Personal Trainer Course Australia

[jockeywilson]

Hi,

I am currently living and working in Japan teaching English and have decided to go to Australia by March 2010 to enrol on a Personal Trainers course at one of the institutions over there, in either Brisbane or Sydney.

I have narrowed down the search for the most thorough and reputable institution to 3. Either, Australian Institute of Fitness(AIF), Technical and Further Education College(TAFE), or Fitness Institute Australia (FIA).

Does anyone have any opinions or information relating to their experiences or knowledge of these companies?

I have heard positive and negative things about each of them, especially FIA. Their course is the most expensive yet you can complete the course in 8 weeks on the full time basis. This seems a little too quick to then be fully qualified as a personal trainer. I have heard good things about the course at TAFE. People have said it is a lot more thorough and also respected in the fitness industry.

Counld anyone shed any light on this matter as I would like to have as much information from knowledgable people I can.

Thanks a lot,
Jockey

[jockeywilson]

anyone have any info?

[Simmo0508]

Hi,

I am currently living and working in Japan teaching English and have decided to go to Australia by March 2010 to enrol on a Personal Trainers course at one of the institutions over there, in either Brisbane or Sydney.

I have narrowed down the search for the most thorough and reputable institution to 3. Either, Australian Institute of Fitness(AIF), Technical and Further Education College(TAFE), or Fitness Institute Australia (FIA).

Does anyone have any opinions or information relating to their experiences or knowledge of these companies?

I have heard positive and negative things about each of them, especially FIA. Their course is the most expensive yet you can complete the course in 8 weeks on the full time basis. This seems a little too quick to then be fully qualified as a personal trainer. I have heard good things about the course at TAFE. People have said it is a lot more thorough and also respected in the fitness industry.

Counld anyone shed any light on this matter as I would like to have as much information from knowledgable people I can.

Thanks a lot,
Jockey

Like you said, TAFE is a lot more thorough and detailed with what you learn and cover, and for me back when i did mine, we had some pretty experienced ex-trainers teaching us and an olympic strength & conditioning coach working with us.

The course is longer, however it leaves you with more info. That should a positive, not a negative, in the perspective of a wannabe trainer. Learning your craft should be #1 priority, not rushing into the industry without knowing what you're doin.

FIA/AIF students do get churned through a lot quicker, without knowing a lot of intricate stuff from my experience here at work when getting to know those guys. Some guys are fine, but that's as a result of their own external research and general interest in fitness. A total noobie would have no clue what to do after 8 weeks of basic study.

[KyleAaron]

I am busily researching the same thing.

There are few key things to think of. One is that there are two Certificates to becoming a PTI. The first is Certificate III (gym instructor). That just lets you hang out at the gym, show people how to bench press and that sort of thing.

The second is Certificate IV, and there you specialise in either Group Trainer or Personal Trainer. The group one is for aerobics classes, that sort of thing. The personal one is what most of us here are interested in, it's one trainer with one to a few people. This lets you take people in at the gym or on your own somewhere, assess their fitness and strength, discover their goals and tailor a workout to suit.

The thing about TAFE courses generally is that they vary a lot from one institution to another. There are a few core subjects they have to cover, like anatomy and basic exercise physiology (eg "the pectoralis major is an abductor and is inserted on the humerus") then a whole swag of optional ones - it's up to them which they present you with, so two people going to two different institutions, one might know about (for example) aquatic training, and the other doesn't.

It seems that Cert III and IV each have around 100 contact hours, that is hours in classes. Supposedly it's an hour or two outside the class for each hour in class, for reading and study. You can do these hours full-time and get each Cert in 3-4 weeks, or do them part-time an evening or two a week and it'll take 10-16 weeks.

A few institutions offer Cert III/IV as a package, you do them both together in one course.

In addition, you need a practical placement of around 20-40 hours - that is, putting into practice what you learned in class and study. Some institutions offer this practical placement in-house, others expect you to go and ask your local gym or something. In-house is better, since some gyms will say "okay" and then just get you to do photocopying and making coffees for the day, doesn't teach you much.

Lastly, you need Level 2 First Aid. That's CPR, recognising signs of a stroke, stopping bleeding, recognising and treating shock, basic binding of sprains, that sort of thing. Some institutions just slot it in as part of Cert III/IV, others expect you to do it separately.

Prices vary widly, from about $1,000 per Cert to $5,000. Level 2 First Aid is $200-$500 on its own. I'm visiting the places which interest me. I think you have to balance cost with travelling distance, the facilities offered, whether the practical and first aid are part of it, how you like the instructors, and so on.

That's all I know so far.

Oh, and like Simmo, I've not heard good things about AIF. Standards obviously do vary - just look at gyms you've been to, and how different PTIs are. Some are great, some useless, some could be great but seem burned out and don't care, etc.

I think some people enter the profession imagining they'll be cruising along with Ian Thorpe counting his reps on his bench press or something. They're not really prepared for the fact that 99% of clients are going to be ordinary overweight and unfit people with terrible diets who want a big change without any change, if you know what I mean

[Simmo0508]

In addition, you need a practical placement of around 20-40 hours - that is, putting into practice what you learned in class and study. Some institutions offer this practical placement in-house, others expect you to go and ask your local gym or something.

It's funny, i only did 2 hours worth and i completed that module no problem lol Our teacher didn't really care in my case (which was good of him at the time).

The guys that were into fitness and were more cluey about things in general were given more le-way with a few things, compared to most of the others whom were beginning their knowledge base altogether.

So yeah feel free to let your teacher know where you're at in terms of prior knowledge and experience. You often get a bit of an exemption with things dependant on like i said, where you're at.

[KyleAaron]

What's the job scene for new PTs like, Simmo? Not just number of opportunities, but what to look out for, what to try to present, etc?

[jockeywilson]

thanks for the repsonses lads, very useful. sounds like the courses are only a few weeks long across the board so i'd ideally like to enrol on the one with the most indepth and high quality instruction. just need to find out which campus' offer the modules i would want as part of the course.

out of curiosity, for a bloke coming to aus for the first time to study and then work, which city do you recommend, brisbane or sydney? i like the warm weather and the beach banter of queensland, but i hear the job opportunity for qualified PT's in sydney is rife.

thanks again.

[KyleAaron]

I recommend Melbourne! Bugger Brisvegas, and Sydney is like a big Toorak, all snobby and rushed.

What is your ethnic/religious background? For a pure Anglo-Celtic type, Brisbane is best. For someone Indian or Chinese or just about anything, Melbourne's best. Sydney is as multicultural as Melbourne, but it's not mixed - each group has their own little ghetto. Whereas in Melbourne at the Irish pub we have "Murphy's risotto" - beef and Guiness. Now, I'd never eat that, but it does show you how we mix things up. So if you're Anglo-Celtic and don't want to be disturbed by the existence of other cultures, Brisbane's the go. If you're any ethnic group and like a community of similar people regarding everyone else as alien and a threat, Sydney. If you want a big fruit salad of people, Melbourne.

Wherever you study, you're not obliged to work there, remember.

[wizard_of_aus]

I recommend Melbourne! Bugger Brisvegas, and Sydney is like a big Toorak, all snobby and rushed.

What is your ethnic/religious background? For a pure Anglo-Celtic type, Brisbane is best. For someone Indian or Chinese or just about anything, Melbourne's best. Sydney is as multicultural as Melbourne, but it's not mixed - each group has their own little ghetto. Whereas in Melbourne at the Irish pub we have "Murphy's risotto" - beef and Guiness. Now, I'd never eat that, but it does show you how we mix things up. So if you're Anglo-Celtic and don't want to be disturbed by the existence of other cultures, Brisbane's the go. If you're any ethnic group and like a community of similar people regarding everyone else as alien and a threat, Sydney. If you want a big fruit salad of people, Melbourne.

Wherever you study, you're not obliged to work there, remember.

LOL! Seen the news lately mate?

[KyleAaron]

I have indeed.

The racist attacks on Indians have been relatively few, and confined largely to the western suburbs. But 80% of the people live on the north and eastern sides. The strongest guy in my afternoon gym visits is a 51 year old Sri Lankan businessman, was 19 years in Victoria Police. His best gym mate is a Chinese guy in his fifties. My best gym mate is Cambodian. About half the people in my gym are Indian or Sri Lankan.

Iron knows no colour. Iron doesn't care if you've got slanty eyes or round ones, if someone chopped a bit off your penis or not, or anything else about what you've got in your pants. Iron doesn't know if you wear a baseball cap or a turban or a kippah. Iron doesn't care whether you take a day off to eat a whole chicken and two whole salmon, or take a day off to go to temple or mosque. Iron is iron.

We all mix quite happily down here in the southeastern suburbs. If any little mobs of cowardly teenaged boys have got a problem with anyone's colour or place of origin, then there are some pretty strong guys who are willing to have a chat to them about it. That includes me. I'm no giant, but I'm big enough to deal with the little turds who pick on anyone in my city.

That's why it doesn't happen this side of town. The west side, there are skinny little pacifist guys who don't want to bother anyone, so of course they get picked on - they'd get picked on whatever the colour of their skin or the sound of their accent.

Now compare with Sydney's frequent racial problems or Brisbane's whitebread ways, and you'll see that while Melbourne ain't a paradise, it's the best Australia's got for everyone getting along together like civilised people.

But hey, thanks for your useful, on-topic contribution to the thread.

[jockeywilson]

thanks kyle, a very useful depiction of some aussie cities. will definitely give it some more thought now. but i suppose i can always move on if i dont like the city i chose after i am qualified.

cheers lads.

[KyleAaron]

I've now got some information about TAFE courses, too. Basically, it seems to be $575 for each of Cert III and Cert IV, the First Aid lvl 2 separate ($100?), and each takes a semester; they only offer part-time.

So it seems that PT education is like everything else: you can have it good, fast or cheap - usually only one of the three, if you're lucky you get two out of three, but never all three!

From talking to PTs and gyms, it seems that

• TAFE - good and cheap
• AIF - quick
• Various private colleges - quick, and some good - though expensive, because they get all sorts of successful industry professionals in, you get to make contacts which can help you in employment later

It's to get much info about the reputation of the private joints, basically not many people have gone through them so...

Apparently PTs tend to last only a few years in the job. This seems to be to do with the disillusionment I talked about earlier - dealing with overweight middleaged people who want a change without having to change, rather than dealing with super-motivated athletes. Like any job, it's best if you have a clear idea of what it's like before getting into it.

I will probably go to TAFE, and try to do as much work experience as I can, not just the minimum 20 or so hours. This will help me do the job better, and also make me some contacts to help with post-cert enrolment. Once employed I'll have the spare cash to do Cert IV quickly. Well, that's the plan anyway, we have to see how it goes.

[KyleAaron]

To lay it out with numbers,

• somewhere like AIF is quick: 8 weeks for Cert III and IV, about 240 contact hours and $5,000,
• all the private colleges are quick - 3-4 weeks for each of Cert III/IV, about 300 contact hours in all, and some are good, but $3,000-$4,000 for the two
• TAFE is good and cheap - a semester for each of Cert III/IV, over 1,000 contact hours in all, but will only cost $1,150 (plus some books & the First Aid lvl 2)

[dparm99]

I work at Australian Institute of Personal Trainers and am nearly finished the course myself.

The main course we offer is a flexible one where you can do the theory at home at your own pace and we also allocate you an experienced PT in your local area for 40 hours practical done in your own time as well.
For Cert 3 & 4 in Fitness (as well as the children/older adult qualifications) you're looking at a bit under $3,400 which includes everything you need except first aid which you do externally for around $130.
If you want any more info just let me know...

[dparm99]

I am busily researching the same thing.

The second is Certificate IV, and there you specialise in either Group Trainer or Personal Trainer. The group one is for aerobics classes, that sort of thing. The personal one is what most of us here are interested in, it's one trainer with one to a few people. This lets you take people in at the gym or on your own somewhere, assess their fitness and strength, discover their goals and tailor a workout to suit.


Lastly, you need Level 2 First Aid. That's CPR, recognising signs of a stroke, stopping bleeding, recognising and treating shock, basic binding of sprains, that sort of thing. Some institutions just slot it in as part of Cert III/IV, others expect you to do it separately.

Level 2 First Aid is $200-$500 on its own.

Certificate 3 allows you to run group classes, Certificate 4 is for one on one training.

You just need a senior first aid certificate (also called "apply first aid") which only costs around $130.

[tommylondon]

Hi guys,

First post on this forum, i'm a new member from the UK.

I've been interested in studying PT for a while now, i've always had an interest in fitness and it also gives me a good reason to stay fit and healthy.

I have been looking into studying for a PT course in Australia and this is the best forum and information I have found so far, so thanks for that.
In the UK a PT course starts at about ?2995 ($6000) and these courses usually last between 15-24 weeks. The most expensive course with the best organisation is around ?4000.

I spent 8 months in 2007 travelling around Australia as a backpacker. I loved every second of it and would quite happily study and live in VIC, NSW and QSL.

Basically my question to you all is.. If you had to choose an Organisation/College to go with who would it be? And is it worth studying for as an International Student (baring in mind visa costs, flights etc)?

Alot of people may be wondering why I don't just study it at home? The real reasons behind this are quite simple. I loved Australia, I want to be back in Australia with my own independance, I want to learn PT. Also would thier be an avenue to get sponsored to work in Australia? Who knows..

Anyone with any suggestions or help on anything of the stuff i've just rambled on about would be appriciated.

Thanks alot,

Tommy

[skyheart]

What is the going rate?

[KyleAaron]

I've written about it over at the AussieBB forum here, mate.

I'm not sure about rates for Brits, coming from a Commonwealth country, otherwise as an "international" student it might be more for you.

[monatu]

Just a quick question - is one still able to Personal Train if, instead of Cert III's etc, you have your Australian Strength and Conditioning Assosciation S&C lvl 1/2/etc?

Or is it just a case of Gyms wont necessarily employ you to PT without your PT stuff, but you can still do it privately?

[KyleAaron]

"Trainer" is like "counsellor" - anyone can hang out a sign and call themselves that - subject to various council/shire planning issues, OHS and all that.

It's just that if you're unqualified, you won't get insurance. So cross your fingers that of your hundreds of clients over a decade or so not one is injured and sues you.

For the same sorts of reasons, a person with no recognised qualification is unlikely to be employed by some other gym. Because the one time the guy with no ticket is on duty alone will be the one time someone is seriously injured.