical activity based on client's needs
