I need help!..

[lovehasrisen]

i want to change my major in order to get a Fitness specialist certificate @ a community college. and then study health and nutrition.

Here are my questions,
how do you become a personal trainer?
how much do you earn in average?
i've seen many people who train others and dont know crap, i dont want to be like that..
how should i prepare my self?
is this job like a part-time?

thank you, i love fitness and health, love working out and how the body works.
i was an art history major but dont know what i am going to do with an art history degree.

http://ww w.ivc.edu/schedule/Documents/catalog/pe.pdf
heres the specialist certificate 3 of 9 page. thanks

[Jack_Lupino]

all of these questions have been answered repeatedly, take some time and read around... but just because I'm bored here's some quick answers off the top of my head.

You become a personal trainer by training people personally.
For training I eared about $15 an hour average @ corporate gyms.
Prepare yourself by becoming a sponge, there's much to be learned from this site alone. If you're really serious about it you'd put in the time and learn as much as possible. (I spend hours a day reading and watching videos either on here or from links people here provide)
Part-time or not is partially in your hands, just about everyone will start part time though until they can (hopefully because I have yet to) build up a big enough client base to work full time. (but if you're in school I don't know if this is realistic)

[lovehasrisen]

Thanks, yeah i've been on bb.com for hours everyday seaching for training tech. and answers about becoming a personal trainer.

but some posts dont have 100% of the answer of the question that i need.
yes i am very serious about becoming a trainer. im always on bb.com, always read magazines - mens health, muscle development etc.

are the nasm cert. tests hard?
if you just get that cert. then are you ready to train others?

[jamezgt]

i want to change my major in order to get a Fitness specialist certificate @ a community college. and then study health and nutrition.

Here are my questions,
how do you become a personal trainer?
how much do you earn in average?
i've seen many people who train others and dont know crap, i dont want to be like that..
how should i prepare my self?
is this job like a part-time?

thank you, i love fitness and health, love working out and how the body works.
i was an art history major but dont know what i am going to do with an art history degree.

http://ww w.ivc.edu/schedule/Documents/catalog/pe.pdf
heres the specialist certificate 3 of 9 page. thanks

1. Get a certification through a recognized organization (NASM,ACSM,ACE etc)
2. It really depends where you work. In a commercial gym, minimum per client over here is $20.00 - $22.50
3. In my opinion, do not read Muscle Mag, and all those other magazines. Try to get a job at a gym (cleaning weights, shadowing a trainer, anything), and take some books out from the library, and get reading. The Internet could have some false information, and the last thing you want to do is preach false information
4. It can be a full-time job depending on your clientele, and what field you get into. If you're aiming for the average trainer at the commercial gym, chances are it'll be a part-time job. The hardest thing about personal training is building up your clientele (in my opinion).

[Rap_Rocky]

i want to change my major in order to get a Fitness specialist certificate @ a community college. and then study health and nutrition.

Here are my questions,
how do you become a personal trainer?
how much do you earn in average?
i've seen many people who train others and dont know crap, i dont want to be like that..
how should i prepare my self?
is this job like a part-time?

thank you, i love fitness and health, love working out and how the body works.
i was an art history major but dont know what i am going to do with an art history degree.

http://ww w.ivc.edu/schedule/Documents/catalog/pe.pdf
heres the specialist certificate 3 of 9 page. thanks

Well here's my 2 cents of the questions you've asked.

1) Anybody can become a personal trainer. There is no required license in order to become one. However, most employers require you have a nationally recognized certification in order to work as a trainer. There are 4 that are most recognized mong gyms and fitness/health employers - ACSM, NASM, NSCA, and ACE - the first 2 certifications are the most recognizable/respected in the field. On the flipside, there are some gyms that are simply looking for somebody that can sell sessions and look good in a tight shirt.

2) It varies in each state, as well as the environment you work at. In NY, the average is about $40,000 (full-time). Those with degrees have made on average up to $60,000. You can make more or less, depending on the amount of clients you have, the establishment you work at, and the time you put in. The low end of trainers with a high school degree and a certification have been reported to make on average $18-$22,000.

3) If you don't want to be one of those trainers who "don't know crap", then don't.

4) If you want to prepare yourself, as well as not being a trainer who doesn't know crap, you can take a few biology/anatomy courses in school or anything related to health, fitness, nutrition, or kinesiology. I suggest reviewing one of the 4 certifications mentioned, pick the one you like, and buying the study material from them.

If you want, you can change your major to something related to what you want to accomplish as a trainer, such as physical education, community health, etc. Hope this all helped in some way at the very least.

[lovehasrisen]

thank you for the great reply.
yes i will buy the study guides and the exam, im thinking of buying the $800 one but not sure cause its going to be my first test and all..
so if i have a cert. i will be able to become a personal trainer right?
how about the insurance thing most pts are in?

[Rap_Rocky]

thank you for the great reply.
yes i will buy the study guides and the exam, im thinking of buying the $800 one but not sure cause its going to be my first test and all..
so if i have a cert. i will be able to become a personal trainer right?
how about the insurance thing most pts are in?

Again, a certification doesn't make you a trainer all of a sudden. Anybody can become one with or without one. Holding a prestigious certification like ACSM or NASM doesn't make you a good trainer either. Following up on fitness trends, reading up on the evolving science behind exercise/fitness and the human anatomy, networking with other trainers....things like that can help you become an established trainer and stand out form the rest.

What I feel has helped me become the trainer I am is that I went to college for my Exercise Science degree, and I always take advantage of the opportunity to chop it up with other trainers, get ideas from them, or their input on things I wonder about, asking questions, things of that nature...if I don't know something, I'll read through scientific research/journals to get a better understanding of it. I always want to know "why?" and am not satisfied with simple answers, or things I have a tough time understanding.

As for insurance, most gyms don't require it. It's a great incentive though. It's usually the private facilities that require trainers to have one.

[lovehasrisen]

URGG YEAH..
i want to study for NASM-cpt
should i buy the CPT Premier which includes the "cert. exam" but costs $800..?
so basically how this test thing goes is..
i buy the study stuff, study my butt off for 100+ days and then get cpr/aed cert.
and take the test at a place in california?

where do i take the cpr/aed cert? red cross doesnt have their link up..

[Jack_Lupino]

URGG YEAH..
i want to study for NASM-cpt
should i buy the CPT Premier which includes the "cert. exam" but costs $800..?
so basically how this test thing goes is..
i buy the study stuff, study my butt off for 100+ days and then get cpr/aed cert.
and take the test at a place in california?

where do i take the cpr/aed cert? red cross doesnt have their link up..

don't go Red Cross, go American Heart Association, much better.

you will need to find a place locally that is offering it... just type in CPR/AED and your general area.
also, i'd say it's worth the extra 5 bucks or whatever to take the Health Care provider version.

[Lasharm]

URGG YEAH..
i want to study for NASM-cpt
should i buy the CPT Premier which includes the "cert. exam" but costs $800..?
so basically how this test thing goes is..
i buy the study stuff, study my butt off for 100+ days and then get cpr/aed cert.
and take the test at a place in california?

where do i take the cpr/aed cert? red cross doesnt have their link up..

Most local hospitals train CPR/First aid. Just talk to administration and they can give you info. Just remember, you will need the live-skills check (training on a dummie)

[MVP]

i want to change my major in order to get a Fitness specialist certificate @ a community college. and then study health and nutrition.

Here are my questions,
how do you become a personal trainer?
how much do you earn in average?
i've seen many people who train others and dont know crap, i dont want to be like that..
how should i prepare my self?
is this job like a part-time?

thank you, i love fitness and health, love working out and how the body works.
i was an art history major but dont know what i am going to do with an art history degree.

http://ww w.ivc.edu/schedule/Documents/catalog/pe.pdf
heres the specialist certificate 3 of 9 page. thanks

Get a cert. It don't really matter which one you get as long as the gym you plan on training at accepts it. They'll have a list of 20 or so they accept. Pick one

Depends how hard you work. What you put in, is what you'll get out of it.

This is why it does not matter what cert you have. You'll learn more through trial and error training a variety of people. Experience, and this takes years

Do you enjoy helping others change their lives?

Only if you want it to be