Personal trainers leverage their skill sets off of a specialised and comprehensive body of knowledge. Their expertise is the result of hard work and study, no small amount of experience, and of course, a keen interest in fitness.
But every trainer needs to start somewhere. They aren’t simply born with an understanding of anatomical and biomechanical principles, nutrition and being able to identify the special needs of their clients.
Each of these must be learned and mastered on the road to becoming a personal trainer. So let’s take a look at what you would need to study if you are looking to become one.
Personal Training Subjects
Applying Anatomical & Biomechanical Principles
Trainers need to have a sound understanding of how mechanisms and energy systems in the human body affect its movement and performance and, of course, how fitness activities affect the movement of the body.
Because of this, they need to have a background that understands the principles of anatomical and biomechanical principles, as well as how they affect the human body during exercise and fitness routines.
Sports & Exercise in Health
In order to take a holistic approach to helping clients achieve their fitness goals, personal trainers need to have an understanding of how fitness affects health and, of course, how health affects performance.
Because of this, they need to have a background in sports and exercise physiology in health, which explains how exercise and spot enhances overall health and wellness.
Specialised Nutrition Fundamentals
Nutrition plays a vital role in performance, fitness and wellness and, as such, a personal trainer needs to be familiar with its principles.
Correct nutrition is not just important for improving athletic performance but also has an impact on a person’s overall health, which is why professional trainers must consider it with care and understanding.
Because of this, they have to learn how nutrition and exercise work together and how the former can be adapted to assist with achieving performance goals.
Assessment and Screening
Trainers will also need to be familiar with the processes of assessment and screening. This is done for a couple of reasons. Firstly, they need to be able to gauge the performance and progress of their clients as they move towards their fitness goals and be able to report back accurately while also adapting the workout schedule.
Secondly, personal trainers need to be able to assess a client holistically by looking at their health and well-being accordingly.
Motivation Techniques
Motivation is an important part of the training process, and personal trainers need to be able to provide it effectively. This makes motivation techniques an important module for would-be trainers to opt in for.
Fundamental Fitness Business Principles
Personal trainers also need to learn the fundamentals of starting, running and managing their own fitness business. Because of this they need to learn how to be entrepreneurs, market their businesses, as well as take care of daily tasks like equipment maintenance.
Exercise Programme Design
Knowing how to design an effective exercise programme is an essential part of being a professional personal trainer. Specialised knowledge on how to do so allows trainers to build programmes that are accurately aligned to their clients’ fitness goals, abilities and progress.
Working with Disabilities
Personal trainers often work with special population groups such as the very young, the elderly or the ill. In such cases, a specialised and careful approach must be taken. These approaches require specialised knowledge to be able to be conducted properly.
Risk, Health & Safety in the Fitness Environment
Health and safety is important in any industry, but the nature of the fitness industry makes it especially vulnerable to risks of these types. Because of this, trainers require special knowledge on how to effectively reduce risks within their facility to maintain optimal standards of health and safety.
Contact the Trifocus Fitness Academy for Details
There is plenty to learn on the road to becoming a personal trainer but, don’t worry, you don’t need to do it alone! Trifocus Fitness Academy offers internationally accredited, highly specialised, online fitness courses that you can take to become a personal trainer. Contact one of our representatives or visit our website for additional information on our offers.
