While the UK fitness industry is worth nearly £2 billion, with around 6,700 gyms, and almost 10 million gym members across the country, the last year has been one of its toughest.

Like many other industries affected by the pandemic and national lockdowns, the end looks to be on the horizon. With the reopening of gyms will come not only millions of returning members, but a whole swathe of others by the looks of things.

A weird time for everyone, the lockdown has made many consider a career change, and the fitness industry offers huge rewards for those not only into fitness, but those who love spending time with people and making a difference. However, a Personal Training certification is key, and there is a variety to choose from.

Lockdown career changes and gym usage

If you were thinking of a career change, you wouldn’t be alone. During the lockdown many people lost their jobs, with UK unemployment surging to more than 2.7 million in August 2020. On top of this, furlough meant many individuals were left at home, with many wondering if a career change should be on the cards.

A study of adults during the pandemic discovered that 39% were considering changing their careers. Meanwhile, 1 in 10 considered retraining for something completely different.

If Personal training has been creeping up in your mind, maybe now is the best time to work towards that accredited Personal Training Certification.

With 88% of the previous gym goes saying they’d use gym facilities more or less the same when once reopened, while 20% of previous non-gym goers saying they’ve become more active during the lockdown, alongside 48% of people saying they’d gained weight during the lockdown, an increase in gym-goers post-pandemic looks likely.

If this is tempting you to re-train in the world of personal training, one thing you will need is one of the most reputable personal training certifications.

Why do I need a personal training certification?

While you may think those trainers on YouTube make it all look easy, there’s a lot more to being a personal trainer than throwing on some shorts, popping on a camera, and doing some squats.

While the exercise and fitness element is key for both you and your clients, there’s much more you need to know, such as how to create and adapt routines and meal plans to suit each person, how health can affect exercise, and how nutrition and exercise go hand in hand amongst other things.

Therefore you must get one of the most reputable personal training certifications before you can start.

These personal training certifications will be recognised by professional industry bodies CIMSPA and REPs. If they’re not, look elsewhere.

But, what are they? Let us break it down:

• REPs – this is an independent register for the health and fitness industry, and recognises the training or qualifications and expertise of instructors in the UK.
• CIMSPA – short for the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity, this is the professional development body for the sports and physical activity sector in the UK.

Here at Focus Training, we not only provide excellent courses designed to send you on your way into the fitness industry, but they’re recognised by official bodies too.

The Personal Training Certifications at Focus Training

When looking for a personal training certification to help kick-start your fitness career in a big way, the personal trainer course that we offer is made up of two parts.

Level 2 Gym Instructor Certificate

This certification educates you to a professionally competent level, which will allow you to prescribe, plan, and deliver safe and effective exercise programmes within a gym or health club.

Nationally accredited by REPs and CIMSPA and Active IQ. The gym Instructor Qualification is needed to be able to progress to the Level 3 Personal Trainer course. Because of this, if you decide to advance further and undertake a higher qualification, you’ll already be in the perfect position to do so.

Overall, it’s perfect for those looking to start a fitness career, or those looking to turn an existing passion into a new career path.

Level 3 Personal Trainer Qualification

Following on from the level 2 qualification, the level 3 course covers the advanced techniques to take you to the next level. If your goal is to become a  Personal trainer this is the perfect certification. By combining Level 2 Fitness Instructor and Level 3 Personal Trainer qualifications, you’ll be able to throw yourself straight into working your way from fitness lover to expert fitness professional. The Personal Trainer Diploma includes both the Gym Instructor and the Personal trainer qualifications.

Available as either a full-time or part-time course, which incorporates home-based learning, this course will give you excellent flexibility as you begin to adapt your existing life around your future one.

Along the way, you’ll learn:

• How to warm up/cool down
• Anatomy and physiology
• Free weight exercising techniques
• Cardiovascular conditioning
• Resistance machine exercise techniques
• Bodyweight training
• Flexibility training
• Principles of exercise programme design
• Communication and teaching skills
• Screening and risk factor identification
• Promoting physical activity for a healthier lifestyle
• Healthy pregnancy
• Healthy older adult
• Fitness for children 14+
• Customer care – the do’s and do not’s
• Health and safety in the workplace

Following the completion of either of these courses, you’ll be able to embark on your fitness career journey. And, when you’re looking to expand your knowledge, we provide a wealth of other courses to ensure you can add those extra strings to your bow.

If you’d like to find out more about any of our courses, please get in touch with Focus Training today.

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